Glow up on D-day

Weddings mean festivities, which in turn mean celebrations. A great Indian wedding is all about madness, celebration, and the chaos that goes with it.
Representational Image.
Representational Image.

Weddings mean festivities, which in turn mean celebrations. A great Indian wedding is all about madness, celebration, and the chaos that goes with it. Amid this chaos, it is important to keep one's balance and multi-task. Most weddings in India take place during the year end, mostly from September. In fact, it almost seems as if we have an additional season in our annual cycle—the wedding season! D-days are all about a flurry of activity and endless lists. From venue and decorations to outfits, jewellery, grooming, and gifts, as well as food, guest list, trousseau, pandits, themes, and mehndi; the list can go on. What increases along with this list is the stress that comes with the need to create a perfect, one-of-a-kind, memorable Indian wedding.

I, for a start, believe that if you are about to get married, it is important to plan well in advance and work towards tying up everything before time. This way, you will be able to enjoy your wedding too. Since you would expect me to tell you how to look good naturally, let me enlighten you. If you want a natural glow, it is better to eat healthy and keep your skin well looked-after at least 6 weeks prior to the D day!

Get your diet on track: Be conscientious about your liquid intake, avoid alcohol, and increase natural drinks such as water, chaas, lassi, juices, and nimbu pani. On a daily basis, add at least five pieces of fruits to your diet. Just to be clear, I am referring to a whole piece: one full apple or orange, a bowl of pomegranate or papaya, etc. Also, salads and freshly-made soups are highly recommended during this time.

Change your lifestyle: I also find that those who are about to get married suffer from dark circles. This happens due to stress, chaotic lifestyle, and late-night chatting (or rather cooing into the phone). Sleep on time and relax. It is also important to take out some Me-time. Regular exercise will help improve blood circulation and tone up the body, as well as get rid of the extra kilos, and prevent sluggish-looking skin. De-stress by meditating: I suggest practising meditation to calm your nerves. This is best to relax the wound-up mind that often buzzes with a million thoughts at this time. You can start with just five minutes of meditation a day, and you will see the difference.

There are a few time-tested recipes to get great skin that I recommend. For dry skin: Take 1tsp oatmeal and add into it 1tsp of honey, milk, and almond paste. Mix well and apply onto the skin. Leave this on for about 10 minutes and scrub off by patting with a wee bit of milk. Wash your face with cold water.

For combination skin: Mix 4ground green olives, 1tsp fresh aloe vera gel, 2tsp orange peel powder, 2tsp yoghurt together. Apply this paste to your skin and leave this on for 10 minutes. Pat with rose water and scrub off. Note that the above recipes should only be tried three times a week.

For the body: This recipe that I’ve tried on multiple brides and grooms has had fabulous results. Also, it is perfect to attain clean, exfoliated, and soft skin and rid you of any dead skin accumulation. Body ubtan: Mix 1cup oatmeal, 50g almond powder, and 50g rice powder. Now, add 4-5tbsp, 2tsp of honey, and full cream milk to get a thick paste-like consistency. Apply this all over the body and leave it on till it turns semi-dry. Dab with milk and scrub in a rotating manner especially on neglected areas such as elbows, knees, buttocks, back, etc. Wash off with water.

To get great hair, get regular oil massages and follow it up with hot steam preferably with a good quality mahabhringraj oil (also known as the king of hair herbs) or a brahmi oil. Once every ten days, you can mix 1 mashed avocado, a little milk, and 1tsp pure desi ghee. Apply this on your hair, and cover with a shower cap for an hour. Wash your hair with a mild herbal shampoo.

Body massages and scrubs are an essential part of grooming. I suggest one every 10 days at least two months before your wedding date. With simple planned-out grooming schedules, you will be able to reduce stress and look your best on that special day which comes once in a lifetime.

Suparna Trikha
The columnist is a beauty and nature care expert
@suparnatrikha

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