What are Indian weddings without rituals? Rituals make an Indian wedding, and each and every one of it has a reason backing it up, making the event even more beautiful. Along with these rituals comes the importance and meaning of certain colours used during undertaking the wedding vows, and the two most prominent ones have to be vermilion and turmeric.

The turmeric holds a very special place in Indian weddings and an entire day ritual is dedicated to this bright-colored spice. The spice, known for its antibacterial properties, is believed to have ample beautifying properties as well. Face mask recipes involving turmeric or ‘haldi’ is very popular in India, and while the ritual of haldi during a wedding is not that of a beautifying mask, taking a little precaution in adding the right ingredients to your haldi paste can save you from some unwanted skin troubles right before your big day.

   

Hence, it’s imperative that you take into account your skin type before letting the haldi ceremony start where the paste is applied by the members of the family on the couple using mango leaves.

How to identify your Skin type

THE BARE-FACED METHOD

Steps to follow:

1. Cleanse your face with a mild cleanser and pat dry.
2. Do not apply any moisturizers, serums or treatments.
3. Examine your cheeks, chin, nose and forehead for any shine after 30 minutes.
4. Another 30 minutes later, evaluate whether your skin feels parched, especially when smiling or making any other facial expressions.

Results:

• Dry skin – If your skin feels tight.
• Combination skin – If there is noticeable shine on your nose and forehead.
• Oily skin – If there is shine on your cheeks in addition to your forehead and nose.

THE BLOTTING SHEET METHOD

Steps to follow:

1. Gently pat a blotting paper on your face.
2. Hold the sheet up to a source of light to determine how much oil is visible.

Results:

• Dry skin: If the sheet picked up little to no-oil.
• Combination skin: If the blotting sheet reveals oil from the forehead and nose areas.
• Oily skin: If the blotting paper is saturated with oil.

DRY SKIN

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon cream
• 2 teaspoons gram flour
• A pinch of turmeric (Haldi)
• 1 teaspoon sandalwood (Chandan)
• Almond oil or olive oil (optional)

Steps to follow:

1. Take the gram flour (besan), sandalwood powder, cream (malai), and a pinch of turmeric (haldi) powder. If you have very dry skin, you can also add a few drops of almond oil or olive oil.
2. Mix all the ingredients together to form a smooth paste. Make sure that no lumps are formed while you make the paste.

Benefits:

• Cream: Adds back moisture, the required vitamins, and minerals, and makes the skin smooth.
• Gram flour: Besan, or gram flour, is a natural exfoliant that removes dry and dead skin cells, paving the way for fresh skin cells to grow.
• Sandalwood Powder: Enriched with several minerals, it breathes life into the skin and acts as an exfoliator.
• Almond Oil: Removes impurities and dead skin cells.

ACNE PRONE SKIN:

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons of yogurt
• 1 teaspoon of fuller’s earth (multani mitti)
• Rose water
• Turmeric
• Sandalwood powder (optional)

Steps:

1. To prepare this pack, mix yogurt, fuller’s earth (multani mitti), rose water and a pinch of turmeric. You can also add sandalwood powder, as it is an astringent.
2. Mix well to form a smooth paste.

Benefits:

• • Yogurt: The bacteria present in curd, when applied to the face, fights and kills the bacteria that causes acne.
  • Fuller’s Earth/Multani Mitti: It contains essential minerals like quartz, magnesium, calcium, iron, silica, dolomite, and calcite, which improve the condition of your skin.
  • Rose water: Contains anti-inflammatory properties that soothe irritated and dry skin.

Sandalwood Powder: Enriched with several minerals, it breathes life into the skin and acts as an exfoliator.

OILY SKIN:

Ingredients:

• Sandalwood powder
• Turmeric powder
• Rose water

Steps:

• Add the sandalwood powder and a pinch of turmeric powder to a bowl.
• Combine all of them and make a paste by adding rose water.

Benefits:

• Sandalwood Powder: Enriched with several minerals, it breathes life into the skin and acts as an exfoliator.
• Rose water: Contains anti-inflammatory properties that soothe irritated and dry skin.

SENSITIVE SKIN:

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoon fuller’s earth
• 1 teaspoon yogurt
• 1/2 teaspoon aloe vera gel
• Turmeric powder

Steps:

1. Take fuller’s earth (multani mitti), yogurt, fresh aloe vera gel, and a pinch of turmeric powder.
2. Mix them well to form a smooth paste.
3. If you do not have an aloe vera plant at home, you can also use the aloe vera gel available in the market. However, fresh gel is way better than commercially packaged products.

Benefits:

• Aloe Vera: It contains antioxidant properties that help to smoothen out skin battling with rashes, burns, and irritation.
• Yogurt: The bacteria present in curd, when applied to the face, fights and kills the bacteria that causes acne.
• Fuller’s Earth/Multani Mitti: It contains essential minerals like quartz, magnesium, calcium, iron, silica, dolomite, and calcite that improve the condition of your skin.

 

If you are planning a wedding and looking for a venue for your haldi ceremony, The Tamarind Tree offers the best haldi venue in Bangalore.