Have you ever visited a Hammam wet room?

Anyone lucky enough to have sampled the delights of a traditional Hammam will know that this cultural cleansing ritual is not just an occasional indulgence for Moroccans, but a way of life. It’s not unusual for men and women to visit the Hammam at least once a week for two hours or more. Visiting the Hammam is as much a chance to socialise and catch up with gossip as to deep clean the skin.

The Hammam leaves visitors feeling refreshed and revived with the most incredible glowing skin. This experience is truly unique to Morocco and an opportunity not to be missed, whether you visit a Moroccan Hammam or a luxurious hotel spa.

The best way to describe a traditional Hammam is a steam room with tiled floors and ceilings, buckets of hot water, soap, hand mitts and lots of bare skin! Visitors to the Hammam use a special locally-bought black olive oil soap to scrub their entire body from head to foot. Rhassoul, a mineral-rich lava clay that is applied to the body to scrub and invigorate the skin, can also be used. Afterwards, it’s common to enjoy a massage and these services are often offered to complete the relaxation experience.

There are separate Hammams for men and women in Morocco and it’s usually best to go with a friend so you can help scrub each other down, although other Hammam visitors may be happy to offer their help – as long as you return the favour.

A little closer to home, we have our very own authentic Hammam wet room right here at the Devonshire Spa in Buxton, offering guests the opportunity to experience this wonderfully relaxing ritual without the need to jet off to Marrakech! Time in the Hammam can be used in conjunction with treatments for an additional charge, with many guests opting to add this invigorating therapy onto their time around the spa circuit.

So what should you expect from your Hammam treatment at the Devonshire Spa?

On arrival, one of our therapists will show you to our changing rooms where you’ll be provided with a complimentary robe to change into and a fluffy towel to use. It’s best to bring your own flip flops and we advise that you wear bikini bottoms – alternatively, we can provide you with disposable underwear. Hairdryers and toiletries are provided too. So, simply bring your swimwear, flip flops, £1 coin for the locker and you’re good to go!

Scrub up

Guests can opt to enjoy a traditional exfoliating treatment to revitalise and invigorate the entire body. As you lie on a Hammam table in our unique wet room, your full body scrub will be performed by a therapist to remove dead skin cells, reveal fresh new skin and deeply cleanse and moisturise the entire body from head to toe, leaving your skin feeling revived and vibrant. This is a wonderful treatment to enjoy pre-holiday, as it leaves the body smooth, glowing, beautifully soft to the touch and ready for tanning.

The Hebridean Escape

The Hebridean Escape seaweed treatment offers the opportunity to experience both the exquisite benefits of the Hammam with the powerful benefits of ishga spa products. This 2.5 hour ritual includes an invigorating full body scrub using ishga’s Hebridean Sea Salt & Oil Scrub on our heated marble hammam bed before enjoying a detoxifying ishga massage to remove tension from the body. Organic seaweed body oil containing lemongrass, juniper, rose and geranium is then applied to the whole body to stimulate blood and lymph circulation, deep clean and increase your skin’s moisture levels and elasticity. This exquisite treatment finishes with a calming ishga facial, which will nourish and repair dry and tired skin.

Spa away

Following time in the Hammam wet room, many guests choose to continue their experience and escape the stresses and strains of daily life by taking a tour of the spa. Simply relax and unwind in the ambient surroundings for two indulgent hours and make full use of our aromatherapy room, hydrotherapy pool with its powerful massage jets, essence-filled sauna, steam room, ice fountain, monsoon shower and reflexology foot baths. We guarantee you’ll leave feeling recharged and ready to face the world again.

To book a Hammam experience or to book The Hebridean Escape, please ring the Devonshire Spa on 01298 338408.