Experts Share the Ultimate Skin Care Routine for Brides-to-be

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In an inundated market with innumerable beauty products that promise to deliver miraculous results, finding the best skincare routine to achieve that perfect acne-free, dark spot-free, glass-like glowing, supple skin on your wedding day can be a daunting task. While you have your hands completely full with your wedding planning lessons, leave the basic skincare routine research on us! 

With the expert inputs of Shahnaz Husain - the pioneer of herbal skincare in India, renowned Dermatologist Dr. Mikki Singh and Amritha Gaddam - Founder of the Ayurvedic skincare brand, The Tribe Concepts; we have curated a step by step skincare routine for all skin types.

Skin Care Routine for Dry Skin 

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The secret of good skin lies in women's beauty kits and their natural skincare routine. Good skin demands nourishing, care and time. If your wedding is round the corner and you are tired of moisturizing your skin innumerable times a day to avoid constant itching and dry flakes, follow the steps suggested by Amritha Gaddam below and take good care of your dry skin. 

Q. The Detailed Facial Care Process for Brides-to-be Who Have Dry Skin

Morning Skincare Routine:

• Start the day with a nice detox warm water. Move on to washing your face with a gentle cleanser, preferably one which is chemical-free. Pat dry your skin instead of scrubbing with a towel. The Tribe Concepts has a beautiful Face Brightening Daily Cleanser, which cleanses your face without drying it and lends an even-toned glow from the first wash.
• Move on to the next step, which is toning. You can use Rose water toners readily available in the market or even make one yourself with a blend of green tea. Mist your face generously.
• A proper winter skincare step-by-step routine involves good moisturizing since the skin tends to become taut and dry. Use a good moisturizer that is cream-based to combat the dryness.

Night Skincare Routine:

• Night routine is essentially the same as day, except instead of cream-based moisturizer, we highly recommend incorporating a facial oil like The Tribe Concepts 24k Kumkumadi Thailamin into your routine. You can massage with your fingertips or a jade roller/Gua sha to induce circulation, which is much required for the pre-bridal glow.
• Masking: One of the most important aspects of facial skincare at home is incorporating a good Mask+Scrub routine irrespective of the season. Ensure you use a mask not more than twice a week with an excellent powder-based mask that can act as a scrub, so you don't have to stress your skin with additional scrubbing. The Tribe Concepts Exotic Face Glow mask perfectly retains the moisture barrier and imparts an even-toned glow. 

Dermatologist Dr. Mikki Singh shares,

• Use a soap-free face wash or cleanser to wash your face, use a thick moisturizer to nourish it, and use sunblock to avoid pigmentation. These are the three mandatory and straightforward steps you need to take to fight dry skin.
• Do not wash your face with hot water as that pulls away from the moisture from your skin.
• Adding hyaluronic acid to your regime would be a good idea if you have dehydrated skin.
• Using a moisturizer two to three times a day would be good. Post washing your face, pat dry it with a towel and apply moisturizer.
• Using cream as opposed to a lotion would be a better bet. During winters, it is advised not to use astringents or toners as it dries out the skin. 

Also Read - Organic Skin Care Routines for Different Skin Types

Q. How to Take Care of Dry Skin in This Season?

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Amritha Gaddam suggests:

• One of the best ways to combat dry skin in the winters is to keep it moisturized and hydrated. Using natural ingredients instead of soap during bath protects the skin from chemical-based damages and harshness.
• Ubtan Body Cleanser by The Tribe Concepts is an excellent substitute for soap as it is organic and offers the natural benefits of 11 Ayurvedic ingredients. It is extremely effective and nourishing for your skin, making it soft, even-toned, and moisturized.
• While taking a bath with hot water is extremely comforting during winters, one must avoid it. Instead, opt for lukewarm water as it helps to retain the natural oils in the skin.

- Tips to heal chapped knee/elbow and cracked heels in this season - 

• Do not use very hot or warm water to take a bath. Adding a teaspoon or two olive oil to your water while taking a bath can help keep the skin moisturized. Do not rub the moisture out of the skin as the knee, elbow, and heels are sensitive. Pat dry the body and apply moisturizer at least three to four times a day, depending on the level of dryness.  
• No product works better than pure coconut oil for cracked feet, discolored and chapped joints. The Extra Virgin Coconut Oil by The Tribe Concepts is extremely non-greasy and works like a charm, and will become a winter buddy in your vanity.
• Another solution is to scrub your feet with warm water and a pumice stone. It helps remove dead skin and dirt. Follow this up by applying a thick cream or oil on the cracked heels. You can even seal it with socks, and voila! Your feet are crack-free.

Also Read - Best Homemade Face Packs for Dry Skin 

Skin Care Routine for Sensitive Skin 

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If you are a bride-to-be with sensitive skin who is currently sailing through various markets of your city for trousseau shopping, taking measures to combat allergies, keeping your skin safe from pollution, and being extra careful when your skin comes in contact with various fabrics and chemicals must be a familiar story for you. Shahnaz Husain helps us curate a guide on caring for your sensitive skin. 

