Table of Contents
The short answer
Scrub first, massage second, facial last. A Moroccan bath, like any full-body scrub, is wet work that takes dead skin off the surface, so it has to come before any oil goes on. The massage follows on clean, warm skin. The facial comes at the end, when you no longer have to lie face down and nothing that follows can rub its products off.
IHR Dream Cleaning offers all three at home in Abu Dhabi. The Moroccan bath is listed at 60 to 90 minutes, a full-body massage at 60 or 90, and the facial at 45 to 60. Together that is between two and three-quarter hours and four hours of treatment before any setting up, so the order is only half the plan. The other half is time, two rooms made ready, and a booking that says clearly what you want. If you book more than one treatment, list them in the booking notes so that the order and the timing are confirmed before the day.
The three treatments and what each one needs
The three use different parts of the home and leave the skin in a different state. Both facts decide the order.
| Treatment | Listed length | Where it happens | How it leaves you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moroccan bath | 60 to 90 minutes | The bathroom, with steam and hot water | Damp, warm, freshly exfoliated |
| Full-body massage | 60 or 90 minutes | A folding table in a quiet room | Oiled and drowsy, oil at the hairline |
| Facial | 45 to 60 minutes | A bed or reclining seat, in good light | Face clean and moisturised |
The Moroccan bath
Steam, black soap, a firm rub with a coarse kessa glove, a rinse and a moisturiser. It is the scrub of the three: a skin treatment, not a massage. Our step-by-step guide to the Moroccan bath at home covers the four steps and how to get the bathroom ready.
The massage
A full-body session with oil, on a table the therapist brings, with you covered by a sheet or towel. The relaxation massage is the gentlest of the full-body sessions: flowing movements, with the pressure adjusted to your comfort. The published prices are AED 199 for 60 minutes and AED 279 for 90.
The facial
Our facial is four steps: deep cleansing, gentle exfoliation, a hydrating mask and a facial massage. It is a spa treatment for how the skin looks and feels, not a medical one. If you are unsure whether it suits your skin, our guide to which facial suits which skin goes through dry, oily and men's skin.
Why the order is scrub, massage, facial
Why the scrub comes before the massage
A scrub removes and a massage adds. The glove takes off dead surface skin along with whatever is sitting on it. A massage leaves a film of oil. In the right order, the oil goes onto clean, new skin and stays there. In reverse, the soap and the glove strip off the oil that has just been worked in, and the glove slides on oiled skin without gripping it.
There is a practical side as well. The bath is the wet treatment. After it you dry off once and stay dry. A massage first means getting oily, then wet, then dry again, with a good part of the hot water spent on removing oil before the steam has even started.
The bath also warms you through. Most people come out of the steam loose and unhurried, which is a good state in which to lie down on a table. Our own Moroccan bath page describes the pairing in this order: a bath followed by a relaxation or aromatherapy massage in the same visit.
Why the facial comes last
For much of a full-body massage you lie face down with your face in a padded cradle. That presses on the forehead and cheeks for half an hour or more, leaves a ring on the skin for a while, and would wipe a freshly applied mask or moisturiser straight onto the cradle cover. A facial given first is partly undone by the massage that follows it.
Massage oil travels too. A full-body session usually ends at the neck and scalp, and oil finds its way to the hairline and the jaw. When the facial comes afterwards, its cleansing step takes that off. When the facial comes first, the oil lands on skin that has just been cleaned.
The same reasoning rules out a facial before the bath. Ten minutes of steam and a soapy rinse undo a mask faster than it was put on.
Last also suits the day. The facial is the lightest of the three, given face up and still, and it is an easy way to finish.
One caution: exfoliate each area once
The bath exfoliates the body, and the facial has its own gentle exfoliation for the face. The two should not overlap. In normal practice the kessa glove is kept off the face, so each treatment stays on its own ground. If your face was scrubbed during the bath, say so before the facial begins, so that its exfoliating step can be softened or left out.
Choosing the massage that follows a scrub
Freshly exfoliated skin is more sensitive than usual for a day or so. That argues for a gentle massage after a bath, and the two our page names alongside it, relaxation and aromatherapy, are both gentle. Long, flowing strokes with plenty of oil sit comfortably on new skin. Deep tissue is slow, firm work with a good deal of friction, and on skin that has just been under a glove it can feel raw. If firm work on a stubborn shoulder is what you want, book that session for another day. Our comparison of the types of massage sets out the differences.
