The Ultimate Pre Wedding Skin Care Routine for Your Glowing Skin!

Chinar Ghorawat

“Gone are the days when applying haldi and ubtan were every bride’s go-to as a pre wedding skin care routine. The brides of today  understand their skin better and know that the ‘one size fits all’ formula does not work any more. 

So if you’re getting married and don’t know how, when and with what to start your pre bridal skin care routine, you’ve reached the right place. Here’s a step-by-step guide to what’s important and what’s not to bring your inner radiance out on the big day.”

Also read: 30 Bridal Makeup Kit Must Haves: The Ultimate List of Makeup Essentials for Indian Brides!

6 Months in Advance

1. Sweat It Out

If you’re an amateur then start with basic lifestyle changes like walking 10,000 steps a day and slowly build your stamina. Later, move to a more extensive workout. Your workout should comprise of both cardio as well as strength training eventually for the best results. While Walking, Cycling, Dance, or Aerobics are known to be the best form of cardio, HIIT, Yoga or Pilates are the best form of strength training exercise. You can do these at home with gazillion videos, apps and professional help available online.

2. Eat Right

From turning vegan to following fad diets like Keto, Paleo and Atkins and Intermittent fasting , brides of today have way too many options. When it comes to food, best person to tell you what your body will respond to is a nutritionist. So, instead of putting your system through a sudden shock, it is best advisable to visit a nutritionist. Let them guide you through a wellness plan that gives your body and skin what it needs.

3. Visit a Dermat

It is time we bust the myth that every bride needs to get beauty treatments like waxing, body polishing, bleach, etc. The truth is, when two people do not have the same skin, how can the same treatments work for both. Be smart and visit a dermatologist who will examine your skin and suggest the right treatments. With technology advancing as much as it has, there are options of laser facials, PRP (platelet rich plasma), Fractional CO2, etc. These do not just work on the top layer of the skin. They actually work on your skin tissues and cells from deep under. 

3 Months in Advance

1. Cleansing, Toning, Moisturizing

Cleansing is extremely vital to get rid of the dirt, pollution, oil and dead skin cells. It prepares the skin for soaking in nutrients. So use any gentle face wash twice a day to clean your skin using circular motions. Toning before bedtime helps to soothe and calm skin, maintain the pH balance of your skin and tighten your skin pores. So go ahead and buy yourself a toner that is best suited for your skin type. Avoid the ones that have alcohol as one of their main ingredients. Lastly, moisturizing your skin everytime you wash your face helps in replenishing and hydrating the skin . Dry skinned brides should opt for the best non- comedogenic moisturizer for their skin type. Whereas those with combination and oily skin can go for a good water based moisturiser too. 

2. Exfoliate Regularly 

Dead skin can be a major cause for in-grown hair and dull skin. For those that are big on pre wedding skin care at home, home ingredients are a must. Like using sugar granules with a few drops of lemon or honey mixed together to exfoliate their face and body. Even coffee powder mixed with a few drops of coconut oil works beautifully and can help reduce the body cellulite.  

3. Use The Power of Serums

Go a step beyond the ordinary and add skin boosting serums to your skin care. Pay your dermatologist a visit to understand whether Vitamin C, Hyaluronic Acid, Collagen or Retinol is a good addition to your pre bridal skin care and let them suggest what your skin needs. 

1 Month to Go

1. Moisturize Your Skin and Nails

To give it the shine and lustre that you’ve always wanted, olive oil is one of the best home remedies for skin that keeps it moisturized and shiny. 

2. Give Your Hair a Spa at Home

Hair care is an integral part of your pre-bridal care. For which you can use the age-old tricks like applying fenugreek soaked in curd overnight to your hair before a wash to make it soft and lustrous. Or you could even rinse them off with beer for a great shine once  a week and see a remarkable difference till the wedding. 

3. De-Tan at Home

Amidst all the chaos let’s not forget about the damage the sun does to our body. Especially to our summer brides shopping under the scorching heat. So one of the easiest home remedies that brides can follow to de-tan at home is applying squashed tomatoes twice a week on their body for an even looking skin. Another effective tan removal method at home is adding yoghurt/curd to a spoonful of gram flour and applying that thick paste on your body for an easy de-tan. 

4. Ice Your Face

For brides with acne prone skin, break outs or large pores, icing your face once a day would help soothe your skin and minimise the pores. 

2 Weeks To Go

1. Sleep Well

If you could not until now, this is the right time to drop all the stress and get those 8 hours of rest every day.

