Beauty and The Bride: Skin Care Tips for That Natural Bridal Glow!

Your wedding is one event in your life where whether you like it or not, all eyes are on you. Not only is your face gazed upon a billion times by a million people but it is also immortalised by your wedding photographer who is for sure, always going to be within 10 feet of you, clicking away to glory. While you can always fix a hair that’s out of place or even a lehenga mishap, one thing you cannot do jack about is your skin. Yes, we know, make up always comes to the rescue (and it better, when you’ve spent thousands of bucks hiring that professional make-up artist.) but wouldn’t it just be so much better for you and your skin if you need lesser of it? Plus, though blemishes, eye bags and the sorts can be fixed with the magical power of make-up, it’s not like you can just ask Harry for his wand to annihilate bumps and zits overnight.

So in order to make sure that your skin stays as fresh as a daisy or as soft as a baby’s bum or any of your preferred choice of dramatic similes, we have for you an Indian bridal skin care routine with a set of great guidelines to follow that’ll get your skin glowing from within!

> WATERRRR.

Okay, you’ve probably heard this a billion times (that’s because it’s true), but you neeed to be drinking at least 2 litres of water every day in order to flush all the toxins from your body. This will help in clearing your skin naturally. Also, coconut water does wonders for the skin, so try having one every day.
Be like this doggy!

> NO OILY FOODS

Again, pretty obvious, right. But that still doesn’t stop you from grabbing that extra lays packet, no?
Tell you what, stop trying to justify “no one can eat just one”, and opt for non-oily, healthy foods that are rich in water content like watermelons, broccoli and lettuce. (The one at McDonald’s doesn’t count.)
Some other foods you could try out are beetroots, avocados, mangoes, kiwis and a lot of other green.

> NO MILK OR MILK PRODUCTS

Whaaaaat? Wasn’t milk supposed to make you strong and healthy?
While it does do that, it does nothing to improve your skin. Yeah, I was pretty shocked when I found out too. Basically, milk contains a hormone called IGF-1 which helps the growth of baby cows as well as your acne. It also causes your skin to produce more oil which leads to the clogging of pores and a bacteria build-up.
So yeah, the best thing to do is to avoid milk or products for at least a month before your big day. This includes cheese, ice cream, pizza or ANYTHING involving dairy of any kind.

As coffee contains milk too, we suggest you steer clear of it. However, if you’re one of those addicts (welcome to the club), black coffee is a safer option.
The best thing to do though is to replace your morning caffeine dose with a cup of green tea which not only helps in weight loss, but also has some great anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory properties that’ll help in clearing up your skin.

> SLEEP.

Who doesn’t love to sleep past 12:00 P.M on a Sunday any given day? But unfortunately our work schedules probably allow us just a few precious hours to snooze away to glory. While that may be perfectly doable at any other time, your pre-wedding month is certainly not the time to stay up late and wake up with eye-bags, dark circles and drab skin.
8 hours of sleep is a must!

> FRESH PILLOW CASES

This may not seem like a big deal, but changing pillow cases every week is essential. Oil and bacteria from your skin and hair tends to rub off on it and if it stays too long, it could create problems.  We recommend using silk or cotton pillow cases!

> MOISTURIZE

This may be your usual, everyday routine, but you’d be surprised to know how many people don’t bother moisturizing at all! Ensure that the moisturizer you use suits your skin type. If you have oily skin, go for a hydrating moisturizer with a water base. If you have dry skin, try out creams that have a higher oil and wax content.

> MONTHLY FACIALS

Spend some time at the parlour at least once every month to get a good facial done and cleanse your pores of all the excess build-up. It’ll also help to nourish your skin and keep it healthy.
In addition to this, we recommend you keep up the process at home and use weekly packs or scrubs for a nice, natural glow on your wedding day.

> YOUR FRIENDLY NEIGHBOURHOOD DERMATOLOGIST

He’s always going to be just around the corner to save you from your all your skin-related woes! Just keep in mind that while spidey may have super sharp senses and speedy reflexes, you’re actually going to have to consult your dermat at least 2-3 months prior your wedding day.
If you have regular and re-surfacing skin problems, ask him for a suitable set of multi vitamins to help smoothen them out.

> CLEAN AND SAFE MAKE UP

Cleanse your make up items and especially make up brushes on a regular basis as the more you keep using them the more bacteria and oil from your skin gets deposited on them. Which means that the next time you use them, they will just affect your skin. So shampooing them once in every few uses, if not each and every one, is a wise idea.

> TRIAL MAKE-UP SESSION

Most brides probably have this on their minds, but in case you happen to be clueless about make-up and how it works, we suggest you get a trial make-up session that delivers your entire soon-to-be bridal look at least a month before your wedding. This will help you ensure that the products that your make-up artist uses are suitable to your skin type.  The 1 month buffer period is suggested because on the off-chance that your skin reacts to any of the products, you will have enough time to get your skin back to being clean, healthy and flawless.

Image credits: pinterest.com