Dry air, hard sun, heavy odhni, and a function list that runs for days.
Two things define a Marwari or Rajasthani wedding for the skin. The air is dry, and the functions are long. Everything else follows from those two facts.
Lips crack first, usually by day two. Start a plain lip balm three weeks before, not on the day. Foundation grabs at dry patches. If skin is dry, no artist can hide it — she can only smooth it. The scalp gets flaky. Oil the scalp weekly until ten days before, then stop. Eyes get dry under heavy kajal and long function hours.
Rakhdi, borla, nath and heavy earrings sit on the same skin for eight to ten hours. Two real things happen. Metal reactions show up as small red patches at the ear and forehead. And the weight leaves pressure marks. Wear the full set for one hour at your trial — that is when you find out, not on the day.
3 months before: Anything slow — pigmentation, acne, hair fall. Dry weather makes marks look worse, so start early. 6 weeks before: Last strong facial or peel. 3 weeks before: Full jewellery trial, worn for an hour. Also the makeup trial. 10 days before: Last clean-up. Start the lip balm habit if you have not. Pithi day: Shade, water, and no scrubbing afterwards.
Using a strong scrub to remove pithi. Turmeric fades in a day. A hard scrub on hot skin leaves redness that lasts longer than the stain. Wearing the jewellery for the first time on the day. Reactions to metal are common and easy to catch early. Skipping water because the outfit is tight. This is the most common reason a bride feels faint by the third function.
Lip balm from three weeks out. Every night. One-hour jewellery trial, full set. Pithi in the shade.
Let it fade. It usually takes a day or two. Warm water and a soft cloth help; a hard scrub does not, and can leave your skin red on the day it needs to be calm.
A simple moisturiser twice a day, water through the day, and a humidifier in the room if you have one. Layering many new products in the last week usually causes more problems than it solves.