Every girl dreams of how perfect she will look on her big day. Dressed in a gorgeous lehenga, skin soft, supple and glowing like never before, and a gorgeous, dreamy man watching her, completely awestruck at her timeless beauty.

Over-dramatic? Laugh all you want, but you know it’s true!

A month before your wedding, I am certain, you have found your perfect lehenga and the perfect make up artist. All this said and done, you know the importance of healthy, slowing skin. Instead of hiding the flaws, your make-up artist will then have the privilege to give you a fantastic look!

So ladies, work on your skin health! I have created this guideline with the intention of simplifying this entire process for you. Everything has been broken down into easy actionable tasks for you. Just follow these guidelines and you should be good.

1. HYDRATE HYDRATE HYDRATE !!

Water is your new best friend! Have a minimum of 10 glasses of lukewarm water everyday. If you don’t like the flavor of warm water, add some lemongrass and mint leaves in it. If you are prone to bloating, constipation or acidity, add some fennel seeds or cumin seeds into it.

2. GO NUTS

A month before the wedding, you will be semi-bridezilla. Which means you will manage to stay calm most times but then there will also be moments when you find yourself crying for reasons unknown or getting upset about things that normally don’t even take 5 minutes of your time. Your girlfriends will start giving you the talk – “you need to be more calm”, “you know he loves you more than anything”, “you cannot be talking to your mom like that”.A fistful of nuts is great for you.
– Nuts are rich in Magnesium which keeps you calm and relaxed
– They lead to a slow release of blood sugar levels, thereby eliminating the possibility of a sugar related high followed by a crash.
– Omega 3 Fatty Acids will make your skin glow
– Nuts cause an increase in Serotonin levels (happy hormone) making you cheerful. Happy = Stress-Free = Glowing Skin = No Wrinkles

Keep a mix of Almonds, Walnuts, Pistachios and Cashews in your purse at all time. Also, these need to be completely raw. No roasting, no salt, no sugar, no spice mix, nothing at all!

3. CORRECT YOUR DIET

In order to make your skin healthier, reduce acne, wrinkles and get an inner radiance in your skin, you need to include foods that are rich in Flavonoids, Carotenoids, Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Omega 3 Fatty Acids, Vitamin K and Zinc. Some foods that will be work well include Carrots, Almonds, Broccoli, Tomato, Pumpkin, Green Tea, Apple, Flaxseeds, Sesame Seeds, Seasonal Green Leafy Vegetables, Ghee, Filtered Sesame Oil, Amla, Guava, Sprouted Beans.

If you have acne-prone skin or have imbalanced hormones, switch to a low Gl diet and skip dairy, tea, coffee and sugar.

4. FACE CARE

Do these 3 things every morning:
– Splash cold water on your face as soon as you wake up.
– Apply some honey on your face for 15 minutes and then rinse it off. You can do this either every morning or after you have been exposed to the sun. Honey is an excellent moisturizer, it is good for a glow, reduces acne and acne scars, corrects the pH of your skin.
– Spray rosewater on your face multiple times in the day. Add a few drops of an essential oil based on your goal. More on this below.

5. AROMATHERAPY

Aromatherapy is one of the safest and easiest ways of upping your beauty game. Pick essential oils based on your requirement. Acne-Prone Skin : Tea Tree Oil, Bergamot, Lemongrass
Stress, Anxiety : Lavender, Bergamot, Ylang Ylang
Feeling Sad : Lemon, Peppermint, Rose
Hair Care, Stimulate Growth, Dandruff : Peppermint Oil, Patchouli, Rosemary
Fatigue – Citronella, Lemongrass
Stretch Marks, Scars : Frankincense, Lavender, Sandalwood
Dull Skin : Geranium, Grapefruit, Lime

Identify two or three oils that solve most of your problems and get them. Now, you could use them in a diffuser, mix them into jojoba, coconut or sesame oil and apply, make a room freshener (30 drops of essential oil in 3 ounces of distilled water). You could simply add a drop of the oil into your face lotion or honey and apply it.

6. SLEEP

This is very important. Sleep for a good 8 hours every day. If you have a tough time going off to sleep, sip on some Chamomile Tea before you hit the bed.
When you are asleep, your body is performing all of its growth, repair and detox related functions. Collagen, which is the key to soft, supple skin, is manufactured while you are asleep. Blood flow to the face is increased while you are asleep, hence the skin glow. Also, if there is reduced blood flow (sleep deprivation) you will find yourself struggling with dark circles, dull skin and puffy eyes.

7. GARSHANA OR DRY BRUSHING

This trick comes from Ayurveda. Garshana will increases blood flow right under the skin. This increased circulation boosts elimination of toxins. Garshana also stimulates the lymphatic system and exfoliates your skin. Do this regularly and you will find your skin glowing and soft, you will also feel a lot more energetic and cheerful.

Follow these guidelines to ensure you do it in the right way
– Circular motion around stomach, hips and all your joints (knee, elbow, shoulder, ankles and feet)
– Long strokes along your thighs, arms, calves (all directing towards the heart)
– Light pressure wherever the skin is thin
– No brushing the face and chest
– After 10-15 minutes of dry brushing (your skin will turn slightly red and feel a little warm), take a shower.
– Apply a little coconut oil after the shower.

Follow the above guidelines for at least 3 weeks to see some results. If you have 2 or more months in hand, you are gold. Be prepared to look like your own dream come true 🙂

For those you find it tough to plan all of this for themselves, feel free to get in touch with us. We can build a bespoke plan for you.

Check out more details on our Wedding Wellness plan “Hitched!” to know more.