We recently caught up with Sunday Riley and ~shocker~ we talked about skincare. She gave us some great insight into all things skin goals, shared the ingredient that builds collagen, and the tea on what the ME girlies can’t stop obsessin’ over. Sunday even gave us her take on where ingredient transparency is headed next. Curious? You should be. Kindly read on.
Cosmo ME: Have you noticed a change in what GCC Gen Zs are looking for in skincare?
Sunday Riley: Absolutely. If you go back four or five years, people here would not even entertain a conversation about retinol. I’d bring it up and immediately pivot to vitamin C or acids because retinoids felt “off limits.”
On this trip, so many people told me they love our retinol serum or asked how to use retinoids together. That’s a massive shift and the category exploded.
Cosmo ME: What do you think caused that change?
Sunday Riley: A combination of things. Newer, more gentle retinoid formats and a huge rise in education. Dubai has become home to one of the most skincare-savvy consumers in the world. People try things, they see results, and suddenly the fear disappears. “Acids used to be scary too, and now people are like, ‘Let’s do it!’”
Cosmo ME: Do you have any quick fixes from your range for the girlies dealing with stress or hormone fluctuations?
Sunday Riley: Hormones and stress can wreak havoc on the skin. Stress raises cortisol, which is a hormone, so it’s very interconnected. If you’re getting breakouts, Good Genes is amazing because lactic acid helps remove dull, dead skin cells that would otherwise clog pores.
If your skin looks lacklustre or uneven, the glycolic acid treatment helps reset everything and even the playing field, no matter how your skin is reacting.
Cosmo ME: What about your top three products to prep the skin before makeup?
Sunday Riley: Makeup artists always reach for our vitamin C CEO Serum. It brightens and grips foundation so it doesn’t run in humidity or under lights.
Auto Correct Eye Cream is another favorite. It has light-reflecting particles, so you need less concealer, and you can even tap it over concealer later in the day to refresh. Lastly, Good Gene removes dead skin cells and ensures your makeup doesn’t apply patchy.
Cosmo ME: Everyone here mixes the CEO Serum with the CEO Glow oil. What’s your take?
Sunday Riley: I do that every day! We call it “cocktailing.” Two pumps of CEO Serum with two to three drops of CEO Glow. It hydrates, brightens, and gives that gorgeous slip under makeup. I put it all over my face, neck, and chest.
Cosmo ME: Okay, the impossible question: which product is your personal favorite?
Sunday Riley: CEO Serum. I have extremely dry skin, and I use it morning and night because vitamin C is essential for collagen formation. I’m very collagen-focused, and this formula brightens, hydrates, and supports that process.
If we’re talking the product that changed everything for us, and the one I’ve used daily for 15 years, it’s Good Genes.
Cosmo ME: Speaking of collagen, everyone is suddenly realising you can’t just put collagen on your face and expect it to build collagen. Can you give us a collagen-supporting daytime routine?
Sunday Riley: Yes! Topical collagen isn’t part of the actual collagen-building process, it’s more of a nice supplement. Vitamin C, however, *is* part of the process.
Without vitamin C, your body cannot build collagen. If collagen is your focus, vitamin C must be the centre of your routine. Internally through food or supplements, and externally with vitamin C applied topically.
Cosmo ME: Is there anything else you want the Cosmo ME girlies to know?
Sunday Riley: We’re leaning heavily into ingredient transparency. Not just what we use, but how we source it. Sustainability matters deeply to me.
For example, our lactic acid isn’t derived from petrochemicals. It’s made from sustainably harvested French corn and fermented in Switzerland at a facility that’s been doing it for over 150 years. Formulation isn’t just what’s inside, it’s how it’s made, and how it treats your skin barrier.
Shop your Sunday Riley faves here.