Beauty care for the winter bride

When it comes to a winter wedding, we generally assume that winter weddings are fuss free. Dry and patchy skin can be a nightmare when it comes to makeup application as everything you apply flakes off or creases. Looking beautiful on the wedding day is not merely a matter of make-up and dress. It needs weeks of care. If a skin care programme is followed a few weeks before the wedding, it can really help. The skin type and the season should also be taken into consideration.

For your daily facial care routine, cleanse your skin twice a day. It's not just the skin on your face that's prone to dryness in the winter; your hands are often left vulnerable to the same environmental elements as your complexion.

Night time cleansing is more important, in order to remove pollutants and make up before bedtime. So, cleanse the skin daily at night and apply a layer of moisturizer before you sleep. You can also apply an all-night mask for your skin. For normal to dry skin, use a cleansing cream or gel or take half a cup of cold milk and add five drops of any vegetable oil. Put this in a bottle and shake well. Cleanse the skin with it, using cotton wool. Oily skins also need deep pore cleansing. Mix rice powder with curd and apply on the face once or twice a week. Rub gently with small circular movements and wash off with water.

The skin on the lips is also thin and lacks oil producing glands. It becomes dry and chaps easily. Even if you are using the moistest lipstick you cannot apply it on your lips without a coat of lip balm or petroleum jelly. For plump looking lips give them a base coat of lip balm.After cleansing, apply almond oil or almond cream on the lips daily and leave it on all night. Sun-protective lip balms are also useful.

In winter, the skin of the body also needs nourishing with oils. In the olden days, "ubtan" was made at home for skin care. First the body was massaged with "til" oil. Then homemade "ubtan" was applied. This usually consisted of wheat bran, gram flour (besan), yogurt (dahi) or cream of milk (malai) and a pinch of turmeric (haldi). All these were mixed together and applied on the face and body, before bathing. The "ubtan" was washed off after half an hour, while bathing. It helped to clear the skin of dead cells, leaving it smooth and bright, with a translucent quality.

You can also give your hair a quick conditioning treatment before shampoo. Mix one teaspoon each of vinegar and almond oil with one egg. Beat them together well. Massage the mixture into the scalp. Leave on the mixture for half an hour and then wash your hair. If you do not wish to use egg, add more almond oil.

You must keep yourself hydrated by drinking 8-10 glasses of water daily which will help flush out toxins, improve skin tone, healthy and glowing skin. You can add fruit juice, coconut water, watermelon, green tea and lassis in your daily routine. Make sure these do not contain too much sugar or sodium. Eating the right kinds of food will help your skin glow even in the winter months. Have a small box of dry fruits when you are travelling. Try to include regional and seasonal fruits, vegetables in your diet on a daily basis. Snacking on naturally hydrating food will keep your body hydrated. Opt for a diet that is rich in Omega 3 essential fatty acids.