"Trust your intuition, not the trends," says Dr Kiran Sethi decoding the ultimate bridal skincare routine

At a time when a slew of AM/PM skincare regimes entailing multiple products are dominating our social media feeds, it’s crucial to remember that not all skin types welcome the same combination of magic potions. No matter how ‘glassy’ someone’s skin may appear online, every complexion has its unique needs. With the pressure to look your absolute best on your wedding day, one tends to use a as many products as they can lay their hands on. Breaking the cycle of overcomplicated skincare, Dr Kiran Sethi, the founder of Isya Aesthetics, elucidates the need to listen to your skin and go back to the basics. The key to healthy, glowing skin is simpler than you might think: listen to your skin—and your dermatologist.

We decided to ditch recommendation lists and aesthetic reels and instead turned to Dr Kiran Sethi. Providing us with a timeless scripture for every bride (and even the casual skincare enthusiast) to swear by, she placed all her bets on the holy trinity of cleanser-moisturiser-sunblock. “The easiest way to understand your skin’s needs is by consulting a doctor,” she says. “But for those who don’t have that luxury, simplify it. Choose a cleanser, moisturiser, and sunscreen that match your skin type and local climate. Once that’s in place, address specific concerns. Always segment by skin type first and then by concern.”

Simplify
When asked to extend this myntra to a pre-bridal regimen, she explained, “Always start with gentle cleansing. For normal, healthy skin, a micellar water, a cream cleanser or a milk cleanser should be your go-to options. If you're not acne prone, I'd suggest incorporating vitamin C. If you are, then Coenzyme Q10 or Resveratrol would be better choices, followed by a light moisturiser and sunblock. That’s where I would leave it because you don’t need much—you just need your skin to sit nicely under the makeup.”

Touching on the complexity of skincare routines, the author of Skin Sense elaborated, “You don’t need ten different actives or ten different serums—that’s just too complicated. I think three to four steps in the morning and night are more than enough.” She elaborates, “The most important step is identifying your skin type. For instance, some people simply aren't meant for retinols—they’re just not your skin’s friend.” When asked about the growing trend of makeup-skincare hybrids, she advised, “Do your skincare and do your makeup, but always keep them separate, you’ll see better results.”

Facials
Beyond the beautiful packaging and enticing formulations, the right approach to facials is intuitive. “Brides are my expertise,” said Dr Sethi, who has worked with them for nearly two decades. “Facials are specific, concern-based treatments, whether it’s for acne, pigmentation, dryness, etc. Your primary goal is to keep your skin smooth and healthy. Makeup can hide pigmentation, but it can’t hide acne.” She swore by a pragmatic three-tier approach: choose something that evens your skin tone, lasts for a few months, and then addresses your specific skin concerns.

Post wedding

After the wedding comes the post-wedding celebrations; honeymoon, family dinners, and what not. And skincare can easily fall by the wayside. “Look for natural moisturisers with ingredients like Allantoin, to replenish your skin because it will be dehydrated after the events”, said Dr Sethi. “For excessively dry skin, consider SOS options like slugging and snail mucin masks that are excellent for boosting your hydration.”

Tips
“Avoid heavy coverage makeup and don't forget to double cleanse it off. Thirdly, opt for products that reduce oil secretion such as niacinamide, a certain clay, and salicylic acid. Lastly but most importantly, watch your diet”. With the stress of carrying out the wedding properly and managing multiple things at the same time, your lifestyle and diet are already exacerbated. “With the stress taking over, your hormones are already in a tizzy. So go back to the basics. Sleep well, drink coconut water, squeeze in a light workout and so on. This will help in preventing acne. You should also stay away from dairy and high glycemic foods. Zinc supplements can also help prevent breakouts. Another natural remedy is spearmint tea, try drinking it three times a day.”

Mens skincare
The pursuit of a flawless skin transcends gender. While the science behind breakouts is the same for men and women, the solutions often differ. “Don’t borrow your fiancée’s or your mom’s products,” explained Dr Sethi. “Men don’t need as much moisturiser—their skin tends to be oilier. They also don’t need as many products.” She added, “Beard care often gets overly complicated. I usually advise men to cut out a lot of beard-care products. When shaving, make sure to go in the direction of hair growth. Skip the beard oils, you’re just inviting acne.”

Also Read: #BridalSchedule with Dr Kiran Sethi—How to prevent skincare emergencies before your wedding day

Also Read: Everything you need to include in your pre-wedding diet—it starts three months in advance