2023-05-08 07:25:50
Dubai, United Arab Emirates (CNN) — Shaimaa Al-Tamimi, a visual storyteller of Yemeni-East African descent, has never lived in Yemen. But she’s still connected to her roots thanks to the traditional beauty rituals she inherited from her mother.
Al-Tamimi explores these traditions through her intimate photographic series, “Yemeni Beauty Rituals.”
Practices on the way out
Credit: Shaima Al Tamimi
In an interview with CNN Arabic, Al-Tamimi said, “My project aims to showcase the beauty and importance of these vanishing practices that bring women together.”
Credit: Shaima Al Tamimi
This ritual revolves around 3 basic ingredients: Sidr leaves, Hadhrami honey, and henna, as they are “essential elements of the beauty routine of every Yemeni woman,” according to Al-Tamimi.
Credit: Shaima Al Tamimi
Hadrami honey is used as a face mask, while powdered Sidr leaves are used to create a thick, nourishing mixture to be applied to the hair.
A visual storyteller enlisted the help of her friends to show what these relaxing traditions look like just by looking at them.
Credit: Shaima Al Tamimi
The importance of these ingredients is not limited to women in Yemen, as the Yemeni woman explained, “In the UAE, where I grew up, women often import these ingredients from Yemen when visiting relatives.”
Shared traditions
Credit: Shaima Al Tamimi
These traditions also have a social aspect, as they are often organized into groups, with the aim of making them more accessible.
Tamimi confirmed, “Through these beauty rituals, I have come to appreciate the importance of community care, and spending time communicating with others.”
Credit: Shaima Al Tamimi
This ritual is part of a broader tradition in the Arabian Peninsula.
Tamimi explained that similar practices can be found in other Gulf countries, such as the UAE and Oman, where natural ingredients such as Sidr leaves and honey are also used in medical and aesthetic treatments.
According to the Yemeni visual storyteller, these practices reflect “the deep relationship that the people of the region have with their environment and the natural resources available to them.”
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