Merve Okutucu, the founder of retro-inspired tennis brand, Merve Greenwich, shares her beauty "must haves" for the Playa. Here's what she will be packing for her week-long adventure in the desert:

The word Bedouin, pronounced "bedooin", is an Arabic word that means 'desert dwellers’ – and it is also the name of my Burning Man camp and my favorite DJ duo. As I share my beauty "must haves" for Burning Man, let me begin by saying, welcome to an arid land! Your skin will probably be as dry as it's ever been, so make sure you hydrate and take the time to care for your skin each day. 

My beauty routine is quite simple, but these are the things I just absolutely could not survive without in the desert! 

Kiehl's Superbly Restorative Dry Oil

Grown organically in Morocco, argan oil is superbly healing and nourishing and easily absorbs into skin to give you a dewy glow. I use it all over my face and body; most particularly I love using it on my hair. It instantly restores the moisture, softness and shine and takes you back to day one!

Hair Tip: I would not recommend rinsing your hair until you leave the desert! I took a shower on the fourth day and quickly came to regret it as my face and hair felt uncomfortably dry afterwards. Let your skin and hair adapt to the conditions and learn to embrace the dust!

Thayer’s Alcohol-Free Hydrating Witch Hazel Toner

Witch hazel is an excellent astringent and beauty remedy to remove dirt, oil and makeup from the skin when washing your face with water is not an option. I simply soak a facial cotton pad, swipe it across my cheeks, face, and neck, and follow up with sunscreen. Thayers produces many of their witch hazel toners with no alcohol and plenty of glycerin so your face feels soft and hydrated after use.

Aside from the beauty benefits, you can use witch hazel for a variety of other things – like putting it on small wounds or spraying it over your body to clean yourself from the dust. It works – and smells – much better than vinegar!

Nutiva Coconut Oil

I was delighted to recently discover this do-it-all wonder oil and now I don't know how I ever lived without it - a real gem of a beauty and treatment product!

You can use coconut oil on your face, hair, hands and feet as well as for oral care. It deeply softens the skin and also has anti-bacterial properties. It also makes for a great massaging oil – and smells like cookies!

Burning Man offers a new way of being in which your body becomes a vessel of endless discovery and miraculous transformation. My best tip is to embrace the challenges the playa presents and let it transform you, inside and out!

I leave you with the Bedouin set from the Playa in 2014: https://soundcloud.com/robot-heart/bedouin-robot-heart-burning-man-2014.

@mervegreenwich