A Turkish hammam ritual has five steps: warm up, scrub with a kese mitt, wash with soap, rinse, and rest wrapped in a peshtemal towel. You can follow the same order at home with a warm shower or bath. Set aside about 30 to 45 minutes and do it about once a week.
What is a hammam?
A hammam, or Turkish bath, is a public steam bath. Bathers warm up in a heated marble room, are scrubbed with a woven mitt called a kese, are washed with soap and rinsed with bowls of water, and then rest. The attendant who does the scrub is called a tellak.
What you need
- A kese mitt for the scrub
- A bar of soap for the wash; olive oil soap is the traditional choice
- A peshtemal or other towel to wrap up in
- A warm shower or bath
- Moisturizer for afterwards
The ritual, step by step
- Warm up. Run the shower warm and let the bathroom steam up a little, or soak in a warm bath. Stay in the warm water for 5 to 10 minutes. Don't use soap, shower gel or oil yet.
- Scrub. Wet the kese, wring it out until it is damp, and step out of the water stream. Rub your skin in long, firm strokes, one area at a time. Go gently on sensitive areas and skip your face.
- Wash. Rinse off, then lather the soap between wet hands or directly on your skin and wash from shoulders to feet.
- Rinse. Rinse with warm water. Some people like to finish with cooler water.
- Wrap and rest. Wrap up in the peshtemal, pat your skin dry, moisturize, and give yourself a few quiet minutes. In a hammam, this is when tea is served.
Why does the order matter?
The scrub comes before the soap because a kese works by friction on soft, damp skin. Soap and oil make the mitt slide, so they are saved for the wash. The soak comes first because warm water softens the outer layer of skin, and without it very little lifts away.
How often should you do it?
Once a week is plenty for most people. If your skin feels tender afterwards, leave more time before the next scrub. Don't use a kese on broken, sunburned or irritated skin, and if you have a skin condition, check with your doctor first.
How do you look after your hammam kit?
- Kese: rinse with clean water, wring out and hang to dry.
- Soap: keep it on a draining soap dish so it dries between uses and lasts longer.
- Peshtemal: machine wash warm with similar colors, no bleach, and line dry or tumble dry low.
The Tellak Hammam Set has all three pieces in one box: the kese mitt, an olive oil soap bar and a peshtemal towel, made in Türkiye. For more detail on each step, read How to Use a Kese Mitt at Home and What Is a Peshtemal?