2. Meditate

Heart Meditation, Alternate Nostril Breathing, Mantra Meditation, and Child’s Pose, Recline Butterfly are some common ways to calm your nerves. If you’re finding it hard to stay calm through the ruckus, embrace a meditation and yoga practice. It will bring a deeper sense of calm into this time of your life. 

3. Cut Back on Sugar & Salt

While sugar is widely known to be an enemy of the skin it doesn’t have to mean giving up desserts. You can start by cutting out on the sugary drinks and soda. Salt, on the other hand,  leads to water retention and bloating. Therefore choosing fresh foods over preserved ones and reading food labels before eating could be a good place to start for your pre wedding skin care routine. 

1 Week To Go

1. Book a Long Salon Appointment

From facial and full body waxing to body polishing and spas, now is the time to spoil yourself silly. But remember to not opt for your bridal services because of hearsay and go for the ones that you need. 

2. Give The Nail Spa a Visit

From different shapes of the nail like square, almond, coffin, etc. to the different types of nail art like gel, acrylic overlay, stick on extensions, and even design ideas like embellishments or sparkle, there’s a lot of research you need to do before stepping into the nail parlour.

3. Stay Indoors

Avoiding the sun and dust a week before the big day seems like the best idea. It helps you avoid breakouts, sun damage, and get that bridal glow in a week.

On the Wedding Day

1. Deep Cleanse and Condition Your Hair

While hairstylists do a magical job with the bride’s hair anyway, deep cleanse and conditioning hydrates and softens hair. It reduces the damages by chemical processing like hair color, perming or chemical straightening around the wedding.

2. Double Cleanse Your Face 

For better penetration, cleansing excess oil and avoiding breakouts, use both a cleansing oil and deep water based cleanser to remove the dirt off of your face.

3. Toner & SPF are key

Apply a toner and top it with a good SPF cream that is not heavy on your skin. Also apply an eye cream to keep your eye area moisturised. 

4. Moisturize with Body Butter

Last but not the least , moisturize your body with a body butter that is smooth and smells great but at the same time does not make your skin feel sticky.

Whether you are an amateur or a pro at skin care routines, this pre bridal skin care plan is sure to add that extra bridal glow to your face. But if you’re someone that believes in staying as natural as possible and prefers home remedies to all your skin problems, then here is what you need to read.

Home Made Remedies for Brides of All Skin Types According to the Season

While times may have changed and technological help available for skin problems might be plenty, there still is nothing more consistent than pre bridal skin care at home. All you need to know for it is the right ingredient for the right skin type and season. And once you’ve done that, you can crack the code to flawless skin with these homemade beauty tips for brides before marriage. So scroll through to look at the most tried and tested home remedies that you’re surely going to love.

For Oily and Acne Prone Skin

1. Winter Care

Draw a balance between nourishing the skin and not making it prone to acne or clogged pores in winters. Some ingredients that work for oily skin in winters include  aloe vera gel, honey, oatmeal. Jojoba oil, etc. While aloe vera gel or jojoba oil is the best night time pre bridal skin care routine, here’s a day time face mask that might also help the brides to keep their skin nourished. 

• Mix half a cup of oatmeal with hot water to make a paste and then add honey to it and apply it on your face. Leave it to dry for 15 mins and then wash it off with lukewarm water and pat dry. This home remedy does not just calm inflammation on the skin but also moisturizes it in a way that absorbs excess oil while still keeping it moist. 

2. Summer Care 

Get rid of the excess oil on the face in the summer. Lemon juice, tomatoes, cucumber, and fuller’s earth are some of our personal favourites that have proven great results for most brides as a pre wedding beauty plan. 

• Apply fuller’s earth mixed with rose water on your face and allow it to dry completely and then wash it off with lukewarm water. This face mask does not just get rid of the excess sebum on the face but also unclogs the pores giving your face a natural oil-free glow. 
• Another cool home remedy is to rub a slice of tomatoes on your face and allow it to dry before washing it off. Tomatoes have antibacterial properties that won’t just clean your pores but also prevent acne a few days before your wedding. 

3. Monsoon Care

While a monsoon wedding might be the trickiest for brides-to-be, a simple formula to healthy glow for brides with oily or acne prone skin is to exfoliate their skin regularly. The best pre wedding skin care products for exfoliation include using coffee, papaya, or baking soda as an ingredient. 

• Take a tablespoon of baking soda and mix it with water. Make a thick and grainy paste and apply it on your face. This scrub does not gently exfoliate your face but also stimulates the growth of new skin cells leading to a healthy glow for your wedding day.

For Dry Skin

1. Winter Care

For brides to save their face from peeling out or looking dull in the winters, the home remedies must include ingredients that help lock moisture. Some of those ingredients that make it look healthy and plump include olive oil, avocado, honey, and shea butter. 

