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Summer Skincare Prep: Turkish Bath Rituals for Glowing Skin

By Dr Arsham Najeeb June 05, 2026
Summer Skincare Prep: Turkish Bath Rituals for Glowing Skin

Welcome to Summer Skin Prep

Can you believe we’ve already left the first season of 2025 behind?
If it feels like this year is flying by, you’re not alone. With summer around the corner, it’s time to prep for beach days, poolside lounging, and sun-kissed skin.

But before you dive into the sunshine, let’s talk about the one thing most people skip (and regret): prepping your skin the right way.

Why Exfoliating Before Sun Exposure Is a Game-Changer

Forget the flakiness. Exfoliating before you hit the sun helps you:

  • Get a smoother, more even tan
  • Prevent clogged pores and dullness
  • Avoid painful scrubbing after sunburn

This practice is rooted in the Turkish Hamam, one of the world’s oldest self-care rituals.

Start with Steam – The First Step of the Hamam Ritual

Before exfoliating, your skin needs to be warmed up. Enter the steam room.

Steaming softens dead skin cells and opens your pores, creating the ideal canvas for exfoliation.
Wrap yourself in one of our ultra-light, quick-drying Peshtemals, the original Turkish towels designed for this very purpose.

Unlike bulky terry towels, peshtemals trap moisture on your skin—not in the fabric—so you stay warmer, longer, and your skin stays prepped.

Second Step- Exfoliate with the Power of Mulberry Silk

After a good steam, it’s time to exfoliate using a traditional Kese.

Our 100% mulberry silk kese is:

  • All-natural and plastic-free
  • Tough on dead skin but gentle on your body
  • The most effective exfoliator we’ve ever tried (and trust us—we’ve tried a lot)

This essential Turkish bath tool leaves your skin silky smooth, refreshed, and glowing—just in time for summer.

Last but not least- Cleanse with Natural Olive Soap

With your pores open and fresh skin revealed, it’s time to cleanse.

Use our Olive Oil Soap to:

  • Gently remove impurities and any remaining dead skin
  • Nourish with natural antioxidants and vitamins
  • Lock in moisture and keep your skin soft

Made from pure, skin-loving ingredients, it’s the perfect way to end your ritual and start glowing.

Ready to Glow? Your Full Turkish Bath Routine

Here’s your go-to routine for glowing, healthy summer skin:

  1. Steam your skin (wrapped in a Peshtemal)
  2. Exfoliate with a Mulberry Silk Kese
  3. Cleanse with our all Natural Olive Soap

Frequently Asked Questions

Does fabric softener make towels smell worse over time?
Yes. Liquid fabric softeners and dryer sheets coat cotton fibers in a thin layer of silicone. While this makes the towel feel initially soft, it acts as a waterproofing barrier that traps moisture, body oils, and bacteria inside the fabric. Over time, this buildup severely reduces absorbency and locks in musty odors. Towels — especially high-quality Thirsty Towels Turkish Towels — perform best and last longest when washed with a small amount of detergent and no fabric softener at all.
How do I clean a washing machine that makes towels smell bad?
If your washing machine smells, your towels will absorb that scent too. Wipe down the rubber door gasket with distilled white vinegar to remove trapped lint and mold growth. Remove and clean the machine's debris filter (usually behind a small panel at the bottom front). Finally, run an empty hot 'Tub Clean' cycle with two cups of white vinegar or liquid bleach — but never both together, as mixing bleach and ammonia-based cleaners creates toxic chloramine gas, as warned by the CDC's mold prevention guidance.
How do I get the musty smell out of towels in a front-load washer?
First, address the machine itself by cleaning the rubber door seal with vinegar and leaving the door open between washes to prevent stagnant moisture. Then wash your towels using the two-step stripping method: one hot cycle with 1 cup of white vinegar, immediately followed by a second hot cycle with ½ cup of baking soda. Dry completely on high heat. The CDC emphasizes that drying items completely is as important as the washing itself for preventing microbial regrowth.
How do I get the sour smell out of thick bath towels?
Thick, heavy bath towels are prone to sour smells because their dense cotton loops take much longer to dry all the way through. Wash them in smaller loads so they have room to agitate and water can circulate freely. Use the 'Extra Spin' cycle to extract maximum water before moving them to the dryer, and consider drying them in two shifts — removing them halfway through to shake the fibers apart before finishing the drying cycle. If you love the feel of a plush wrap, a well-maintained Thirsty Towels Bathrobe benefits from the same approach.
Why do my clean towels smell like mildew as soon as they get wet?
This happens when odor-causing bacteria and detergent residue are trapped deep within the fabric fibers. When the towel is dry, the bacteria are dormant and the smell fades. However, the moment warm water from your shower activates those fibers, the bacteria reactivate and release the sour, musty odor. This is precisely the scenario the vinegar strip method is designed to address — it breaks down the residue layer so bacteria have nowhere to hide.
Is the mildew smell on towels a health risk?
For most healthy adults, occasionally using a musty towel is an inconvenience rather than a serious danger. However, the NIEHS notes that mold spores can irritate the nose, throat, and lungs, and the CDC's NIOSH division has documented that regular exposure to damp, mold-affected environments is associated with increased asthma risk and respiratory symptoms. People with allergies, asthma, or compromised immune systems should be especially diligent about keeping towels fresh and fully dry.
How often should I replace towels entirely?
Even with excellent care, towels wear out. Most textile hygiene experts recommend replacing bath towels every one to two years, or sooner if they remain persistently musty despite deep cleaning, lose significant absorbency, or show visible discoloration. Upgrading to better materials — like long-staple Thirsty Towels Turkish Towels, which are woven to resist residue buildup more effectively than standard terry — can also extend the time between replacements.