Durga Puja 2026 runs from Shashthi on Saturday 17 October to Bijoya Dashami on Wednesday 21 October, and Mahalaya falls on 10 October. If you want your skin to look good through five days of pandal visits, photos and late nights, the treatment you pick matters less than when you book it.
This guide is written for people in Kolkata who are reading it in the first week of October. It covers which treatment suits which skin, how many days before Puja each one is safe, what to skip in the final days, and what it costs at our Ballygunge and Gariahat clinics.
- The short answer
- Your Puja skin calendar
- Which treatment for which skin
- How many days before is safe?
- The last 3 days
- Keeping your skin together in Kolkata's October humidity
- De-tan facial or peel?
- What it costs
- Mistakes we see before every festival
- A simple 2-week home routine
- If your skin is oily, dry, sensitive or acne-prone
- Puja makeup that lasts the night
- FAQ
The short answer
Book a carbon peel or chemical peel at least 8 to 10 days before Shashthi, a BB Glow at least 7 days before, and a HydraFacial 4 to 6 days before. Do nothing new in the last 3 days. Most people need one or two of these, not all of them. Start with the one that matches your skin type in the next section.
Your Puja skin calendar
Shashthi is on 17 October, so the dates below count back from that day.
| Date | Days to Shashthi | Do this | Why this slot |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 to 8 Oct | 9 to 10 | Carbon peel or light chemical peel | Gives skin a week to settle if you flake or feel sensitive. |
| 9 to 10 Oct | 7 to 8 | BB Glow, if you want it | Micro-needling can leave mild redness for a day or two. |
| 11 to 13 Oct | 4 to 6 | HydraFacial | No downtime, and the glow shows within a few days. |
| 14 to 16 Oct | 1 to 3 | Nothing new. Hydrate, wear SPF, sleep | Anything new now risks a reaction on day one of Puja. |
| 17 to 21 Oct | Puja | Gentle cleanse, moisturiser, SPF, blotting paper | Keep it simple, skin is already doing its job. |
If you are reading this later than 7 October, skip any row that has already passed. A HydraFacial is still safe up to about 3 days before. A peel is not a good idea inside the last week.
Which treatment for which skin
The three treatments below do different jobs. Choosing by skin type saves you money and a bad reaction.
| Carbon peel | HydraFacial | BB Glow | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Oily skin, open pores, dullness, light tan | Dry, tired or dehydrated skin | Uneven tone, wanting a soft blurred base look |
| What it feels like | Carbon lotion on the skin, then laser passes | Cleansing, exfoliation, extraction, hydration in about 45 minutes | Micro-needling with a tinted serum |
| Downtime | Little to none for most people | None | Mild redness for 1 to 2 days |
| Book by | 8 to 10 days before | 4 to 6 days before | 7 or more days before |
| Starting price | INR 3,990 | INR 2,990 | INR 2,990 |
You can read the full treatment details on our carbon peel treatment in Kolkata page, our HydraFacial in Kolkata page, and the BB Glow page.
How many days before is safe?
People usually ask this about one event, so here are the common cases.
- Facial for the party or puja night itself: a HydraFacial is the lowest-risk option, since it has no downtime. Do it 3 to 6 days before, not on the same day.
- Peel: at least 8 to 10 days before, because peeling and sensitivity can show up in the first few days.
- Micro-needling treatments: at least 7 days before, since redness and a slight tight feeling are normal early on.
- Threading, waxing and bleaching the face: keep these 2 to 3 days away from any peel or HydraFacial, and do not stack them on the same day.
These are general windows. Skin that is reactive, recently sunburnt, acne-prone or on strong actives may need longer gaps, which is something we check at the consultation.
The last 3 days
The skin you take to Shashthi is the skin you have on the 14th. Anything that changes it in the last three days is a gamble.
- No new treatments, including facials from a salon you have not tried before.
- No new serums, acids or face packs. Use only what you already know your skin tolerates.
