Relocating to the UAE, I faced the challenge of finding beauty products that suited my skin. The whole process tested my resilience and pushed me towards a new phase of self-discovery. Here is another opportunity to explore a healthy beauty routine in the UAE, and here is another one of those articles I come back to from time to time to update.
I am an expat with a concept of sentient beauty in a new environment. Sentient Beauty emphasizes the importance of transparency, sustainability, and ethical sourcing, going beyond the exclusion of harmful ingredients. I remember this whenever I’m out there, shopping in Dubai Mall or hunting online, searching for the next best local ingredient to try. The challenge of finding your beloved beauty products in a new country can be disheartening, but it also presents an opportunity for growth and exploration.
Can you apply the concept of Sentient Beauty in the UAE? The Emirates is a vibrant cosmopolitan hub offering a treasure trove of beauty possibilities.
It’s also an invitation to expand my horizons and explore the local beauty market. As always, I keep my strategy and engage in product reviews; I seek recommendations and look for the beauty rituals that have thrived in the Middle East for centuries. And as a surprise, I also found social initiatives from local soap producers. Chapeau, Arcana Soaps!
As a fanatic of independent cult beauty brands, it can be disheartening not to find your preferred options readily available. However, the UAE has a flourishing cult beauty scene that is waiting to be discovered. Local boutiques, online platforms, and beauty fairs showcase niche and independent brands. The UAE seems to offer the chance to explore unique finds that align with your beauty philosophy, support local businesses, and also indulge in the essence of independent cult beauty brands from Asian and Australian markets.
Adapting my beauty routine in the UAE required a blend of patience, creativity, and resilience.
And so I’ve started exploring local remedies. There is plenty of inspiration from the UAE’s rich cultural heritage, where you’ll find rosewater, camel milk, Aker Fassi, oud, Sidr, Myrrh, Frankincense, and argan oil, which have been cherished for their skin and hair benefits for generations.
Researching local beauty brands, I found and have tested: Arcana Artisanal Soaps, Juve, Ruh Naturals, Dr. Noor, Izil Moroccan Beauty, Ixora Organic Beauty, Mariam EM (from Abu Dhabi), Shirley Conlon Organics.
Arcana Soaps entered my Instagram feed with their initiative to donate their profits to a good cause.
Shirley Conlon Organics was recommended to me by a fellow expat on a Facebook group for expats.
One thing about online beauty communities, social media groups, and forums is clear: it is at its early stages of blossoming. We must connect. We need to share experiences and insights and discover each other in the Middle East.
Our beauty routine reflects our individuality; it adapts to new environments and celebrates the essence of the Middle East.
While challenges arise in finding familiar beauty products and independent beauty brands, we need to activate our creativity, resilience, and empathy and ask more from our beauty brands, old or new. The concept of Sentient Beauty requires us to.
The UAE offers a wealth of beauty possibilities that are waiting to be explored.
Curate your cult beauty routine, support local brands, and indulge in the beauty rituals that make you shine in Dubai like the city itself: vibrant, luminous, and uniquely captivating.
The Founder
If you are an expat in the Middle East facing skin concerns and want to share your story, send us a message at contact@routine11.com
*Disclosure: I received no compensation for this review. This is solely based on my personal experience and assessment.
