A hammam ritual at home
A traditional hammam is a beautiful building, but the ritual itself is surprisingly portable. With a hot shower, a closed bathroom door and three simple tools, you can get most of the way there.
What you need
- A peshtemal, the flat-woven Turkish towel
- A kese mitt for exfoliating
- Olive black soap, a soft paste-like soap
- A bowl or jug, and a pot of tea for afterwards
The ritual
- Make steam. Close the bathroom door and window and run the shower hot for a few minutes until the room fills with steam.
- Warm up. Stand or sit in the steam for 10 minutes, rinsing with warm water from time to time. Your skin needs to be properly soft for the next step.
- Apply black soap. Smooth a thin layer over damp skin, avoiding the face and any broken skin. Leave it on for about five minutes, then rinse.
- Scrub with the kese. Wet the mitt and use firm, long strokes in one direction. You’ll see dead skin roll away. Go gently on sensitive areas.
- Rinse and wash. Pour warm water over yourself, then wash with a mild soap.
- Rest. Wrap up in your peshtemal, sit somewhere comfortable and drink a glass of water or tea.
Once a week is plenty for a full kese scrub. More often can irritate the skin. Skip it on sunburnt or freshly shaved skin.
Making it feel special
Dim the lights, put on some quiet music and leave your phone outside. The hammam has always been about slowing down as much as getting clean.