Kese from Jennifers Hamam

When I went to Turkey for holiday, all I wanted was to come back with a good quality kese and I did! It was the first shop I found out of coincidence without even having done prior research on where to get the best kese in Turkey. But I did not buy it the first time. I was just shopping around until I find a good one. Some shops sell those made with cotton or synthetic material which were a lot cheaper but those that were made with natural fibres like mohair or silk were very expensive in most Bazaars. Most of them sold were only one colour, off-white.

So naturally, I went back to this particular shop, Jennifer's Hamam at Arasta Bazaar to stock up on these quality kese for my family at a reasonable price. This is a lovely shop selling towels, pestamel, robes, kese, bed linens and other hamam products.

What is kese?

Kese is an exfoliating washcloth in the form of a mitt used in hamam (Turksih baths) to remove dead skin cells from the body to soften the skin, helps skin breathe and generate new cells. Using a kese will also help improve blood circulation.

This photo of Jennifer's Hamam is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Jennifer's Hamam

At Jennifer's Hamam, all the textiles uses Turkish fibres and crafted by Turkish Artisans. They are also woven on old-style shuttle looms which means that the weave is made with one continuous cross thread creating a self-edge that cannot fray. Shuttle looming is a more time-consuming process which produces a tighter weave and better quality fabric that lasts.

All of the kese sold in Jennifer's Hamam are made from natural and organic materials such as goat hair, tree bark, wool, bamboo, lamb's wool and silk. There are many different kese for different skin types, each are a combination of either two or one of the materials mentioned above. 

What I like about the kese here is the natural and organic material used and all are beautifully crafted. Better yet, they come in many colours which makes it perfect for gifts especially for family members or couples who share the same bathroom, the colour is great to differentiate which is whose. Like toothbrush or towels, you wouldn't want to share it with someone else for health and hygiene purpose.

How to choose a kese?

As mentioned above, there are many types of kese available with different grade of roughness made with various fibres. When choosing a suitable kese for yourself or for friends and family, do consider their skin types.

Be careful when choosing kese as there are many imitation that uses synthetic material. A good kese will harden and shrink slightly when wet so it can function to exfoliate. Please do not buy those that softens when in contact with water.

Use and care for your kese

Proper care of your kese will make it last for 3 to 5 years and as recommended, use it once every 7-15 days. Kese is best used in a hot and steamy environment when your skin is moist and sweaty. Use it before applying soap when your body is wet with hot water. Put your hand in the mitt and use long and slow, up and down strokes on your skin then rinse off the dead skin cells.

After use, rinse with very hot water and hang dry. Do not use detergent or put in the washing machine as it will shorten the life of your kese.

Happy exfoliating!!

Jennifer's Hamam

Arasta Bazaar No.135
Sultanahmet, Fatih
34400 Istanbul, Turkey

Tel: +90 212 518 0648

*Reviews of Jennifer's Hamam on Tripadvisor