• The richest of all these home remedies for pre bridal skin care routine is an avocado mask. All you have to do is puree half an avocado and mix a few drops of olive oil or honey to it. Then apply it on your face and neck. Wash it with cold water after it dries out. This mask is the best skin care remedy to moisturize the dry skin. It is also an expensive one and therefore makes sense for brides to invest in right before their wedding. 

2. Summer Care

For a summer wedding, all that a bride needs to prep her skin. She needs ingredients that keep it cool and also provide adequate moisture to it. Our personal favourite is the one that uses cucumber and aloe vera gel because they are both skin soothing agents. They also protect the moisture barrier on the skin well too. 

• De-seed a cucumber and grate it into a bowl. Then add some freshly peeled aloe vera gel and mix it together to form a  thick paste. Brides can either apply this paste in the morning or even before going to bed and should let it sit for an hour or two before rinsing it off.

3. Monsoon Care

The humidity during monsoons can cause a lot of troubles for the skin. Here’s a home remedy for bridal skin care that can prove to be effective for all kinds of dry skin problems during the monsoon.

•  Take an egg white and add a spoon of honey and a few drops of honey to it. Mix it and then apply it as a face pack. The honey is effective in moisturizing the dry skin, the lemon acts as a detanner and the egg white helps tighten the skin and minimise pores. Brides must let this face pack stay for 15-20 mins before washing it off. 

For Combination Skin

1. Winter Care

For brides that have oily patches in some areas of their face, here are some tried and tested remedies. These are sure to be a great addition to their pre bridal skin care routine and add to their wedding glow in the winters.

• Mashing a ripe banana with honey and oats into a thick paste and applying it to your face. This is one of the best home remedies for combination skin in winters. It not just moisturizes the face but also absorbs excess sebum from the face. 

2. Summer Care

While the heat can worsen the situation for brides with combination skin, a skin care routine that we swear by for brides with combination skin is one that includes fruits. 

• Fruit enzymes like pineapple and papaya are lifesavers when it comes to combination skin type. They do not just gently exfoliate the skin but also keep it moisturized for much longer. Applying a thick layer of either and keeping it on till it dries is a good winter care regime

3. Monsoon Care

For brides with combination skin getting married in the monsoon season, toning the skin is the key to a healthy and glowing looking face. Here are home remedies that might solve the problem for you. 

• Natural toners like lemon, rose water and green tea are the best toners for combination skin type. They help clean the clogged pores and remove the leftover dirt on the face. So brides can use any of these three as toner before their wedding to see a noticeable difference in their skin. 

We have tried to break down the perfect pre wedding skin care routine for the millennial brides. So here are some tips that we’ve learnt over the years from our WedAbout brides. These tips are important for the perfect results for your big day. So read on for some of the most effective skin care tips that’ll take you a step closer to the perfect skin. 

Pre Wedding Skin Care Tips for the Millennial Brides-To-Be

For Dry Skin

Brides with dry skin often worry too much about moisturizing their skin and forget about the other aspects of skin care. Here are some pre bridal tips that’ll come handy around the wedding. 

• Focus on hydrating the body as much as possible. Do not just focus on moisturizing it on the outside. It is actually a well hydrated body that makes the skin look well nourished for brides on the big day
•  Do not over exfoliate the skin before the big day. It might take away the moisture along with the dead skin cells making your skin look dull

For Oily or Acne Prone Skin

While oily and acne prone skin has demerits of its own, oftentimes brides end up obsessing over it too much. This leads to blunders that do not help the skin problem in any way. 

• You must avoid trying anything new on your skin at least a month before the big day. Oily skin is more prone to reacting with ingredients that lead to acne so don’t take a chance with it
• Eat clean and healthy balanced meals at least 2 weeks prior to the wedding day. Avoiding junk, oily and fried food as much as possible is the key to good skin
• Icing your face once a day would help soothe your skin. It minimises the pores and eventually control the excess sebum on the skin

For Combination Skin

Having combination skin can be tricky but not as long as you keep these skin care tips in mind while your wedding is approaching. 

• Using sunscreen every single day is a must. It protects the skin from both UVA and UVB rays that lead to skin damage
• Keep blotting paper handy to remove excess oil from your face whenever required without ruining your makeup even at your own wedding functions. 
• Use an oil free, non comedogenic moisturizer. They do not make your oily patches worse and rather balance the pH level of the skin

So you think you are ready to take on the journey and prep your pre wedding skin like a pro? Well, we are sure you are.

Tell us in comments what you think of our pre bridal tips and if this step-by-step guide for pre wedding skin care helped you prep for your big day.

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Chinar Ghorawat

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