By: Monika Agarwal
Wedding day is a very important day for a young woman who also aspire to look like a princess with radiating skin on her wedding day. With a number of festivities lined up to celebrate the happy occasion, it is important that the young bride-to-be looks as fresh as a daisy.According to Rumana Johar, Makeup Artist at JD Institute of Fashion Technology, though the wedding occasion is a happy one, it usually does tend to overwhelm a lot of brides-to-be due to the array of things that need to get done alongwith the added pressure to look ones best. Hence in order to be ready it is important to keep some tips in mind, to breeze through the pre-wedding functions and waltz into the D-Day like a dream. However, the preparation to look ones best needs to start months in advance. shares some vital guidelines to get not just an external radiance but also glow from within, a pre-requisite for every bride.
Though in the modern times visiting a dermatologist months in advance and a beauty salon a couple of days before the wedding is customary, one can never underestimate the power of the age-old home remedies. One may scoff and think that these remedies are passé in this 21 century, but the older generations vouch by them. Rightly so, since in the older times without access to readymade off the counter beauty treatments were not available, one had to turn to nature and their kitchen for their pre-wedding beauty rituals. Though homegrown remedies are slowly gaining traction, just like every other make-up routine it is important to understand our skin type and the reaction we will get from a particular ingredient. The reason to understand these conditions will help to identify the kind of ingredients to steer clear from. Some fruits and vegetables have the potential to cause an allergic reaction, it’s a trial and error method. Hence one needs to start by doing a patch test to identify what will suit their body. Hence, brides-to-be are advised to start their skin prep and exercise regime atleast 4-5 months prior to the wedding to avoid any allergies and to get the best results.
Pre-Bridal skin care regime
Sleep deprivation is a common complaint about most brides-to-be. Hence a total of 7 – 8 hours of sleep is a must. This is beneficial to look fresh and prevent dark circles, puffiness on the face and edginess. Food is also important during this time. Include a well-balanced diet atleast 5 – 6 months before the wedding to get glowing skin. It should also include fresh fruits, green leafy vegetables and the consumption of green juices. Junk food, alcohol, coffee, cigarettes, fizzy drinks, and late-night partying should be avoided. Also stay away from using Citric fruits, Eucalyptus oil and Rosemary on your skin depending on your skin. A minimum of 2 – 3 liters of water must be consumed on a daily basis to flush out toxins and makes your skin feel hydrated. Apart from food, it is essential to get a good workout to stay fit and in shape for the running around that will be required for the festivities. The plus side of incorporating a fitness regime will also prevent bloating, improves blood circulation will deliver oxygen and nutrients to the skin which keeps the skin healthy, promotes collagen production.
There are different face masks and regimes that suit particular skin type.
Remedies for Glowing skin
For Normal skin:
Mix juice of whole Lemon Juice, a fistful of Multani Mitti (Fuller’s Earth) and two tablespoons of water to make a face mask. This should be applied on the face and neck. This will ensure evening out the skin tone. Adding pinch of turmeric and strands of saffron elevates the glow on the face. Apart from lemon juice, multani mitti can be combined with mint or even coffee. Just like the combination with lemon juice, mint also helps to get rid of acne, whereas the combination with coffee helps to exfoliate the skin.
For Dry Skin:
Mix Honey, few drops of Rose water and half a cup of plain Curd and apply on the face and neck. Wash face well and dry it completely, then add toner before adding the mask to the face. This mask helps to get an even tone and makes the skin look brighter, nourishes the skin and provides moisture thus enhancing the glow. It also hydrates the skin and makes it look plump.
For Combination Skin:
For those who are unsure of their skin type use a mix of essential oils as per skin requirement and separate skin face packs can be applied.
Coconut Oil – This humble nutty fruit repairs and nourishes skin. Deeply penetrates skin pores, hydrates and lubricates dry skin cells. Protects skin from free deep-seated damage and offers sun protection. Heals inflammations and clears acne.
Tea Tree Essential Oil – A natural astringent, tea tree works effectively in reducing oily skin as well as tightening and toning large pores. It’s also a powerful acne-fighter.
Apart from the different types of facemasks for different skin types, there are some Generic face packs that can be used for any types of skins.
Turmeric: This kitchen ingredient is blessed with anti-bacterial properties. Mix about half a teaspoon of turmeric powder with a cup of gram flour (chickpea flour). Add enough milk/water and mix well to form a smooth paste. Now, add a few drops of rose water and mix again. Apply this paste on your face and neck and leave on till it dries. Then, rinse off with cool water.
Honey: Honey acts a moisturizer and hydrates your skin. You can directly apply honey on your face and neck area but ensure that your skin is clean and damp. Massage for a few minutes, allowing it to get absorbed by the skin. Now, wash off with lukewarm water.
Besan and Haldi: Use this pack for the medicinal effects of Haldi and scrub essence of Besan. Apply it all over your body and keep it for five minutes. Multani mitti can also be used for a body glow. Wash the bodypack with normal to lukewarm water.
Apart from the face, the eyes are a defining feature for brides-to-be. Hence, eyes also need equal care. The best routines for getting rid of dark circles and under eye bags are:
- Place cucumbers for 15-20 mins under the eye. This reduces the appearance of dark circles
- Tea bags have the added benefit of antioxidants that helps to soothe eyes, tea bags can be directly applied under the eyes
- Potatoes rich in Vitamin C and most commonly used to treat under eye. Slice the potatoes and directly apply it on the skin. Extract the juice from the potato and soak some cotton makeup remover pads in the juice. Place the pads on the eyes for about 10 minutes and then rinse with warm water.
However, just following the above mentioned steps are not important, instilling a disciplined skincare regime is also important to follow without fail. Cleanse twice a day, remove makeup before going to bed, moisturise the skin, exfoliate face and skin twice a week. Use face masks twice a day, Add face serums to your skin care regime and also use eye creams to prevent puffiness.
The following natural exfoliant recipes are easy to create with great results.
- Mixing aloe vera gel with honey and 2 drops of tea tree oil can reduce acne prone skin
- Oat meal scrub, Oats mixed with coconut oil with brown sugar makes a good exfoliant
- This nutritious nut is not just great in taste but also helps to provide a radiant skin. Grind Almonds and mix with milk to make an effective scrub.
- Coffee powder mixed with granulated sugar and water or lemon juice can help achieve gorgeous skin
When we take care of other aspects of our face, why leave lips behind. Hence exfoliating lips are equally important. Some of the tips to get naturally enviable lips are as follows:
- Sugar lip scrub mixing finely ground sugar with almond milk / coconut oil / honey / Vitamin E oil can help achieve soft lips.
- Coffee lip scrub combining coffee with oil / honey.
Wedding is an important day for young women, hence, looking and feeling great goes hand in hand. Not just external looks but internally too, the bride needs to feel rejuvenated and ready to take on the day with aplomb.