I would advice any bride to drink warm water every morning. This will start the detoxification process. Fresh fruit juices will also aid the process. A glass of milk with one or two saffron strands at night will help her skin become smooth. She should include dried fruits such as figs, dates and almonds in her diet. It is best to follow a light vegetarian diet.
Face Glow
Mash papaya and add a spoon of milk powder to it and two drops of lavender essential oil. Apply this all over the neck and face. Leave for 20 minutes. Gently massage face with wet hands while the pack is still on and then rinse off after 20 minutes. Use this face pack twice a week. Attend to the under-eye dark circles. You can use a professional range or some warm tea bags.
Body Basics
Go for a full-body bleach. Grate a bar of glycerine soap and add hydrogen peroxide to make a paste. Apply all over the body. Lather. Keep on for 30 minutes and then wash off.
Use a scrub of sugar, salt and honey. The granules of the salt and sugar help remove dead cells and eruptions of the skin. If you are allergic to honey, substitute with glycerine to which a little lemon juice should be added. Use one drop each of ylang ylang and lavender essential oil in the scrub. Apply the scrub onto the whole body. Let this stay for 5-10 minutes. Then massage gently in circular motion.
Massage your body with almond oil to which you can add two drops of ylang ylang and two drops of vanilla essential oil. To the bath water, add milk, two tablespoon almond oil, five drops of ylang ylang essential oil and rose petals. Indulge in a luxurious soak.
Hands and Feet
Hands and feet are the most noticeable areas of any person’s body. Hence take some extra care. Scrub the hands and feet with a little salt in gentle circular motion to exfoliate the dead skin. Then take few drops of any carrier oil in a bowl, warm it a little. Add one drop of jasmine oil and one drop of sandalwood oil. Soak feet/hands for 20 minutes.
Hair Care
There is nothing as sexy as clean hair. Mix one tablespoon of coconut oil, one tablespoon of castor oil, one tablespoon of sesame oil and two drops of rosemary essential oil. Massage scalp thoroughly with this mixture. Keep oil on for 30 minutes. Wash off.
Take a bowl of yogurt, add two drops of sandalwood oil. Apply onto scalp and hair. Leave it on for 30 minutes and wash off. (The author is founder and chairperson of the Blossom Kochhar Group of Companies)