Skin care for me has always been a major challenge, mainly because I am super lazy! I somehow never find the time to make magical potions out of kitchen ingredients and sitting with packs on my face requires too much patience. I do occasionally splurge on ‘highly recommended’ creams but never use them continuously to actually see the transforming results. Plus, makeup has always been my easy way out!
It was the 21st of July, 2014, when my parents finally said *yes* to the man I was hopelessly in love with, and so began the wedding preparations. Tiring trips to Chandni Chowk and Shahpur Jat, unhealthy eating patterns and endless parties with friends took a toll on my skin and how! All the aunties and relatives visiting us would always remark, “Tera chehra itna dull kyun lag raha hai”, “you have dark circles”, “your face should be glowing, you are getting married in 5 months!” etc etc. Apparently, as a bride-to-be, you are supposed to GLOW. All the comments really did mess with my mind and of course, I could see that my face did look very dull and lifeless. Even the best makeup tricks somehow couldn’t do much. I knew I had to act before it reached a stage where I didn’t want to look at myself in the mirror.
Also read: 8 Bridal Beauty Commandments To Look Your Absolute Best!
I started with pre-bridal skin care that I knew I could keep up with. Applying a good sunscreen 20 minutes before stepping out in the sun – I had never bothered with this before. I also started with the CTM routine that had been fed into my mind a number of times but I had never followed. Cleansing, toning and moisturising before bed is super important to get rid of all the dirt that accumulates on the face. I used (and still use) Ayur Herbal Cleansing Milk and Dabur Gulabari rose water as the toner. I am not too specific about the moisturizer and usually pick up a basic good one from the local drugstore. I even reduced my makeup application and invested in makeup products from trusted brands so as not to harm my skin. Lastly, my mom made me a paste of besan, lemon and curd that I applied twice a week, and what an effect it had!
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Besides this, as a bride-to-be, I incorporated a lot of fruits, fresh juices and salads in my diet and avoided fried stuff like samosa (which is hard for me to resist!). All this did not make me flawless or prettier in anyway. I still had breakouts every time it was ‘that time of the month’ and my acne marks were still visible. But yes, my skin felt softer, looked healthier and fresh. I noticed that even makeup looked better on my skin now.
I did not go in for any pre-bridal treatments besides a basic clean up and bleach to lighten facial hair. I was happy the way my skin had improved over the months and trusted my makeup artist to work his magic.
It’s been almost two years since I got married and thanks to these healthy skin habits that I forced myself to adapt for life, my skin looks decent enough. It’s the basic level of skin care that every girl must follow. I strongly believe that you are either born with a flawless skin or you’re not, but you must put in just a little bit of effort to save it from the everyday harshness and not damage it further.
Images courtesy Nishant Suri.
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