A Glossary of Spa and Hammam Terms
Hammam, gommage, rhassoul, kessa, thalassotherapy — a plain-language glossary of the wellness terms you will encounter.
Spa and hammam menus are full of words that can be unfamiliar — many borrowed from Arabic, French or the world of wellness. This plain-language glossary explains the terms you are most likely to encounter so you can book and enjoy your treatment with confidence.
Hammam
A steam bath built around a sequence of heated rooms, and the ritual performed there: warming in the steam, cleansing with black soap, exfoliation and a final rinse. Central to North African and Middle Eastern bathing culture.
Gommage
The exfoliating scrub at the heart of the hammam, performed with a coarse mitt to lift away dead skin and leave the surface smooth. Vigorous but never painful.
Kessa
The coarse exfoliating mitt used to perform the gommage.
Savon beldi (black soap)
A soft, dark, olive-based soap smoothed onto the skin and left to sit in the steam. It conditions and softens the skin to prepare it for exfoliation rather than lathering like ordinary soap.
Rhassoul
A mineral-rich clay from Morocco's Atlas Mountains, mixed with water into a paste and applied as a mask to draw out impurities. Gentle enough for face, scalp and body.
Argan oil
An oil pressed from the kernels of the argan tree, native to Morocco. Rich in vitamin E, it is used to moisturise skin and hair and often finishes a hammam or massage.
Tayeba / attendant
The attendant who performs your scrub and wash in a traditional hammam. A modest tip is customary.
Thalassotherapy
The use of seawater, marine mud and algae in treatments — heated seawater pools, hydro-massage and mineral-rich wraps. A specialty of coastal spas.
Common spa treatments
**Swedish massage** — a gentle, all-purpose relaxing massage. **Deep-tissue massage** — firmer work targeting knots and chronic tension. **Hot-stone massage** — heated stones used to relax muscles. **Facial** — a cleansing and nourishing treatment for the face. **Body wrap** — the body is coated in a nourishing mixture and wrapped so the skin absorbs it.
With these terms in hand, any spa or hammam menu becomes easy to read. Browse our directory to find a venue and treatment that suits you.