Hammam help in Hua Hin

IF YOU’RE looking for a spa treatment that’s thoroughly cleansing, deeply nourishing and blissfully relaxing, the hammam ritual at the Marrakesh Hua Hin Resort’s Noora Spa is just the thing for you.

The two-hour Middle Eastern-style pampering (Bt3,640) is a perfect choice for those who want an all-in-one treatment. The hammam – Turkish bath – became popular in Western Europe during the Victorian era thanks to its relaxing quality as well as many benefits for the health and skin. 

The ancient bathing ritual is now the new signature treatment at the Noora, where each step is recreated authentically according to the original ritual. The highlight of the treatment is the use of argan oil extracted from the kernel of argan tree nuts found only in Morocco. 

The treatment starts with 10 or 15 minutes in a steam room. The moist heat opens your pores and eliminates clogged impurities. It also helps relax your muscle and calm your senses. 

Next is the “bath”, where the therapist will slather your skin with slightly oily and smooth black soap, which has long been used to heal skin problems. The soap is made from the ash of plantain, cocoa pods, palm-tree leaves and shea-tree bark. 

First the leaves and bark are sun-dried and roasted, then mixed with palm oil, coconut oil, shea butter and cocoa-pod powder. 

Black soap is good for thinning fine lines, evening out dark spots, eczema, razor bumps and eliminating blemishes. It’s also used to lightly exfoliate and give you healthier-looking skin.

The therapist will then scrub you vigorously with a bristled kessa glove designed specifically to exfoliate. This step can be a little uncomfortable, even a little painful, since the glove is quite harsh. The good thing is that no impurity is left behind and your skin will feel totally cleansed and smooth immediately. 

The next step is the ghassoul clay wrap to detoxify and nourish your skin. Ghassoul (pronounced ras-sool) is a rock-clay mineral extracted from the only known beds in the world, amid Morocco’s Atlas Mountains. It is rich in magnesium, calcium and potassium and acts as a blotter, absorbing grease particles and impurities. 

Ghassoul rids the skin of the deepest impurities and regulates the sebum without irritating the sebaceous glands, thus retaining the natural oil in the skin. 

After a quick rinse, you’ll be treated to a relaxing massage with pure organic argan oil. 

Europeans praise argan oil as “liquid gold” because it contains up to 99 per cent fatty acid of a type our bodies can’t produce naturally. Hence it’s the elixir that can restore youthfulness to the skin. It helps tighten, reduces wrinkles and nourishes dull hair. The omega-9 in argan oil also deeply moisturises the skin. A study shows that, compared to the oil of olives, sunflower seeds, grapeseed, soybeans and peanuts, argan oil contains three times more Vitamin E. Its richness in Vitamin A also boosts growth in the cells and helps the flow of minerals and vitamins throughout the body. 

When used on skin, argan oil can visually restore youthfulness. It also helps nourish and moisturise, giving the skin a natural glow. The antioxidants in the oil also protect the skin from the sun. 

With superior moisturising and anti-wrinkle properties, argan oil fights the skin’s natural ageing and restores radiance by improving hydration in the upper layers. 

After the massage your skin will feel a little heavy, but not greasy, and you can sense its elasticity and suppleness almost immediately. 

Argan trees can live to be 200 years old, but they can only be planted in Morocco. Such exclusivity earned the tree attention from Unesco, which declared a 8,280-square-kilometre plantation a World Heritage site.

 

 

LIQUID GOLD

>>The Noora Spa is at Marrakesh Hua Hin Resort and open daily from 9am to 10pm.

>>Reservations are recommended at (032) 616 7777.