In this article
Key takeaways
- 76% of skincare ads are video, a discount or offer is in 46%, cash on delivery in 23%: good copy mentions all three.
- The category's three buttons: "Shop now" (51%), "WhatsApp message" (23%) and "Order now" (16%). Write the copy to fit the button.
- Skincare copy is longer than the Gulf average: a median of 87 words against 60, because the buyer asks about the ingredient, her skin type and how to use it.
- Ten ready texts in the table below, each with its angle: result, routine, ingredient, trust, bundle, season, consultation, authenticity, gift, instalments.
What skincare ads do right now
Before you write, know the market your ad will sit next to. From 12,059 recent skincare ads in the Gulf:
- Video: 76% of the ads. The copy is written to be read over a video, not under a photo.
- A discount or an offer: in 46%, and "limited time" in 24%.
- Cash on delivery: in 23%, above the Gulf average (17%): the buyer wants to see the product before paying.
- Free delivery: in 13%; a gift in 13%; instalments in only 3%.
- Length: a median of 87 words, longer than the Gulf average (60). The category explains: ingredient, concentration, skin type, how to use.
- Price: only 534 ads stated a price; the median is SAR 199 and half of the prices sit between 99 and 310, often for a set.
The button decides the copy: a "Shop now" ad promises a store, so its text names the product, price and offer. A "WhatsApp message" ad promises a person who answers, so its text invites a question. An "Order now" ad promises one order page, so its text states cash on delivery and the delivery time. How to choose: Best CTA button.
Skincare ads in Saudi Arabia specifically
In Saudi Arabia (3,138 ads from 713 pages) the copy is shorter: a median of 63 words. A discount in 38%, cash on delivery in 19%, and instalments above the category average (6%). The "Order now" button is stronger here (24%) than in the Gulf as a whole (16%), and WhatsApp weaker (19%). The median advertised price is SAR 199. The UAE is the opposite, with more WhatsApp; details in UAE skincare ads.
Ten ready ad texts for skincare
The texts are our own wording, not copied from anyone's ad. Put your product and numbers in the brackets, and delete any promise you cannot keep. Each one is written so the reader gets the product and the offer before the word "more". The Arabic is the ad; the English in parentheses is a gloss.
| Angle | Copy (ours) |
|---|---|
| Result with a timeframe | «بشرة أصفى وأنعم خلال [المدة] من الاستخدام اليومي. سيروم [المكوّن] بتركيز [النسبة]، أصلي بتاريخ حديث. [السعر] ريال والتوصيل مجاني.» (Clearer, smoother skin within [time] of daily use; the ingredient and concentration; original with a recent date; price and free delivery.) |
| The routine | «روتينك الصباحي في 3 خطوات: غسول، سيروم [المكوّن]، واقي شمس [درجة الحماية]. المجموعة كاملة بـ[السعر] بدل [السعر السابق]، والدفع عند الاستلام.» (A three-step morning routine; the full set at [price] instead of [old price]; cash on delivery.) |
| The ingredient | «[المكوّن] بتركيز [النسبة]، بدون عطر ولا كحول، ويناسب الاستخدام اليومي تحت المكياج. اطلبيه الحين بـ[السعر] ريال.» ([Ingredient] at [concentration], fragrance- and alcohol-free, wears under makeup; order now at [price].) |
| Trust | «اطلبي وجرّبي قبل ما تدفعين: الدفع عند الاستلام في كل مدن [الدولة]، واستبدال خلال [المدة] لو ما ناسبك. [المنتج] بـ[السعر].» (Order and try before you pay: cash on delivery in every city, exchange within [period] if it does not suit you.) |
| The bundle | «قطعتين بـ[السعر] بدل [السعر]: [المنتج الأول] + [المنتج الثاني] لروتين كامل. متوفر [العدد] مجموعة هذا الأسبوع.» (Two pieces for [price] instead of [price]; a full routine; [count] sets available this week.) |
| The season | «واقي شمس [درجة الحماية] خفيف ما يترك طبقة بيضاء، مصنوع للرطوبة والحر. [السعر] ريال، وتوصيل خلال [المدة] داخل [المدينة].» (A light SPF sunscreen with no white cast, made for humidity and heat; price; delivery within [time] in [city].) |
| Consultation (WhatsApp) | «ما تعرفين أي منتج يناسب بشرتك؟ أرسلي نوع بشرتك على واتساب ونرشّح لك روتيناً مناسباً. التوصيل مجاني فوق [المبلغ].» (Not sure which product suits your skin? Send your skin type on WhatsApp and we will suggest a routine; free delivery above [amount].) |
| Authenticity | «[المنتج] الأصلي من الموزّع المعتمد، بتاريخ صلاحية [السنة] ورقم التشغيلة على العبوة. [السعر] ريال، وخصم [النسبة] لأول [العدد] طلب.» (The original from the authorised distributor, expiry [year] and batch number on the box; a discount for the first [count] orders.) |
| The gift | «مع كل طلب فوق [المبلغ] هدية: [المنتج الهدية]. اطلبي مجموعة [الاسم] بـ[السعر] والدفع عند الاستلام.» (A gift with every order above [amount]; order the [name] set at [price], cash on delivery.) |
| Instalments | «روتين كامل بـ[السعر] ريال، قسّميها على 4 دفعات بدون زيادة مع تابي أو تمارا. توصيل خلال [المدة] لكل المملكة.» (A full routine at [price], split into 4 payments at no extra cost with Tabby or Tamara; delivery within [time] across the Kingdom.) |
Notice what the texts do not contain: no "do you suffer from…", no "treats", no before-and-after. The category Meta rejects most is written about the product and its result, not the viewer's flaws. Templates for other categories: Arabic ad copy.
Mistakes that sink a skincare ad
- Addressing the viewer's condition: "your oily skin" and "struggling with acne?" get rejected under Meta's policies. Write "a serum for oily skin" or "a routine for acne-prone skin".
- The medical promise: "treats", "cures" and "guaranteed results" are not allowed. Write the result with a realistic timeframe: "smoother within two weeks of daily use".
- An exaggerated before and after: the video shows texture and use, not a face transformed in three seconds.
- No offer in the first two lines: the category's copy is long (a median of 87 words), but few read past "more". Product and offer first, the explanation after.
- A button that does not match the page: "Shop now" leading to a WhatsApp page, or "WhatsApp message" with nobody answering in the evening. The button is a promise.
- A fake discount: a "before" price the product never sold at hurts trust and breaks the rules.
- An unregistered product: in Saudi Arabia cosmetics often need registration with the Saudi Food and Drug Authority. "SFDA registered" in the copy reassures, if it is true.
How to study the longest-running skincare ads in GccFY
Better than any template: reading twenty ads that have survived for weeks in your category, because an advertiser does not keep paying for an ad that does not sell. In GccFY:
- Pick the skincare category and your country, or search a word such as «سيروم» (serum), «واقي شمس» (sunscreen) or «كولاجين» (collagen).
- Set the status to active and the sort to longest running: the ads that have run for months come first.
- Open each ad's details: the full copy, the button, the platforms and the start date. Read the first line of every ad: what is the angle? A result, an offer, a consultation?
- Open the store page behind the ad: price, offer, cash on delivery, and whether the page matches what the copy promised.
- Save what you like to a collection, then write your copy with your own angle, not their words.
Searching is free 20 times a day, enough for a first pass over your category.
