My Pregnant - Hammam Experience

Do you remember the days when our moms used to bathe us? Well, my mom would get to every nook and cranny of my body and I would leave the bathroom feeling really clean and fresh. It was kinda different if it was my dad who bathe me, though - all I can remember was some quick splash of water and fighting not to get shampoo into my eyes and 5 minutes later I was already dressed. Ahh.. the good memories of childhood!

Anyway, if you ever felt like reliving your childhood memory of being bathe by someone else you should definitely head to Hammam for a Hammam and Gommage session!

What is Hammam? You may ask. Well, Hammam is a traditional Moroccan version of a Turkish Bath. Hammam in Arabic means "spreader of warmth" and you can trace its roots from Ancient Greek Roman bathhouse culture.

Hammam has been my annual birthday ritual for the past couple of years except for 2014 because unfortunately my birthday fell on the "National Mourning Day" and I thought it didn't feel right to spend the day by indulging myself with a Spa Session.

I visited the Bangsar Village II outlet recently for a Hammam, Gommage and Moorish Body polish session - I thought it will be a nice way to start the new year as well as a good way to reward myself after spending a couple of weeks studying for my MBA exams!

 

The Bathing Area (Picture credit to thestar.com.my)

Why I love Hammam? Well, A Hammam and Gommage session isn't like any other of your typical body spa session where the therapist will slather scrub all over your body and then let you soak yourself in a bath tub filled with 7 different kinds of flowers.

During a Hammam and Gommage session, the therapist will literally bathe you like a kid. To give you a better idea, let me walk you through a typical Hammam and Gommage & Moorish Body Polish session.

Before you begin, you will be taken to the Locker area where you will given disposables to cover your vital parts, a bath robe and a pair of slippers to change into. If you're not comfortable wearing disposables, you can also bring your own pair of bikini. After that, you will be brought to the Moroccan style "bathing area" which is a warm tiled room with a water trough.

Hammam and Gommage

During a Hammam session, the therapist will pour warm water all over your body and then slather you with the "Beldi Black Soap". The Beldi Black Soap is made of olives and is meant to prepare your skin for vigourous exfoliation during the Gommage session.

During the Gommage session, the therapist will use a special glove and scrub all over your body. She will get to all the nooks and cranny of your body -including the back of your ears, the folds of your legs, your armpits, so technically, every single part of your body will be covered and  all the dead skin cells will be scrubbed away! At this point, you can see literally see rolls of dead skin cells laying around  all over and around your body. It is a bit gross but very invigorating at the same time! Your skin will feel much clearer and smoother after a gommage session.

Moorish Body Polish
After you're all cleaned up and all of your dead skin cells have been removed, the therapist will then slather volcanic clay all over your body. The volcanic clay is mined from the Atlas mountains and is used as a hair and body mask to thicken hair keratin, remineralises, detoxifies and soften skin. After about 20 minutes, the therapist will again pour warm water all over your body to rid of the body mask.

Once you're all done, the therapist will then again bathe you with soap and shampoo and get this, will also pat you dry and help you put your robe back on! Once you're done with the whole session, you will be taken to the lounge area and served a nice hot mint tea and Baklava dessert to wind down.

The Lounge Area (Picture credit to thestar.com.my)

 

Things to Consider

• The bathing area in Bangsar outlet can accomodate 2 person at a time, and having someone to bathe you means that you will need to expose parts of your body to the therapist and potentially another stranger in the room. But thankfully, most of the time I was there I got the room all to myself. But if you're uncomfortable exposing yourself to total strangers then Hammam is definitely not for you.
• The bathing area can be quite warm, so it is not recommended if you're in the first trimester of your pregnancy. Always check with your OBGYN and your Hammam therapist if you plan to indulge in a Hammam session during pregnancy.
• Having said that, the therapist will take extra pecautionary care when dealing with pregnant ladies. They will ensure that you are in a comfortable position, provide support when needed and most definitely, you will not be asked to lie flat on your tummy! I also felt like the Gommage scrub was also more gentle this time around.

If you're interested on booking an appointment, you are advised to contact either their Publika or Bangsar Village II outlet at least 3 days in advanced as they usually run full. For more info, checkout their official website.


Till Then, Happy Hammam-ing!

Liv