Scent is the second thing to think about. Essential oils that are pleasant on ordinary skin can tingle or sting on skin that was exfoliated an hour ago. If your skin is reactive, ask for a plain, unscented oil for this session, and tell us when you book about any oil or fragrance you react to. Our pages say that what will be used is confirmed before the session. If you do want a scent, our guide to choosing an aromatherapy oil describes the three on offer.
Tell the therapist at the start of the bath that a massage follows. The bath normally ends with a moisturiser, and when an oil massage comes straight afterwards the two do much the same job.
As for length, 60 minutes is usually enough after a bath. You arrive at the table already warm and relaxed, and the day is long as it is. Choose 90 if the massage is the main event and the bath the preparation. Our guide to session lengths shows what fits into each.
If you are booking two of the three
The rule holds for any pair: the wetter and rougher treatment first, the face last.
| Pair | Order | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Bath and massage | Bath, then massage | The pairing our page describes. Choose a gentle massage |
| Massage and facial | Massage, then facial | No bathroom to prepare. The simplest pair to host |
| Bath and facial | Bath, then facial | Let the face cool for a few minutes before the facial starts |
Which two to choose
Choose by what you want from the day. For skin that feels new from the neck down and a rest afterwards, the bath and a massage: this is the full-body scrub and massage most people have in mind. For rest above all, a massage and a facial. For skin alone, face and body, the bath and a facial.
For a first spa day at home, the massage and facial pair is the easiest. It needs no steam, no hot-water planning and no wet floor, and it tells you how you get on with a therapist in your own home before you plan anything longer.
How long the day takes
Start by adding the lengths listed on each service page. These are treatment times only.
| Combination | Shortest | Longest |
|---|---|---|
| Bath and massage | 2 hours | 3 hours |
| Massage and facial | 1 hour 45 minutes | 2 hours 30 minutes |
| Bath and facial | 1 hour 45 minutes | 2 hours 30 minutes |
| All three | 2 hours 45 minutes | 4 hours |
What a home visit adds
Our massage slots allow about half an hour beyond the session itself for setting up and packing away. A day with a bath in it also has a change-over: drying off, moving from the bathroom to the other room, a glass of water, the table being dressed. Between the massage and the facial you need a few minutes to turn over, sit up and use the bathroom.
As a rule of thumb, allow an hour more than the treatment time for a visit with all three, and half an hour of your own at the end with nothing in it. That is a rule of thumb and not a published figure. The actual total is confirmed when you book.
An example morning
Whether all three can run back to back in one visit depends on the day and on therapist availability, and it is confirmed when you book. If they can, a morning with the shortest version of each might look like the table below. It is an illustration, not a timetable we publish.
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| 10:00 | Arrival, a look at both rooms, the bathroom warmed |
| 10:15 | Moroccan bath, 60 minutes |
| 11:15 | Dry off, drink water, the table is set up |
| 11:30 | Massage, 60 minutes |
| 12:30 | Sit up slowly, a short break |
| 12:40 | Facial, 45 minutes |
| 13:25 | Packing away |
| 13:40 | The door closes. Rest, water, a light lunch |
Fitting it into the day
We work every day, 8 AM – 8 PM, and a visit has to finish within those hours. A day with all three therefore needs a morning or early-afternoon start, and the booking calendar opens 30 days ahead. A long block is harder to find than a single hour, so book a spa day earlier than you would a single session.
Morning has another advantage. Skin that has just been exfoliated should be kept out of strong sun, and a morning session followed by an afternoon indoors is the natural way to do that in Abu Dhabi.
One long visit, or two shorter days
Three treatments in a row is a full morning. It is not always the better plan. Split the day in two when any of these apply.
- It is your first Moroccan bath. You do not yet know how your skin takes to the glove. If it comes out pink and tender, you will not want oil and facial products on the same day.
- Your water heater is small. A bath uses most of a tank, and you will want hot water again at the end of the day.
- You cannot keep the home quiet for four hours. Two calm sessions on two days beat one long session with the doorbell ringing.
- You do not enjoy lying still. After a bath and a massage, some people have had enough of being horizontal, and the facial becomes something to get through.
- An event is coming. The bath belongs two or three days before it, so that any pinkness has settled. Our facial page says a facial is best booked ahead of an event. Neither should be tried for the first time on the day itself.
How to split it
Keep the same order across the two days: the bath on the first, the massage and the facial on the second. A day or two between them gives the skin time to settle after the glove, and the second visit needs no bathroom at all.