Q. The Detailed Facial Care Process for Brides-to-be Who Have Sensitive Skin

• For your daily facial skincare routine, cleanse your skin twice a day. Nighttime cleansing is more important to remove pollutants and makeup before bedtime. So, cleanse the skin daily at night and rinse well with plenty of plain water. Use lukewarm water.
• If you have normal to dry sensitive skin, use a cleansing cream or gel. Or, take half a cup of cold milk and add five drops of any vegetable oil (til, olive, or sunflower oil). Put this in a bottle and shake well. Use cotton to clean the skin with this natural mixture. Keep the left-over mix in the fridge and re-use it later. 
• If your sensitive skin is oily, use a cleansing lotion or face wash. Oily skins also need deep pore cleansing. Mix rice powder with curd and apply on the face once or twice a week. Rub gently with small circular movements and wash off with water. Ready-to-use scrubs are also readily available. During the winter season, oily skin may be prone to blackheads. It would be best to opt for regular clean-ups in a beauty salon to get rid of blackheads. 
• The daily nourishing of ordinary to dry skin can be done at night with a nourishing cream. After cleansing, apply a good cream (that has proven to suit your skin) and massage on the face with a few drops of water, with outward and slightly upward movements, for 2 minutes. Wipe off with moist cotton wool.
• Mix three teaspoons oats with curd, honey, and egg white or rose water for oily or combination sensitive skin. Mix everything into a paste and apply it on the face, avoiding your lips and the area around your eyes. Wash it off after 20 minutes.
• The skin around the eyes is thin and delicate. It acquires lines and wrinkles quickly. Apply an under-eye cream wipe it off after 15 minutes with moist cotton wool. Or, daily, apply pure almond oil sparingly and massage lightly, using only the ring finger, for one minute under each eye. Massage in one direction only.

Also Read - Experts Dispel Myths About Dusky Skin

Skin Care Routine for Oily Skin 

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Oily skin can be the most challenging skin type to manage, regardless of your wedding season. The constant secretion of oil can lead to breakouts and dark spots that have the potential to ruin your whole look. Dermatologist Dr. Mikki Singh and Shahnaz Hussain share tips to control the oil on your face and body. 

Q. The Detailed Facial Care Process for Brides-to-be Who Have Oily Skin

Dermatologist Dr. Mikki Singh shares -

• Whether summer or winter, the idea is to reduce the oil being secreted. The best way to start is to use the right cleanser. A glycolic acid cleanser will reduce the oil on the face, and washing your face two to three times would be a good idea if your skin is too oily.
• In winter, people tend to use a thick moisturizer. However, with oily skin, it is better to use a mild moisturizer. It is better to avoid serums and oils and apply a gentle lotion like Rheacalm.  This is a perfect product for oily skin, or even if you have sensitive skin, it works wonders. When you use this product, it is mild on the skin, and breakouts that happen on oily skin are significantly less. It would be a good idea to use and cleanse your face with water-based products when you’re using a lot of makeup which brides usually do due to multiple functions.
• Usage of oil-free, non-comedogenic, and water-based products can be beneficial. Micellar water to remove your makeup would be a good idea, and then it is ideal for washing the face and nourishing the face with a mild moisturiser. 

- Tips for Brides With Acne Marks and Breakouts

The last thing a bride-to-be wants is breakouts during the wedding. You should permanently remove makeup before you go to sleep, no matter how tired you are! Cleansing your face and nourishing it with a moisturizer are steps that you cannot miss if you want to remove acne marks. Most brides use a lot of concealers to cover up their acne and scars, so be very careful as primers and concealers are two makeup products that can suddenly break out into acne. Use the right makeup so that you don’t see breakouts closer to the wedding.

Q. How to Take Care of Oily Skin in This Season?

Shahnaz Husain shares, "In winter, the skin of the body also needs nourishing with oils. In the bygone days, 'ubtan' was made at home for skincare. First, the body was massaged with til oil. Then homemade ubtan was applied. This usually consisted of Wheat Bran (choker), gram flour (besan), yogurt (Dahi) or cream of milk (malai), and a pinch of Turmeric (Haldi). All these were mixed and applied to the face and body before bathing. The “ubtan” was washed off after half an hour while bathing. It helped clear the skin of dead cells, leaving it smooth, bright, and almost translucent. 

Another ideal way is to tie ingredients in a clean cloth, wet the fabric slightly, and then rub the cloth bag on the skin while bathing. Mix powdered milk, ground almonds (badaam), rice powder, and rose petals. The ingredients work on your skin, gently cleansing it and leaving it soft, smooth, and vibrant. It also leaves the body naturally perfumed and as smooth as silk."

Have more questions about your pre-wedding skincare routine? Head to the 'Beauty section' of our Community page and post a discussion with all your questions. We will get back to you with expert-approved tips for your skincare.