Bridal beauty and care

Pre-wedding care
Every woman wants to look gorgeous and beautiful on her wedding day. She wants her skin to glow with radiance and glamour. She wants to look her best and to shine like a bright star. Well if you want your skin to glow and to have a very soft and delicate skin you will have to follow this regime atleast a month before your wedding day.

First and foremost you need to know your skin type in order to soothe and nourish your skin for a healthful and radiant complexion.

SKIN TYPES

Oily Skin

Oily skin is caused by over-active glands, which produce a substance called Asebum, a naturally healthy skin lubricant. When the skin produces too much sebum, it becomes thick and heavy in texture. Oily skin is characterized by shininess, pimples and blemishes. Frequent steam cleaning and exfoliation can help reduce these symptoms.

Dry Skin

Dry skin usually results when skin fails to produce enough sebum to maintain a naturally lubricated surface. 

This lack of oil in the skin is often hereditary, but can also be caused by over-exposure to the sun and other environmental elements. Dry skin often appears coarse, tight, dull and flaky, with visible lines and wrinkles. Massage with essential and cold pressed oils can stimulate metabolism and alleviate dry skin conditions.

Normal Skin

Normal skin produces a healthy amount of sebum, and tends to be neither dry nor oily in feel. It needs proper cleansing and massage.

Sensitive Skin

Sensitive skin reacts unfavourably to a variety of chemicals and environmental factors. Increased exposure to sun, wind and cold, as well as to harsh cosmetic ingredients, tend to toughen skin over time.

Combination Skin

Many people have different skin types on different parts of the face. For example, it is not uncommon for a person to have oily skin around the nose, forehead and chin, while the rest of the face is more on the dry side. If you have more than one skin type on your face, it is wise to use products containing different ingredients to treat the areas differently.

YOUR STEP BY STEP AT-HOME FACIAL

A basic facial must include at least 3 elements: (1) cleansing; (2) toning; and (3) moisturising. Additional steps might include steaming, exfoliating and masking. Each of these steps is outlined below.

Step 1

Before cleansing your skin with a gentle cleanser, it is wise to give yourself a light steam treatment to open your pores and prepare your face for cleaning. To do this, simply soak a soft towel in a bowl of comfortably warm herbal tea (chamomile is one of my favorites). Wring out the towel and place it over your face and neck area and relax until it cools slightly. You may repeat this process, as it is quite soothing.

Step 2

Cleanse your face with a good Cleanser. Use upward, circular movements of the fingertips to gently stimulate the skin and help lift surface debris and excess oil. Rinse with warm water and gently pat excess moisture from face with a soft towel. If you wear heavy make-up, you might wish to repeat the cleansing process.

Step 3

After cleansing, it is important to tone the skin using ingredients that help balance the pH of the skin, which is typically disturbed during the cleansing process. Apply the toner with a soft cotton pad, but do not rub the skin. Rather, saturate the pad and pat the toner over the face and neck area. Do not pat skin dry. Avoid eye area when using this toner. You skin is now ready for moisturising.

Step 4

Moisturise your skin using Aromatic Facial Oil, which contains a host of soothing ingredients to add moisture and nutrients to your skin. To seal in the moisture, be sure to apply the oil while skin remains damp from applying the toner. Gently apply the oil to your face and neck using patting motions. For oily areas of skin, one application of oil should suffice. Apply twice to dry areas of skin, waiting about 2-3 minutes between applications, and being sure to moisten the skin slightly with water or toner before the second application.

Step 5

Finally, if you want you can finish off with a gentle exfoliation and mask to your treatment. Persons with oily skin may find exfoliation beneficial once or twice a week, while people with dry skin may wish to exfoliate only once a month.
In order to look great on their wedding day, brides often visit the spa just before their wedding day. But beautiful and radiant facial skin is not obtained with just one visit. A bride should start on a pre-wedding skin care regime well before the wedding date.

Brides are often busy juggling their work and home responsibilities while planning their wedding. Often all the stress involved in planning a wedding, can take a negative toll on the skin.

Here are some skin care tips a bride can use to promote and maintain beautiful looking skin in advance of her actual wedding day.

This article focuses on a few homemade skin care facial masks with natural wholesome ingredients that should be part of a bride's pre-wedding beauty regime (or any woman's for that matter)!

Bridal Shower Idea:What better way to have fun taking care of your skin, then to throw a spa party at home so that you can pamper yourself and your bridesmaids and female wedding attendants.

Rose Cream Cleanser
1 tablespoon sour cream
1 teaspoon rose hydrosol
2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

Combine all ingredients in the order shown, stirring well after each one. Apply cleanser to face and neck skin, using gentle, upward sweeping motions. Rinse well. This recipe should be used within 2 days and makes enough for two cleanings.

Tone Up Tea
1 cup distilled water
1 heaping tablespoon dried green tea leaves
1 heaping tablespoon dried chamomile flowers
1 tablespoon rose hydrosol
1 tablespoon aloe vera gel
3 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
3 teaspoon lemon juice (optional addition for oily skin)

Heat distilled water until boiling. Remove from heat and add green tea and chamomile. Steep for 15 minutes and strain out plant material. Add rose hydrosol, aloe vera and vinegar (and lemon juice, if using) and stir well. Pour into a clean bottle and label. Shake well to ensure the mix. Store in refrigerator for best results and use within 3 weeks.

Aromatic Facial Oil
3 tablespoons jojoba oil
3 tablespoons rose hips seed oil (or 3 tbsp. hazelnut oil for oily skin)
2 drops rose essential oil
3 drops lavender essential oil
2 drops geranium essential oil
2 drops palmarosa essential oil

In a glass bowl or dish, combine oils with essential oils. Stir with a clean pop sickle stick or plastic utensil to combine. Pour into a clean bottle, preferably one with a medicine dropper so you can apply the oil using the dropper. After cleansing and toning, and while skin remains a bit damp, apply a bit of the moisturizer using gentle patting motions. Do not rub the oil into the skin. Rather, just gently pat it onto the skin and it will absorb readily within a few minutes.

Oats & Aloe Exfoliant
1 tablespoon finely ground oats
1 tablespoon finely ground almonds
1 teaspoon honey
1 tablespoon aloe vera gel
Combine ingredients in a bowl and stir until well mixed. Apply to face and neck skin after cleansing and before toner is applied, using gentle circular motions. Rinse well with warm water and gently pat excess moisture from face. Follow with facial mask.

Creamy Facial Mask
2 tablespoons white clay (recommended: kaolin)
3 tablespoons whipping cream
1 tablespoon rose hydrosol

Combine all ingredients together in a bowl and stir until a paste-like consistency is achieved. If mixture is too runny, add a bit more clay and stir. If mixture is not smooth enough, add a bit more hydrosol. Spread over clean face as the step immediately preceding application of facial toner, avoiding eye area and lips. Rest for 10-15 minutes. Rinse with warm, water and pat excess water from face.