Moroccan Beauty and Hygiene Products
One of the things I’ve really enjoyed here in Morocco is exploring the fascinating beauty and hygiene products. From the confusing (green lipstick and mouth-cleansing dry bark) to the purely delightful (delicately scented face masks and lip stain on terra cotta “lids”), it’s been an adventure full of fascinating items. Here are my reviews of some of them! To see the products mentioned here, check out our video on YouTube.
Mouth-Cleansing Stick (Siwak)
My score: 5/10
Cost: 10 dirhams (~$1.10)
We've discovered this is called siwak. According to the gentleman we spoke to today, it's bark from the chestnut tree. In addition to just chewing on it, you use a small, wet piece to scrub your teeth like a toothbrush. They’re available for sale at tons of stalls throughout the souks.
To be honest, I originally thought they were something you used to start a fire. Instead, what you do is peel off a little bit of the wrapped bark-like substance and chew on it to cleanse and disinfect your mouth.
It doesn’t have a lot of flavor, which surprised me -- I was expecting something minty or eucalyptus-y. Instead, it tastes pretty generically like dried plant. It does have a bit of an astringent effect, and leaves your mouth feeling somewhat cleaner (if not minty fresh!).
Green Lipstick
My score: 9/10
Cost: 10 dirhams (~$1.10)
I had never heard of this stuff before, but the lovely Ashley Keane (who’s an awesome photographer, check out her Instagram here!) let me know that it was a trend in the US when I would have been the right age to know about it. No idea how I missed it!
Anyway, this “Moroccan Hare Magic Color Changing Lipstick,” as it’s often called, is bright green in the tube but supposedly changes color to “magically” go perfectly with your skin tone. I was dubious, but willing to give it a try.
To my relief, it did in fact change color rather than staying green. And to my pleasant surprise, it turned a lovely berry pink/red shade that goes really well with my coloring. It feels light and moisturizing without being sticky.
The only reason it’s not a 10/10 for me is that there’s some ambiguity as to whether any given tube is the real Hare lipstick or a knockoff, and it’s not clear what chemicals are in the knockoff versions.
Terra Cotta Scrubber
My score: 10/10
Cost: 10 dirhams (~$1.10)
This one isn’t super exciting -- it’s something that looks a bit like a terra cotta jar lid, but has a scored pattern on the bottom to make it rough. You use it like a pumice stone to remove callouses and dead skin in the shower.
It works. There’s not a whole lot more to say about it.
Moroccan Black Soap
My score: 11/10
Cost: 10 dirhams (~$1.10) for a jar of around 16 ounces
I love, love, LOVE this soap. It’s amazing. Ever since we discovered it, I’ve used it for everything... hands, body, even my hair instead of shampoo every third wash or so. It leaves my skin feeling soft, moisturized, and water-resistant, and my hair smooth and silky as if I had just treated it with a fancy hair mask.
This soap is made of olive oil and can be bought at dozens of stalls in the souks. Often you’ll see it in buckets outside, but some places have it already jarred and ready to go. It’s the kind of soap you’re expected to use in a hammam (a traditional Moroccan bath house).
Moroccan Solid Perfume
My score: 9/10
Cost: 10 dirhams (~$1.10) for one block of the cheap, wax-based kind. Around 60 dirhams (~$6.50) for an equally sized piece of the nice kind
This solid perfume looks to me like small bars of soap, but (as we discovered the hard way) it doesn’t actually help clean you at all. Instead, you can rub it on your shoulders or the backs of your hands and wrists for a delicate perfume that lasts for hours. It comes in a range of scents including rose, jasmine, musk, and amber.
Make sure you don’t get the cheap, wax-based kind. This will help your clothes smell nice if you throw it in your suitcase, but doesn’t rub off well enough to actually function as a perfume.
Not sure how to tell whether you’re getting the cheap kind or the nice kind? It’s easy: start sniffing the pieces in baskets in front of any of the stalls selling them in the souks. You’ll quickly be ushered inside, where the stall’s owner will confide in you that he keeps the nice ones back there for customers of refinement and taste.
The point, I suppose, is to flatter you into spending more money -- but in this case, the difference in quality is absolutely worth it.
The high-quality ones should leave a hint of residue and a more powerful smell when you rub them on gently. The feel should be more soapy than waxy. The cheaper ones are harder, waxy, and leave only a hint of smell behind when you rub them on.
Herboristerie Arrahma Argan Oil Cactus Moisturizer
My score: 8/10
Cost: Approximately 80 dirhams (~$8.75) for a jar of around 8 ounces (it was a package deal so the exact price is unclear)
In the overwhelming chaos of the souks, this cream smelled divine, like the hint of desert flowers on a hot breeze. Once I got it back to my room and my senses weren’t overpowered from every angle, though, the smell was too strong for my taste.
With that said, the smell is still gorgeous -- just powerful! The cream itself is rich, silky, and deeply moisturizing, with a tiny bit going a long way. I’m going to mix it with my typical unscented moisturizer to reduce the strength of the smell, which is the only thing stopping it from getting a 10/10 from me.
La Vallee de Rose Ghassoul Face Mask with Rose and Orange Blossom
My score: 10/10
Cost: Approximately 80 dirhams (~$8.75) for a jar of 200 grams (it was a package deal so the exact price is unclear)
This mask smells absolutely divine, with a delicately floral scent. I’ve been dying to try it ever since I bought it, and finally had the chance for the video that goes with this blog post! It was every bit as good as I hoped.
In the Moroccan wind and heat, the mask took less than 10 minutes to dry. It tightened satisfyingly, but not painfully. When I washed it off, I almost couldn’t believe I wasn’t wearing anything on my skin. My pores were smaller, my skin was smooth, and the rosacea on my cheeks was much less noticeable than usual.
If only I were allowed unlimited gels and liquids in my carry-on luggage, I would bring several jars of this with me to make sure I had enough to last for months and months! If you want to try it for yourself, the contact information on the jar is listed as oul-rose@hotmail.com. This isn’t an affiliate link and I don’t get anything from recommending it, I just love it and want you to have the chance to try it too!
Kohl Powder Eye Liner
My updated score: 9/10 (previous score: 7/10)
Cost: 20 dirhams (~$2.20) for the kohl powder and the wood jar/applicator
Applying eyeliner with something that’s very much akin to a giant, slightly rounded toothpick sounds intimidating. While I managed not to poke my eyes out, I couldn’t quite get the kohl to stick on my waterline, which is how I prefer to wear eyeliner.
I’m pretty sure this was a problem with my technique rather than the powder itself, but still. I ended up with a fair amount of powder in my eyes, and smoky lids, but an untinted waterline. It might not be fair of me to give this only a 7/10 when the problem is my ability to apply it rather than the product itself, but when my typical eyeliner is so easy to put on the waterline, the extra hassle alone is enough to lose it some points.
For a smoky eye for an evening out, though, I can imagine this kohl powder would be perfect.
EDIT: The problem WAS my technique. Once I understood how to apply this powder with basically a giant toothpick, it became one of my favorite beauty products. I used it almost daily until the bottle was smashed and the powder spilled everywhere in a car crash in Thailand.
Closing Thoughts
It’s no wonder people always talk about Moroccan beauty secrets. To be honest, I expected the idea to be overblown and largely due to some perceived (and idealized) “exoticism,” but in fact almost every beauty product I’ve tried here honestly has been amazing.
Check out our YouTube video showing all these products! And if you know of any Moroccan beauty products that I should try before we leave, let me know in the comments.