- No face waxing, and be careful with threading if your skin is still sensitive after a peel.
- SPF 30 or higher every morning. A peel makes skin more sensitive to the sun for several days.
Keeping your skin together in Kolkata's October humidity
October in Kolkata is warmer and more humid than most festive skincare guides assume, and you will be outdoors for hours. A few habits help more than any extra product.
- Use a gel or lightweight moisturiser under makeup. Heavy creams tend to slide in the heat.
- Carry blotting paper and blot oily areas instead of layering more powder through the evening.
- Keep base makeup thin. Thick foundation looks cakey after a few hours of sweat and flash photography.
- Remove makeup properly every night, even when you get home at 2 am. Sleeping in makeup is a common reason for a breakout in the middle of Puja.
De-tan facial or peel?
Many people search for a de-tan before Puja after months of monsoon travel and sun. A de-tan facial works on the surface and is gentler. A carbon peel goes a little deeper into pores and dullness. Neither fixes deep or stubborn pigmentation in one visit, and if you have patches that have been there for months, a short treatment course after the festival is a better plan than rushing it now. We cover that in our post-monsoon pigmentation guide, published later this month.
What it costs
| Treatment | Starting price at TPBC |
|---|---|
| Chemical peel | INR 1,990 |
| HydraFacial | INR 2,990 |
| BB Glow | INR 2,990 |
| Carbon peel | INR 3,990 |
Final cost depends on your skin and the add-ons you choose, such as boosters with a HydraFacial. Ask for current festive offers at Ballygunge or Gariahat, because offers change and are confirmed when you book.
Mistakes we see before every festival
- Booking everything in the last 48 hours because the calendar suddenly feels short.
- Doing a strong peel and a new vitamin C serum in the same week.
- Skipping sunscreen because the day looks cloudy.
- Picking at peeling skin, which can leave marks that outlast the festival.
A simple 2-week home routine
Treatments help, but the daily routine decides whether the result lasts through five days of walking, sweating and sleeping late. Keep it short.
| Time | Step | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Morning | Gentle cleanser, light moisturiser, SPF 30 or higher | Protects skin from the October sun and keeps it from drying out. |
| Night | Remove makeup and sunscreen fully, cleanse, moisturise | Clean skin heals and recovers faster, especially after a late night. |
| Twice a week | Hydrating mask or a gentle exfoliation, not both on the same day | Too much exfoliation before an event can make skin red and shiny. |
| Every day | Drink water, eat normally, sleep when you can | It sounds basic, and skin shows it when you skip it. |
Do not overhaul your routine in the same fortnight as a treatment. The fewer things you change, the easier it is to know what caused a reaction if one happens.
If your skin is oily, dry, sensitive or acne-prone
- Oily skin: a carbon peel suits oily skin with open pores. Use a light gel moisturiser and keep blotting paper in your bag.
- Dry skin: a HydraFacial is a better fit than a peel. Keep moisturiser handy because heat and air conditioning dry skin out through the night.
- Sensitive skin: avoid peels close to the festival, patch test any new product, and tell us about past reactions at the consultation.
- Acne-prone skin: do not squeeze pimples in the last week, because marks last longer than the festival. If you have active breakouts, a gentle plan is better than an aggressive one. Our chemical peel page explains when peels help acne.
Puja makeup that lasts the night
Even great skin looks tired under heat and flash if makeup is heavy. A few practical rules from what holds up in Kolkata weather:
- Use a primer or a light moisturiser, then a thin layer of base, only where you need coverage.
- Set only the T-zone with powder, and leave cheeks natural so skin does not look flat.
- Choose waterproof eye makeup, and carry a small touch-up kit instead of reapplying everything.
- For long-lasting lips and brows without touch-ups, ask us about lip blush and microblading.
If you are unsure what suits your skin, book a quick consultation and tell us the date of your first big event. We will tell you honestly if the timeline is too short for a treatment, and suggest a safer option.