The original HAMMAM shower routine for (sk)incredible results

As you might have read on the HOW TO page, there are two ways to use the Exfoliating Mitt. You can use it as a loofah with body wash, or alone for weekly deep exfoliation. Don't we all wash our hair first, put in a mask or conditioner, and let it sit while we wash our body? I do, during a regular shower when it's wash day for my hair.

The original hammam shower routine is a little different, but the results are (sk)incredible. It doesn't mean you have to do this during all showers, but when you want to focus on deeply exfoliating your skin once a week, this is the tried and tested method so your hair care won't sabotage your exfoliation by sealing your skin.

So without further due, these are the 9 steps of the original hamam shower routine:

STEP 1
Warm up the shower. Every shower is different, and you know yours best. What some people do in Morocco is, fill a bucket with hot water. It will release some steam in the bathroom, and you will save water. If you have access to a steam shower, you can use it to warm up your skin. During the treatment, you want a more dry atmosphere so you can scrub better. You can also just rinse with warm water, as stated in step 3. But the key is to start with warmth to loosen up the dead skin cells. 

STEP 2
If you have long hair, secure it in a bun, so it won't get in the way of exfoliating. It is important that you do not wet your hair during the whole process. You can wash it at the end. (this is one of the crucial differences compared to the regular shower). The reason for this is that most haircare inhibits exfoliation because it can envelop your skin with ingredients like silicone, oils, etc. If you do want to treat your hair, you can put in oil, as Moroccan women do before going to the Hammam. Just don't rinse it out before the exfoliation treatment.

STEP 3
Rinse your skin with warm water. As mentioned before, it's all about warmth to prep the skin for easy exfoliation, so you won't over-scrub. 

STEP 4
Massage your full body with black soap, without the exfoliating mitt. You can substitute black soap with a natural soap bar, but the best results come from using black soap. Some shower gels and body washes contain silicone, and you want to avoid those when exfoliating.

After you massage your full body with black soap or soap, let it sit for a few minutes. In the meantime, you can scrub your feet with a pumice, shave or give yourself a neck or face massage. Turn off the water during this time, preferably.
It's best to sit down during this shower routine, so you can relax and take your time. If you don't have a shower bench yet, think about investing in one or in a shower mat to sit on the floor. You can also use the bathtub if you have access to one.

STEP 5
After a few minutes, rinse your body thoroughly with warm water again. Don't miss any soap.

STEP 6
Rinse your exfoliating mitt, wring out excess water, and start exfoliating your arms, chest, neck, belly, legs, booty. Here, you can find the overlooked body parts you can exfoliate.
The best way to exfoliate is without hard pressure. Just lay your hand flat on your skin, and use your hands' weight. When the exfoliating mitts texture fills up with dead skin cells, rinse the mitt and wring out access water.

STEP 7
Rinse off all the dead greyish skin cells you just exfoliated. You can use your body wash or shower gel now or after you wash your hair, whichever you prefer.

STEP 8
Finally, you can wash your hair and put it in a mask or conditioner. You can always choose to wash it another time, but for a head to toe fresh feeling, people who visit the Hammam always wash their hair after the deep exfoliating treatment.

While your hair sits in conditioner or a hair mask, you can put on a face or body mask if you want.

STEP 9
When you rinse off one more time, you will feel fresher than ever. You can choose to rinse with cold water to close the pores and cool off.

Make sure to protect your newly exfoliated skin from the sun and use SPF or even cover up if you're going outside. If you scrubbed a little overzealous, which happens to me sometimes, treat the area with a nourishing cream.

When used once a week, this shower routine will transform your skin in a matter of weeks. You will definitely feel a difference from the first use. Here, you can read more about the benefits of exfoliating your skin.

Duration: 1-2 hours (trust me, it's totally worth it!)