Products come and go on my shelf. The rituals stay. These are the few things I do on good days, lazy days and every day in between, because my skin, my hair and my mood all notice when I skip them.
My morning has three steps, and I never add a fourth
I used to think a longer routine meant better skin. It doesn’t. Living in the UAE taught me that a simple routine done every single day beats a ten-step one done twice a week.
- A gentle cleanse. Nothing foaming or stripping. After a night of air conditioning my skin is already thirsty, so I only want to wake it up.
- Hydration while my skin is still damp. A lightweight serum or gel moisturiser goes on within a minute of patting my face dry. Damp skin holds on to it far better.
- Sunscreen, always. Even on days I am only going from the car to a mall entrance. The UAE sun does not care about my schedule, and neither does the glass in my windscreen.
If I am running late, I drop the makeup before I drop any of these three.
At night, I take the day off properly
The evening cleanse is the one ritual I would keep if I could only keep one. Sunscreen, makeup, dust and a full day of perfume in the air all end up on my face. One quick wash is not enough to lift that.
So I double cleanse. First an oil or balm, massaged in for a full minute, to melt everything down. Then a gentle wash to actually clean my skin.
After that I keep it calm: one treatment step, then a richer moisturiser than I use in the morning. I do not stack five actives in one night. My skin has never thanked me for that.
The rule I am strictest about is this one: I do not sleep in makeup. Not after a late event, not after a long shoot, not ever.
Once a week, I reset everything
I block out one evening a week for the slower rituals. Phone on silent, something playing in the background, no rush.
- Hair oiling. Warm oil worked into my scalp and through the lengths, left on for at least an hour. Between the heat outside, the AC inside and the water here, my hair needs it.
- A mask that matches my skin that week. Hydrating if I look dull and tight. Clay if the humidity has made me congested. I choose by looking in the mirror, not by what is trending.
- Body care, top to toe. A proper scrub, then body oil on damp skin, then cream on top. Elbows, knees and heels get extra.
None of this is complicated. It is just time, and giving myself that time is half the benefit.
Fragrance is the ritual that finishes everything
I do not feel dressed until I smell like myself. Here in the Gulf, scent is not an afterthought you spray on at the door. It is built in layers, and I love that about where I live.
My order never changes:
- Moisturised skin first. Fragrance fades fast on dry skin, so body cream or oil always goes on before anything scented.
- Perfume oil on the pulse points. Wrists, behind the ears, the base of the throat. Oil sits close to the skin and lasts for hours.
- Perfume over the top. A few sprays on skin and one on my clothes.
- Hair mist or bakhoor to finish. Scent in the hair moves with you, and it is the part people notice when you walk past.
The result is a scent that is mine, even when the bottle is one thousands of other people own.
The quiet habits nobody films
Some of my most important rituals would make very boring content.
- I drink water all day, not in one guilty litre at night.
- I wash my makeup brushes every week. Dirty brushes undo good skincare.
- I change my pillowcase more often than feels necessary.
- I put hand cream and lip balm on before bed, every night.
- I try to sleep properly. No serum fixes a week of four-hour nights.
Why I keep them
None of these rituals are about chasing perfect skin. They are the small, steady things that make me feel put together before I have even picked an outfit. Trends will keep changing, and I will keep testing them for you. These stay.
What is the one ritual you never skip? Tell me on Instagram at @s.albaloushi.unfiltered. I read everything.