The three treatments also keep roughly the same calendar. Our pages describe the bath as something many customers book monthly or every few weeks, suggest a facial every four to six weeks, and call a monthly massage a common routine. One spa day a month, or two half-days, covers all three without overdoing any of them.
Preparing the home: two rooms and the way between them
A spa day uses the bathroom for the bath and one other room for the massage and the facial. Prepare both before the therapist arrives. Once you are in a robe with wet hair, you will not want to be moving furniture.
The bathroom
The bath needs good hot water, a non-slip mat, somewhere to sit and ventilation that works, and the Moroccan bath guide linked above goes through each. One point belongs to a spa day in particular: the hot water. If you plan to wash your hair once everything is finished, the tank needs time to reheat after the bath, or the heater needs to be large enough for both.
The room for the massage and the facial
For the massage our pages ask for a clear space of about two metres by three, a power socket and privacy for the length of the booking. Our guide to how a home massage session works covers the room and the building access in detail.
The facial asks for something slightly different: a bed or reclining seat near a power socket, good light and access to a basin. A massage is better in dim light and a facial needs to be seen, so choose a room where you can have both, with curtains to draw and a lamp to switch on. A bedroom next to a bathroom is ideal. Whether the facial is given on the massage table or on the bed is for the therapist to settle on seeing the room.
The way between the two
You will walk from the bathroom to the other room damp, in a robe, with moisturiser on your feet. On polished tile or marble that is a slip waiting to happen. Wear slippers with a grip, or lay a towel path, and wipe up any drips afterwards.
Warm the second room before the bath begins. Homes here are cooled for people who are dressed and moving, and you will arrive from the steam with damp skin and lie still for an hour. Raise the thermostat a little and make sure no vent blows across the table.
What to have ready
Our spa pages say the therapist brings the table, fresh linens, towels, oils and the products the treatment needs. For a long visit a few things of your own make the day easier.
- Two bath towels and a small towel for your hair, kept dry outside the bathroom.
- A robe and slippers.
- A jug of water and a glass in each room.
- Something small to eat between treatments, such as fruit or dates.
- A hair tie or band.
- Loose, old clothes for afterwards. Massage oil marks fabric.
- A basket for used towels, so that damp ones are not left on the bed.
Preparing yourself
The day before matters as much as the morning.
- Hair removal. Our Moroccan bath page asks you to avoid shaving or waxing the area for at least 24 hours beforehand. Men who shave their face should think about timing before a facial too, which the facial guide linked above explains.
- Your hair. Do not wash or style it beforehand. It gets damp in the bath and oily at the hairline during the massage. Wash it at the end of the day or the next morning.
- Your face. Our facial page asks you to come with a clean face if you can. On a spa day that simply means starting without make-up. The facial's own cleansing does the rest.
- Skin products. No body lotion, perfume or self-tan on the day. The bath would only have to remove them.
- Sun. Not the day after the beach. Sunburnt or peeling skin should not be scrubbed, and it is a reason to move the booking.
- Food and drink. A light meal an hour or two before, water through the morning, and lunch afterwards. Lying face down on a full stomach is uncomfortable.
- What you will wear. Dark swimwear bottoms or plain underwear for the bath, and a robe between treatments.
- The rest of the day. Plan nothing. Your skin may be a little pink and your hair will need washing, and the point of doing this at home is that nobody has to drive afterwards.
When to ask a doctor first
Each of the three is a comfort treatment. None is medical, and a therapist does not diagnose. A spa day stacks them: heat and steam, firm friction on the skin, an hour or more lying still, and products on the face. That is more for the body to deal with than any one of them alone.
Speak to your doctor before booking the day if you are pregnant, if you have a heart or blood-pressure condition, if you have ever had a blood clot, if you have diabetes, or if you are recovering from an operation or an injury. See a dermatologist first if you have a skin condition or a rash nobody has examined, or if you are using a prescription treatment on your skin. The bath and the facial both act on the surface of the skin, and our facial page asks you to tell us about any treatments or prescriptions you are using on it.
Tell us about allergies when you book, including nut and fragrance allergies, because oils and creams are part of all three treatments.
On the day, move the booking if you have a fever, sunburn or broken skin, or if you feel unwell. Moving or cancelling is free up to 6 hours before the start time, and cancelling later than that costs AED 30, as our cancellation policy sets out. And if one treatment leaves you light-headed, or your skin is stinging after the bath, stop there and say so. Nobody is obliged to finish a plan.
