How to Create a Self-Care Routine with Sadaf Razi
A good self-care routine is built from small, everyday rituals. Here at LUI, we love the idea of rituals: those little everyday practices that help you feel calm, centred and whole. We believe shaving deserves to be part of this self-care routine. In celebration of mindful moments, the LUI Ritual series asks friends of the brand about their own positive habits and how they elevate their day. This time, we caught up with Senior Beauty Editor Sadaf Razi.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Sadaf's morning self-care routine starts with coffee and breakfast, then a vitamin C serum and SPF, and a short mental health walk before work.
- A signature fragrance helps her feel put-together before she leaves the house.
- She finds small moments of joy through the day by chatting to family, walking the dogs and stepping outside to recalibrate.
- Her evening wind-down is a relaxing shower or long walk, followed by a PM body care ritual with LUI Body Moisturiser and her skincare.
- She sets herself up for the next day by reviewing her to-do list before bed.
HI, MY NAME IS… Sadaf Razi.
BUT EVERYONE CALLS ME… Sadaf (lol). A couple of close friends and family call me Razi. I occasionally get Sadafy, which is kinda cute.
WHEN I WAS GROWING UP, I DREAMED OF BEING… like most kids who grew up in the '90s, I wanted to be a marine biologist (I don't know why this was such a popular aspirational career choice then). I also really wanted to be on TV.
BUT NOW I WORK AS… a beauty editor! Specifically, the Senior Beauty Editor at one of Australia's largest beauty e-tailers, Adore Beauty.
THE FIRST THING I DO WHEN I WAKE UP IS… I live between Sydney and Melbourne, so I have two different starts to the morning, but usually it's: check my phone (usually news); check work Slack; then take my dog for a walk if in Sydney, or make my instant coffee (yes, I love instant) if in Melbourne.
THE LAST SONG I PLAYED ON SPOTIFY… 'Everything Is Everything' by Lauryn Hill.
MY MORNING ROUTINE IS…
- After coffee and breakfast, I'll pop on some sort of vitamin C. I've just finished SkinCeuticals Silymarin and have started Ole Henriksen Banana Bright Vitamin C Serum, then AB LAB Dewy-C sunscreen on top.
- If I have time, I try to go on a short mental health walk before starting work.
- 8am, log on to my work laptop and start the work day!
THE PERFUME I SPRAY ON RIGHT BEFORE I LEAVE THE HOUSE IS… I'm such a fragrance person, so spritzing myself before I leave the house with one of the scents in my perfume wardrobe is a must, or I won't feel complete. I have a few on high rotation, but at the moment my day scent is Aesop Eidesis.
MY COFFEE ORDER IS… almond cap.
THROUGHOUT MY DAY I FIND JOY IN… chatting to my family, the dogs, going for short walks outside to catch my breath and recalibrate a little.
MY LUNCH ORDER IS… usually a salad, boring, but I save anything carby for dinner because any time I have carbs for lunch, I get too sleepy.
MY 3 PM PICK-ME-UP IS… I'm 100% a savoury-over-sweet person. But I definitely reach for some sort of sweet treat around 3pm.
AFTER A LONG DAY I SWITCH OFF BY… having a relaxing shower, going for a long walk with my cousin and her dog (I live with her in Melbourne) and listening to her daily musings. She's really funny, so it helps me forget about any daily stresses. On Fridays, I'll try to go to an exercise class after work.
THE LAST BOOK I COULDN'T PUT DOWN… at the moment I'm reading The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, but the last book I couldn't put down was The Kite Runner.
MY NIGHTTIME ROUTINE IS…
- Clean and tidy the house when I'm in Sydney.
- Shower. I've just started incorporating the LUI Body Moisturiser into my PM body care routine, and it brings me so much joy. It also smells heavenly.
- Do my skincare. This changes a lot based on season, and what I'm probably road-testing for work, but as someone in their thirties, it will always involve a retinol.
- I like to have one last look at my work to-do list so I'm mentally prepared for the next day.
THE LAST THING I DO BEFORE BED IS… doomscroll on my phone (probably not the best idea before bed), and if I'm not too wiped, read a few pages of my book. I'll also sometimes FaceTime family in Sydney before bed.
YOU CAN FIND ME ONLINE AT… @SADAFR.
RELATED READING
Build your own ritual with HOW TO CREATE A RELAXING BATH AT HOME, BEC'S AUTUMN BODY CARE ROUTINE, and WHY YOUR BODY CARE ROUTINE NEEDS PLANT-BASED OILS.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is a self-care routine?
A self care routine is a set of small, regular habits, like movement, skincare, rest and time to yourself, that help you feel calm, centred and looked after day to day.
What does a simple daily self-care routine include?
It often includes a gentle start like coffee and a short walk, skincare such as vitamin C and SPF in the morning, small pauses through the day, and a wind-down ritual at night with a shower, body care and time away from your to-do list.
How do you build a self-care routine that lasts?
Start small and attach new habits to things you already do, like adding a body moisturiser after your evening shower. Keeping it realistic and enjoyable is what makes a self-care routine stick.
What does a beauty editor's self-care routine look like?
For Senior Beauty Editor Sadaf Razi, it means morning vitamin C and SPF, a short mental health walk, a signature fragrance, and an evening body care ritual with LUI Body Moisturiser before preparing for the next day.
Is body care part of a self-care routine?
Yes. Taking time over exfoliating, shaving and moisturising turns everyday body care into a calming ritual, and helps keep skin healthy, smooth and hydrated.