Looking beautiful on your wedding day isn't just to do with your make-up and dress. It needs weeks of care. If your skin care routine is well-planned and followed four to six weeks before the wedding, it can really help in reinventing your beauty. Here's how:

Happy feet

At night, soak your feet in warm water with liquid soap or shampoo. After ten minutes of soaking, scrub the feet with a loofah. Use a heel scrubber or pumice stone to remove the dead skin on the heels. Avoid metal scrubbers. Wash and wipe the feet. Apply a moisturising cream on the feet, massaging it into the skin. Then apply cream generously on the heel area. Tie a piece of clean cloth, like a bandage, wear cotton socks and go to sleep. This will help to soften the skin.

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Hands on tips

Take 2 tbsp sunflower oil, 2 tbsp lemon juice and 3 tbsp coarse sugar. Mix together to form a paste. Apply and rub into your hands. Wash off after 15 minutes. You can do this three times a week.

For shining hair

Have hot oil treatments for the hair once or twice a week. Heat almond oil and apply on the hair. Then dip a towel in hot water, squeeze out the water and wrap the towel around the head, like a turban. Keep it on for five minutes. Repeat the hot towel wrap three or four times. This helps the hair and scalp absorb the oil better.

Rejuvenation mantra

To deal with this stress, it is essential to learn to relax. It has been proved that physical exercise actually helps the body to cope with stress. A few weeks before the wedding, start incorporating some exercise like walking of jogging in your routine. In fact, walking is good for both body and mind. Deep breathing exercises and meditation are also helpful. Take two cotton wool pads and dip them in rose water. Close your eyes and put these cotton wool pads on your eyes. A few drops of essential oil can also be added to bath water to soothe and calm the mind, as well as remove fatigue. Rosemary, cinnamon and lavender oils are good options. They can also be used in foot baths. Soaking the feet in hot water is relaxing by itself and adding an essential oil to the hot water gives the added benefit of the aroma.

Schedule salon visits

If you are opting for salon services, book them well in advance. If there is an acne condition, blemishes or hairfall, start taking the treatment at least two to four months in advance, depending on the problem. For blemishes, the facial treatment may include veg peel for removal of scars and blemishes. For oily skin, go for clean-ups for removal of blackheads and to improve skin texture. Professional deep cleansing with exfoliation (facial scrubs), toning and massage help to remove the dead skin cells, stimulates circulation and nourishes the skin. Regular manicures and pedicures help to keep the hands and feet in good condition. The pre-bridal manicure and pedicure can be done a day before the wedding. Some like to have it done before the mehendi ceremony. Waxing and removal of facial hair (upper lips etc) and eyebrows can be done two or three days before the wedding. It usually depends on individual needs, but avoid doing any of these treatments on the day of the wedding, as certain skin types are prone to eruptions or rashes after waxing.

Grandma's secret for every bride

Every grandma's beauty secret lies in "ubtan" which is a homemade pack for skin care. It usually consists of wheat bran, gram flour, yogurt or cream of milk and a pinch of turmeric. Make a mixture out of these ingredients and apply it on the face and body, before bathing. Start by massaging your body with with sesame seed (til) oil. Then apply the ubtan and wash off after half an hour. It will help clear the skin of dead cells, leaving it smooth and bright.

Get that facial glow

For your daily facial care routine, cleanse your skin twice a day. For normal to dry skin, take half a cup of cold milk and add five drops of any vegetable oil (sesame, olive or sunflower oil). Put this in a bottle and shake well. Cleanse the skin with it, using cotton wool. Keep left-over mixture in the fridge. For oily skins, moisturising creams may be too heavy. Instead, add one tsp pure glycerin to 100 ml rose water. Keep in an airtight bottle in the fridge. Apply a little of this daily on the face and hands. Tone the skin daily with chilled rose water. Toning stimulates blood circulation and adds a glow to your skin. It also keeps the skin hydrated during the summer months. Normal to oily skins need deep pore cleansing. Mix rice flour with curd or rose water and apply it on the face two or three times a week. Rub gently on the skin using small circular movements. Wash off with water. Face packs play a vital role. They complete the cleansing process, dissolve impurities, soften dead skin cells and also remove them. Make a mask at home. Take 2 tsp of wheat bran (choker) and 1 tsp each of almond meal (ground almonds), curd, honey and rose water. Mix them well and use the pack two or three times a week.

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