What Is a Hammam Glove (Kessa)?
Quick answer
A kessa is the coarse, textured exfoliating glove (mitt) used in a Moroccan hammam to scrub the skin after steaming and black-soap application. It sloughs off a startling amount of dead skin, leaving you remarkably smooth. They’re cheap to buy in any souk and make a useful, packable souvenir.
Central to the Moroccan hammam ritual is a humble but mighty tool: the kessa glove. If you try a hammam, this is what does the magic (and the slightly alarming reveal of dead skin).
Here’s what it is.
What it is
The kessa (also kis) is a hand-sized mitt made from a coarse, slightly abrasive textile (traditionally a rough crepe-like or woven fabric). It’s designed to exfoliate vigorously, scrubbing away dead skin cells and grime after the skin has been softened by steam and Moroccan black soap (savon beldi, made from olives).
It’s more abrasive than a typical Western exfoliating cloth — that’s the point.
How it’s used in the hammam
In the ritual: you steam in a hot room to open the pores, get coated in black soap and left for a few minutes, then an attendant (or you yourself in a public hammam) scrubs the whole body with the kessa, removing impressive “rolls” of dead skin (don’t be alarmed — it’s normal). A rinse with warm water, sometimes a rhassoul clay mask and argan-oil massage, finishes it. You emerge baby-smooth.
At a spa hammam the products and glove are provided; at a public hammam you bring your own kessa, black soap and flip-flops.
Buying and using one at home
Kessa gloves are sold cheaply in souks, herbalists and supermarkets across Morocco, often alongside black soap and rhassoul clay — a perfect, lightweight souvenir to recreate the ritual at home. They cost just a few dirham.
At home, use it on damp, softened skin (after a warm shower or bath) with soap, scrubbing gently — it’s powerful, so don’t overdo it or use it on broken/sensitive skin. Rinse and air-dry the glove between uses.
Key takeaways
- A kessa is the coarse exfoliating glove used in the hammam.
- Used with black soap after steaming to scrub off dead skin.
- Leaves skin very smooth; bring your own to a public hammam.
- Cheap to buy in souks — a packable souvenir for home use.
Frequently asked questions
What is a kessa glove used for?
It’s a coarse exfoliating mitt used in the Moroccan hammam to scrub away dead skin after steaming and applying black soap, leaving the skin very smooth.
Does the hammam scrub hurt?
It’s vigorous but not painful — more an intense scrub. The amount of dead skin it removes can be surprising. Tell the attendant if you’d like it gentler.
Can you buy a hammam glove to take home?
Yes — kessa gloves are cheap in souks, herbalists and supermarkets, often sold with black soap and rhassoul clay. A great packable souvenir to recreate the ritual at home.
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