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Skincare tips for your wedding day!
October 7, 2008
The wedding season is fast approaching and those of you about to tie the knot know what I'm talking about when I say it's difficult to maintain good looks under stress. Trousseau tussles with ever-delaying tailors, wedding planners saying they can’t procure orchids for the decor at the last moment, running around to confirm your venue bookings and honeymoon tickets and hanging nightmares about your future mother-in-law all take their toll. It's enough to make anyone break out in rashes and pimples! The trick is to start working on your look and caring for your skin right now instead of looking for last-minute solutions a week before the wedding.
Start a routine skin care regimen -- invest in quality products. If you have dry or sensitive skin, for instance, start using a soap free-cleanser like Cetaphil, or use a pH-balanced cleansing bar like Sebamed for normal to oily skin. An alpha hydroxyl product used once or twice a week can revive dull skin (try AHAGlow face wash by Torrent Pharma). Cleanse your face at least three to four times a day, use a toner immediately after to normalise the skin pH and then use a sun-blocking moisturiser. Always remove makeup before sleeping, no matter how late you’ve come back home and use a good quality nutrient replenishing night cream (try B-left Rich Lifting Complex by Wockhardt).
Detox your skin: Festival season be damned! Stop eyeing those sweets and festive goodies if you want flawless skin for your wedding. Drink two glasses of vegetable juice daily. Take plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables of different colours (5 helpings a day). Try yoga, especially Pranayama and Kapal Bharti -- they are excellent stress-busters.
Supplements: Cheat a little on nature! Give your body a temporary boost with a mega dose of skin nutrients -- take an antioxidant capsule in the morning, an omega-3 supplement in the afternoon and calcium citrate at night and watch your skin and hair become super-lustrous. Ask your dermatologist for a prescription for these supplements.
Get some professional help
Ditch the so called ‘bridal facials’. Get smart, get scientific, get with the 21st century -- ask your dermatologist to start skin-peeling sessions or microdermabrasion (skin polishing) or even laser resurfacing (laser facials) for your face (depending on your budget). They are all painless and not at all time-consuming. Four to six sittings at 15-day intervals can give you an unbeatable glow on d-day. They improve skin colour, texture and smoothen out patchy pigmentary irregularities. Smoother, even-toned skin ensures compliments and better light reflectivity of the skin ensures wonderful photographs!
You can also plan laser hair reduction for embarrassing facial and body hair (on the upper lip, chin, chest, abdomen, bikini line, butt etc).
Last-minute checklist
- Waxing, threading, bleaching etc must be done at least four days before the big day to give your skin time to settle down and to combat any imitant or allergic reactions that may occur.
- If a reaction does take place, apply ice and then a maximum of calamine lotion (like Dermadew Caloe) and mometasone (Elocon lotion). Consult a dermatologist as soon as possible.
- Try out all new makeup a week to ten days prior to check for allergies.
- Ensure your makeup artist uses the best quality, hypoallergenic products to glam you up. Swollen lips due to a cheap lipstick allergy is enough to ruin a honeymoon!
- The last 48 hours try to stay on only fruit and raw vegetables and have water thrice a day. The intense hydration ensures better-looking skin.
- Stay calm -- mental peace and happiness reflect on your skin. Let your love put a glow on your face!
Text: Dr Parul Kolhe | Photograph: Tauseef Mustafa/AFP/Getty Images
Dr Parul S Kolhe is an MBBS and holds a DDV and DNB in dermatology.
Also see: Tying the knot? Here's a wedding checklist!
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