Body scrub in Istanbul

All three venues in Istanbul offering a body scrub are on the European side, in the spas of city hotels in Etiler, Nişantaşı and Taksim. All three also have a Turkish bath and kese (exfoliating scrub), so at the same venue you can choose between a product-based scrub and a kese in the hammam.

Three spas, three different settings: the services at Aurel Spa, in the Occidental Hotel in Taksim, include a body mask, cellulite treatment and spa packages alongside the body scrub; this range is useful if you want to combine the scrub with a mask or a treatment package. Explore Spa and Fitness, inside Le Méridien in Etiler, offers sessions by appointment ranging from Ayurvedic treatments to a bridal hammam ritual; here the body scrub is on the same menu as facials and the hammam. At Muse and Life Spa, in TZL Suites in Nişantaşı, the highlight is Balinese massage given by Indonesian therapists; a good fit if you are planning a massage after the scrub.

Kese or body scrub: Kese is mechanical exfoliation with a wet mitt in the hot hammam, whereas a body scrub is a treatment using a salt-, sugar- or coffee-based mixture. If the heat and humidity of the hammam feel too much for you, a body scrub may suit you better. If you are thinking of having both on the same day, say how sensitive your skin is at the start and decide according to the therapist's advice.

What to ask: when booking, find out what is in the mixture used (especially if you have an allergy), whether you can shower after the treatment, and whether the body scrub is offered on its own or as part of a package. If you have a burn, a cut or active irritation on your skin, put the treatment off. The stages of a body scrub are on the body scrub page, and the city's other spas and hammams on the Istanbul page.