Moroccan massage (and scrubbing - optional)

Discard your clothes (except bikini bottom) and your modesty at the same time and revel in this gentle skin massage. A scrubbing is an integral part of the procedure in hammams (steam baths) in Morocco, and many of the more sophisticated hammams also offer the massage.

To truly reap the full benefit of this massage it is advisable to have a scrubbing first. Scrubbing is an intense exfoliation.

The scrub cream is also made from argan oil and pasted onto your body. Your masseuse, using a loofah hand glove, scrubs every area of your body after which you go in to a hot shower where she rinses off all the dead skin that has been removed (you’ll be shattered to see how much comes off!) and showers you with rose water – a lovely feeling.

She daps you dry, and you return to the massage bed where you have a full body massage with argan oil.

It smells nutty, but the smell quickly evaporates. For your face she uses pure almond cream (almonds grow abundantly in Morocco) which smells lovely. Your skin feels unbelievably smooth and soft. This is a gentle but firm massage.

Allow time after this intensive massage to relax for a while; half the benefit is lost if you rush off to your next appointment. Drink plenty of water. But above all, ENJOY.

The Argan tree is endemic to Morocco and is known to the Moroccan Berber people as The Tree of Life – none of the tree goes to waste. Argan oil is produced from the kernels of the tree and is one of the most expensive oils in the world. It has extra high levels of vitamin E and 80% fatty acids which make it perfect for skin treatments and for treating specific skin ailments, as well as protecting against premature ageing caused by oxidation, particularly in harsh climates and after exposure to sun. Argan oil benefits are innumerable and scientifically proved. The kernels are to date extracted by hand in female cooperatives, the women sitting for long hours on the ground, cracking open each individual nut. It takes 12 – 20 hours of hand processing to produce one litre of Argan oil.