Bridal skin care during monsoons

Getting married amidst light showers during monsoons are exciting and romantic. With the air getting less polluted and cleaner than ever, nothing could be more romantic than exchanging wedding vows at the time of the year when the weather is pleasing and enchanting

The lush greenery, the cool weather, the gorgeous setting have their own charm to indulge in a healthy skincare regime to make your monsoon wedding makeup all worthwhile.

We may love monsoon for the weather, however, the humidity can end up making your skin all greasy and oily, which may cause a problem for your makeup. When you have so many pre and post-wedding functions lined up, your makeup has to be on point.

Looking beautiful on the wedding day is not merely a matter of makeup and dress. It needs weeks of care. If a skincare program is followed four to six weeks before the wedding, it can really help to reinvent your beauty.

For a Monsoon bride, high humidity poses a problem, especially for those with oily or combination skins. Oily skins look even more oily and dull, due to sweat and oil secretions being deposited on the skin. Sweat on the skin also attracts dirt and pollutants from the atmosphere more easily.

Let's not forget that Indian monsoons are part-summer, part-rains. Even if the sun is not visible during monsoon, you need to ensure that you use a lightweight SPF 50+ sunscreen and a pair of sunglasses every time before you step out in the open for wedding functions.

Since the humidity is at an all-time high during monsoon, Try to keep your makeup light and matte with a powder highlighter and keep it minimal for the monsoon wedding. Don't go overboard.

Since it's already humidity everywhere, Opt for a water-based foundation over a cream-based one. From your foundation to mascara, everything needs to be waterproof. Talk to your makeup artist in advance regarding that. Also, make sure to set everything with a fixing spray.

Creamy make up products tend to melt in heat and humidity and end up looking patchy, so opt for powder blushes, eye shadows in the monsoons which are light on the skin and don't get stuck in your clogs once your face gets oily. Try using waterproof liquid or powder-based products instead.

Also, avoid applying your foundation with your fingers as it can get sticky and greasy. Opt for a brush or a beauty blender to apply your base products.

As humidity makes your face sweaty & sticky, putting on heavy glittery makeup increases the chance of your skin breaking out. But if you really want to go blingy, you can use products that have glitter in them for the desired look. To get rid of the greasy layer of oil that appears on your face during monsoon weddings, you need to wash your face over and again. If you are not at home, you can carry a pack of wet wipes with you.

Deep pore cleansing with facial scrubs is important, in order to keep the pores free of clogged oil and dirt. It also helps to brighten the skin. After washing or cleansing the skin in the morning, use a facial scrub twice a week. Apply it on the face and rub gently on the skin, using a circular motion. Then, rinse off with plenty of plain water.

ever miss exfoliating your skin. The dead cells piling up on the skin can make it look dull, dry, and lifeless. It is very important to exfoliate once or twice a week. You can make one at home using kitchen ingredients.

Mix ground almonds with curd, add dried and powdered lemon and orange peels, as well as dried and powdered mint (pudina), leave and use the mixture as a scrub. For oily skins, use the scrub daily. For dry skin, use it twice a week. For extremely dry and sensitive skin, avoid scrubs. It is important to rinse the face well with water in order to get rid of all residues and sweat deposits. In fact, during Monsoons, wash the face several times with plain water. Night time cleansing is a must, to remove the impurities that have collected on the skin during the day.

A flower-based skin tonic or freshener is a boon in humid weather. Rose water can be mixed with witch hazel to make a refreshing skin tonic. Witch hazel will be available at a pharmacy. For oily skin, mix them in equal quantities. For dry skin, mix one part witch hazel with three parts rose water. Or, you may use a rose-based skin tonic. Keep the mixture in a bottle in the fridge. Wipe the face with it, using cotton wool pads. It not only refreshes the skin, but also helps to tighten the pores and prevent spots and pimples. A rose-based skin tonic would be ideal.

In humid weather, the skin can be prone to blackheads and eruptions. A facial scrub should be used on the blackhead-prone areas. But do not apply scrubs on acne, pimples or rash. The scrub can also be applied to open pores and the marks left by acne. Or, mix oatmeal with egg white and apply it on the face twice a week. Wash it off when it is dry. Using a non-drying, tea tree-infused antibacterial face wash and alcohol-free toner will prevent skin infections and eruptions.

Stubborn blackheads should be removed at a skin-care clinic, by a trained therapist, using proper methods. Pinching blackheads, or trying to remove them at home, not only leads to infection, but also scarring. A multani mitti pack is useful during the monsoons. Mix it with rose water into a paste and apply on the face, washing it off when it dries. If there are eruptions, add sandalwood paste to the mask.

For a monsoon face mask, you can also mix 3 teaspoons oatmeal with egg white and one teaspoon each of honey and curd. If you don't want to use egg white, add rose water or orange juice. Apply it on the face and wash it off after half an hour. Use it twice a week.