Laurent Nodenot
Hammam: how to use it properly
Bath and hammam are complementary
To get your hammam beauty ritual off to a good start, start by running a lukewarm or even cold bath to invigorate yourself after the hammam session. While the bath fills up, take a shower; this will get your skin used to the heat. Turn on the steam generator, the ideal temperature of 50°C will be reached in a few minutes, start to feel the benefits of the hammam; the heat and humidity make breathing easier. If you can, add a few drops of eucalyptus essential oil, it is very effective in clearing your sinuses. Breathe in and out deeply for about ten minutes to make this a perfect moment of relaxation. By concentrating on your breathing you will be able to clear your thoughts.
Remember to remove your jewellery before entering the steam room, watches do not appreciate the humid heat and metal accumulates heat (these precautions are even more justified if you use a sauna, the temperatures are higher there).
It is time to relax, many hammam cabins are equipped with a chromotherapy system, choose the colour blue to soothe you. A Bluetooth speaker is often associated with the cabin, don't hesitate to listen to soothing music or even, why not, mantras to make this hammam session a real inner journey.
Located in a Savoyard chalet, this discrete hammam cabin is a delight for skiers and hikers at the end of the day.
Between two hammam sessions, take your time
Don't hesitate to take a break and listen to your body. Refresh yourself often with the shower head, the shower tray or the waterfall. A first hammam session should not exceed 15 minutes. Put on your bathrobe and stay outside the steam room for a while. Ideally, you should take a warm bath to bring your body temperature down and eliminate the sweat. The alternation of hot and cold has a profound effect on your body and helps to stimulate your immune system in a natural way. You can even optimise this vasodilation and vasoconstriction phenomenon by bathing in cold water.
Drink regularly, stay hydrated
Remember to dry off and take time to rest. If you can, go outside or open the window to breathe in the fresh air. This is a good time to pour yourself a mint or lavender tea to rehydrate. Iced water is not recommended for the internal organs; it is better to drink water at room temperature.
Then, return to the hammam, after about ten minutes of steam, the pores of your skin will open. This is the perfect time to start scrubbing your skin to remove all the impurities from the dead skin. The action of the black soap combined with the horsehair glove (Kessa), will allow a deep exfoliation. Use small circular motions and insist on areas where the skin is thick, such as elbows or heels. Rinse thoroughly in the shower and exit as before. Take a deep breath and rest on a towel while your body temperature drops, the resting time is considered to be equivalent to the duration of the session.
You can do this ritual three times, which is ideal. If you have the opportunity, alternate with a sauna session. But, above all, do not force yourself at the beginning, if you do not feel perfectly well, tell yourself that it is better to shorten these first hammam sessions. Go out quietly and lie down to recover slowly, you will come back all the more easily next time.
Remember to rehydrate your skin too
After a final hammam session, all you have to do is moisturise your skin with a cream or vegetable oils such as argan oil, jojoba oil or coconut oil. A dab of shea butter is also very effective for beautiful skin. In addition to this great skin cleansing, 10 to 30 minutes of hammam will relax you deeply and improve your cell renewal.
The surface of the facial skin will be luminous and hydrated. Particularly recommended for combination and oily skin, the humid heat of the traditional hammam is effective in eliminating toxins and limiting the excess sebum responsible for acne and blackheads.
Do not hesitate to make it a beauty routine: Deeply cleansing the skin with a black soap scrub gently exfoliates to regenerate, stimulate, tone and smooth the face and body. Very effective in restoring soft skin, the purifying hammam scrub is suitable for all skin types. The elimination of dead cells from the epidermis is a real plus to protect you from external aggressions and limit ageing.
A hammam in a room
The hammam is also and above all a moment of conviviality, the bench of this large cabin, installed under an attic, accommodates three people. A large shower canopy, a shoulder waterfall and a showerhead allow you to refresh yourself regularly.
The ultimate in luxury, the private hammam
A holiday in Haute-Savoie is always invigorating and rejuvenating. Take care of yourself, now is the time to enjoy the benefits of a hammam, a jacuzzi and a sauna. This is exactly what we offer at Chalet Les Cerises. The “Aravis” suite and the “Warens” suite have a steam generator in their shower cabins. This allows you to bask in a warm atmosphere with almost 100% humidity. The steam rooms are perfect for relaxing your muscles after a day of skiing or a long walk in the mountains. Get a new lease of life and say goodbye to muscle aches and pains caused by sport.
The decoration of this bohemian-chic room incorporates all the refinements of the traditional hammam in the heart of the Chamonix valley.
But that's not all, the hammam also allows you to exfoliate and purify your skin in depth, eliminate toxins, stimulate blood circulation, reduce cellulite, help you lose weight and above all, enter a state of intense relaxation conducive to sleep. Favour your hammam sessions in the evening to help you find sleep more easily.