16/04/2025

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Renting wedding dress cheaper than buying

Three natural beauty ingredients for fresh, glowing appearance CARROT, coffee grounds and a touch of calendula: these three natural ingredients can be used in treatments aimed to revitalise skin that has suffered the effects of dry conditions. From deep cleansing to redness reduction and promoting a radiant complexion, here are three steps to perking up skin for a freshened new look. Gently exfoliate with coffee grounds Revitalising your skin involves deep cleansing, and therefore, regular exfoliation to get rid of dead skin cells that build up. A budget-friendly, accessible aid for this process is coffee grounds. Not only do they help refine skin texture to make it smoother, softer and more radiant, without stripping it too harshly, but they also absorb sebum. Since they are rich in caffeine, they can give a real boost to the eye area, diminishing puffiness and dark circles to make way for skin that is radiant with vitality and health. Plus, it will not cost you a thing, since the grounds from your coffee maker were probably destined to be thrown out anyway. An Carrots are not only a healthy, tasty vegetable to crunch on, they also give your skin that healthy glow it needs after being exposed to dry weather and helps it prepare for exposure to sunnier days. Rich in vitamin A, carrots are known to provide many benefits to the skin, including a healthy glowing complexion and long-lasting radiance – highly desirable if your skin has been deprived of sunlight. Carrots also promote tanning and thanks to their antioxidant properties, they prevent skin aging. Soothe redness with calendula The fluctuating temperatures that come with seasonal transitions can promote skin issues, resulting in redness or blemishes, for example. Therefore, it is also important to use ingredients rich in soothing active ingredients, such as calendula, as it calms all types of irritation, leaving skin soft and soothed. Calendula also has reparative properties that allow the skin to heal more easily. Add it to your skin detox routine to greet spring with a fresher face. excellent way to recycle waste. Boost skin glow with carrots

I S it possible to tie the knot without harming the planet? Since the pandemic, weddings have been reinventing themselves with all kinds of green solutions, including wedding dresses. More initiatives are emerging to enable future brides and grooms to celebrate their special day while reducing their impact on the environment. Faced with climate crisis, weddings – whether religious, civil or secular – are being transformed to take into account their environmental impact. While these changes are affecting all aspects of preparation for the big day, outfits and wedding dresses are becoming key symbols of this changing approach. As such, rental services, buying second-hand and upcycling are three ways to make a bridal wardrobe greener. Rent, do not buy Considering a wedding dress is usually worn only once in a lifetime, it is probably the least eco-friendly item in anyone’s wardrobe. Abandoned in a slipcase at the back of a closet after the big day, it effectively becomes a souvenir that gets recalled with every spring-clean. But, is this necessary at a time when people are trying to make an effort to reduce their carbon footprint? Clothing rental is a good way to avoid this kind of waste. While this alternative has been slow to catch on with users, it is gaining ground. According to a study by Market Data Forecast, relayed by Fevad, the global online clothing rental market could grow by 10.6% a year between now and 2027. Evening and formal wear are among the most popular rental items. And for good reason, this alternative allows you to treat yourself to an exceptional piece without breaking the bank, all while minimising your impact on the planet. “If you only need to wear your outfit once, consider renting it. Today’s offers for renting formal wear (even from major brands) are o Sustainable practices make presence felt in modern-day nuptials

wide-ranging and accessible at all price points. In the French Agency for Ecological Transition, Ademe’s guide to eco-friendly weddings advised it is much cheaper than buying new. Shop second-hand There are countless platforms specialising in second-hand clothing – such as eBay. Not to mention the brands and e-commerce platforms that have launched their own pre-loved clothing resale services. It is undoubtedly the green alternative that is gaining the most traction today, as evidenced by figures published by thredUP, in partnership with analysis firm GlobalData. This data suggested the global pre-loved fashion market is set to double by 2027, to reach US$350 billion (RM1.54 trillion), demonstrating the public’s growing enthusiasm for this more responsible solution. Of course, weddings are no exception, even if people have long preferred to buy new to enjoy a unique and personal piece on their big day. Wedding dresses can be found on all the above-mentioned platforms, but some specialist players have also entered this niche. So, it is important to do your homework before taking the plunge. Ademe said: “For those looking for a more sustainable approach, explore the treasures of second-hand, where each piece tells a unique story.” Donating your dress is also a possibility, as one American woman from Ohio did in 2022, causing a stir on social media. One dress, multiple possibilities If, despite everything, you do not want a piece that has already been worn, this third solution might appeal to you. Today, it is possible to buy a wedding dress that will not end up in a closet, but which can be worn again, every day. This trend is being driven by the visionary spirit of fashion brands and even more so of the major labels specialising in bridal wear. Many of them now offer the possibility of transforming your wedding dress into a more casual piece after the big day. One example is Nadia Manjarrez, which markets versatile, modular dresses with details such as trains, skirts, capes and sleeves that can be detached for everyday wear after

Rental services, buying second-hand and upcycling are three ways to make a bridal wardrobe greener. the event. Meanwhile, Pronovias launched its “Second Life” service in 2022, offering a special collection designed to be transformed into pieces that can be worn for other specific occasions or simple evenings out after your wedding. All these solutions bear witness to the bridal fashion industry’s desire to reinvent to make these special days altogether greener. – ETX Studio

Synthetic human skin could replace animal testing SCIENTISTS have developed a form of 3D-printed human skin, incorporating living cells. The idea is to be able to use it for pharmaceutical and cosmetic testing rather than using animals, as is still currently the case. help reduce or even eliminate the need for animal testing in the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries. This is the main objective of this innovation, to provide an ethical and reliable alternative to animal testing. Animal testing is used, in particular, to assess the toxicity of nanoparticles present in products such as sunscreens.

Researchers at the Graz University of Technology in Austria and the Vellore Institute of Technology in India have succeeded in developing a synthetic imitation of human skin that could prevent the need for animal testing. This artificial skin faithfully reproduces the three-dimensional structure and biomechanical properties of real epidermis. This is due to a clever mix of human cells and specially formulated hydrogel – a jelly-like material composed mainly of water and polymers forming a kind of “net” capable of retaining the liquid and promoting the proliferation of other cells. At this stage, the first 3D-printed skin samples are ready for nanoparticle testing. If they are successful, this breakthrough could

While cosmetic testing on animals is now banned in many countries – including in the European Union, Canada, Australia and Brazil – the testing of pharmaceutical products is still permitted, although it is often regulated. In the European Union, these tests are intended to assess the toxicity of the drug, safety of use and its potential effectiveness. These tests precede the clinical trial phases on humans. It is strongly advised to use alternative methods when they exist, to minimise the number of animals used and to improve procedures in order to limit the suffering of animals. – ETX Studio

While cosmetic testing on animals is now banned in many countries, the testing of pharmaceutical products is still permitted. – ALL PICS FROM PEXELS

Carrots, coffee grounds and calendule are holy grails of the skin detox routine.