Booking more than one treatment
Make it one request. Do not book three separate appointments and hope that they line up. Bookings made separately are separate slots in a diary, and nothing ties them to each other.
When you book, list every treatment in the booking notes, in the order you want them, with the length of each. The order and the timing are then confirmed before the day. Our Moroccan bath page asks for the same thing when a massage is added: confirm the total time when booking both together. These are the points to put in the notes.
- The treatments in order, with lengths: 'Moroccan bath, then a 60-minute relaxation massage, then a facial'.
- Who it is for, and how many people.
- A female or a male therapist. Our guide to asking for a male or female therapist covers how to word it.
- Gentle or firm, for the scrub and for the massage separately.
- Skin sensitivity, allergies, pregnancy and any health point.
- The kind of bathroom you have, and anything that limits the hot water.
- How a visitor reaches your door, and the latest time you need to be finished by.
What to have confirmed
Before the day you should know the start time, the order, the total time to keep free and the amount you are paying. We do not publish a standing promise that all three can be given back to back in one visit, because it depends on the date and on who is available. That is the reason for putting everything in the notes: you get a definite answer for your date, not an assumption.
Price and payment
The massage is AED 199 for 60 minutes and AED 279 for 90, both on our price list. The Moroccan bath starts from AED 199 and the facial from AED 149, each for a 60-minute session with one therapist, and the price for your booking is confirmed before the day. We do not publish a package price for the three together. Every price on the site includes 5% VAT, and payment is by card online once we confirm your booking.
In Al Wathba, Al Shahama, Al Rahba and Al Samha a flat AED 20 is added per visit. It is charged for the visit, not for each treatment.
A spa day for two, or for a group before a wedding
One bathroom takes one bath at a time, and each bath needs its own steam and its own hot water. That is the fact to plan a shared day around. Two people can have a massage side by side, which needs two therapists free at the same hour and a room wide enough for two tables. Our guide to couples massage at home covers the space. They cannot have a bath side by side.
For a group of friends or family before a wedding, give the number of people and what each person wants in the notes, and expect the day to be planned as a sequence. In a villa where each bathroom has its own heater, using two bathrooms in turn takes the pressure off the hot water. Do not assume that everyone can be treated at once.
Common questions
Can I have a full-body scrub and massage without the Moroccan bath?
The exfoliating treatment on our pages is the Moroccan bath. A jar-type body scrub is not listed as a session of its own. If it is the heat and steam you would prefer to avoid, say so when you book and ask what can be adjusted. The order is the same for any kind of scrub: scrub first, massage after.
Do I need to shower between treatments?
No. The bath ends with a thorough rinse, so you reach the massage table clean and dry. Between the massage and the facial, the facial's cleansing step deals with the face, and the rest of you stays as it is. Whether you rinse the massage oil off that evening or leave it until morning is your choice.
What if I only have two hours?
Then no pair will fit comfortably. Two hours at home is one 60-minute massage with its half hour of setting up and a short rest, or a bath on its own, or a facial on its own. Choose one and have it done properly. A rushed spa day is worse than a single unhurried treatment.
What should I do afterwards?
Very little. Drink water, eat something light and stay out of strong sun. Keep the skin moisturised over the following days, as our Moroccan bath page advises, and leave your face alone for the evening. Our facial page says the therapist explains how to care for your skin for the next day or two, so ask before the door closes. Then run the extractor fan in the bathroom until the steam has cleared, and put the towels in the wash.
Will one therapist give all three treatments?
Ask when you book. We do not publish an answer that holds for every date, and it is one of the things the booking notes are for. If you have asked for a female or a male therapist, say that the preference applies to every treatment in the visit.
Can I book a spa day for someone else?
The person booking is often not the person on the table. Give their name and address in the booking, and check the date with them or with someone in the household. Put the health questions above to them before you book, along with allergies and therapist preference, because only they can answer.
How to book
Start with the treatment the day is built around. If that is the scrub, read what the Moroccan bath includes. The other sessions are on the spa and wellness page. Then book online or in the IHR Dream app: choose the date and a morning start, give your address, and put the full list of treatments in the notes in the order you want them.
The price for the treatments you list is confirmed before the day, and payment is by card online. For a question before booking, the office is on +971 52 723 5299, every day, 8 AM – 8 PM.
