Vitamin C: A Must-Have in Your Pre-Wedding Skincare and Wellness Routine

Picture this: it’s peak shaadi season in Pakistan. Your calendar is packed with dholki, mayoun, mehndi, baraat, walima – and a random qawwali night someone just added on the family WhatsApp group. You’re trying to juggle parlor appointments, dress fittings, last-minute cousins flying in, and of course, the emotional meltdowns that come with desi weddings. In the middle of all this chaos, your skin decides to break out, your energy plummets, and you wake up with a sore throat right before your mehndi. Nightmare, right?

This is exactly where one underrated hero can quietly transform your pre-wedding routine from “stressed and exhausted” to “glowing and energised”: vitamin C.

Why Vitamin C Matters?

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is a water-soluble vitamin that your body cannot make on its own. That means you must get it from food or supplements. It plays crucial roles in:

• Collagen production (for firm, plump, youthful skin)
• Protection against free radicals and oxidative stress
• Immune system support
• Iron absorption
• Wound healing and tissue repair
• Reducing tiredness and fatigue

Research consistently shows that vitamin C is involved in hundreds of bodily processes, particularly related to skin health, immunity, and antioxidant defence. (Note: citations below will refer to specific studies.)

Adding it to your prewedding routine means better skin, stronger immunity, more energy, and faster recovery – all the things you desperately need when every day has a function, and every photo ends up on Instagram.

Benefit 1: Brighter, More Even Skin Tone for Your Big Day

One of the most popular uses of vitamin C is for brightening the skin and reducing uneven tone and dullness.

1. Antioxidant protection
Your skin is constantly exposed to pollution, UV rays, and stress – all of which create free radicals, unstable molecules that damage skin cells and speed up ageing. Vitamin C acts as a powerful antioxidant, neutralising these free radicals and protecting your skin from oxidative stress. Research shows that vitamin C in the skin significantly reduces oxidative damage caused by UV exposure and environmental pollutants.

2. Reducing pigmentation and dark spots
Vitamin C interferes with the enzyme tyrosinase, which plays a key role in melanin production (the pigment that gives skin its colour). By slowing down this enzyme, vitamin C can help reduce dark spots, acne marks, and patchy pigmentation, leading to a more even skin tone. Clinical data support the use of topical vitamin C in reducing hyperpigmentation and improving overall brightness.

3. Supporting collagen for a smoother texture
When collagen levels are healthier, your skin looks smoother, firmer, and more even. Vitamin C is essential for collagen synthesis (more on that below), which indirectly improves texture and radiance.

In the busy wedding season, you are likely to sleep less, wear heavy makeup for hours, spend time under strong lights and camera flashes, and run around in heat, dust, and pollution. All of this can make skin look dull, tired, and uneven. By supporting antioxidant defence and helping to improve pigmentation, vitamin C can help you achieve that “bridal glow” – not just from facials and makeup, but from within.

Benefit 2: Firmer, Plumper Skin Through Collagen Support

We all hear about collagen in skincare ads, but vitamin C is actually one of the key nutrients required for your body to make collagen properly.

Collagen is a structural protein that keeps skin firm, bouncy, and youthful. Vitamin C acts as a cofactor for enzymes called prolyl and lysyl hydroxylase, which are needed to stabilise and cross-link collagen fibres. Without enough vitamin C, collagen formation is disturbed, and the skin becomes weaker and more prone to fine lines and sagging.

Research reports that vitamin C deficiency impairs collagen synthesis and connective tissue support, affecting skin, blood vessels, and wound healing.

In the weeks and months leading up to your wedding, your skin is under stress from repeated makeup application and removal, possible salon treatments like facials, scrubs, and waxing, and lack of sleep and dehydration. By making sure your body has enough vitamin C, you are literally helping it build and maintain stronger, healthier collagen. 

Benefit 3: Stronger Immunity to Survive Every Function

What’s the point of the perfect bridal outfit and flawless makeup if you wake up with a sore throat and body aches on your main events? With back-to-back functions, late-night mehndis, and endless food tasting, your immune system needs extra support.

Vitamin C supports immunity in multiple ways:

1. Helps immune cells function properly
Vitamin C accumulates in high concentrations in immune cells like phagocytes and T-cells, helping them respond better to infections.

2. Enhances skin and mucosal barriers
Your skin and the lining of your mouth, nose, and gut are the first barriers against germs. Vitamin C supports collagen formation and antioxidant defence in these barriers, making them more resilient.

3. Reduces the severity and duration of colds
A large review of controlled trials has shown that regular vitamin C supplementation can reduce the duration of common cold symptoms and may reduce severity, especially in people under physical stress.

Vitamin C can be part of your immunity armour, so you can actually enjoy each event instead of swallowing painkillers and cough syrups backstage.

Benefit 4: More Energy and Less Fatigue in a Hectic Wedding Schedule

You might not think of vitamin C as an “energy vitamin”, but indirectly, it plays a role in reducing tiredness and supporting energy metabolism.

1. Involved in carnitine synthesis
Vitamin C is required to produce carnitine, a compound that helps transport fatty acids into mitochondria (the “power houses” of our cells) to be used as fuel. Without adequate carnitine, fatigue and low energy can occur more easily.

2. Supporting iron absorption
Vitamin C enhances the absorption of non-heme iron (the type of iron found in plant foods) from the gut. Iron is essential for haemoglobin, which carries oxygen in your blood. Low iron can contribute to fatigue and weakness. Studies show that vitamin C taken along with iron significantly improves iron absorption, especially from plant sources.

3. Reducing oxidative stress
When oxidative stress is high, your cells “waste” more energy repairing damage. By neutralising free radicals, vitamin C helps reduce this burden, potentially helping you feel less drained.

Supporting energy metabolism and iron absorption with vitamin C can contribute to feeling more awake, active, and present during all your celebrations – instead of yawning through your own wedding events.

Benefit 5: Faster Wound Healing and Recovery from Beauty Treatments

From eyebrow threading and waxing to facials, exfoliation, and maybe even minor dermatological procedures before the big day, your skin is going through a lot. Vitamin C plays a critical role in all phases of wound healing:

• Inflammatory phase: helps control oxidative stress at the site of injury
• Proliferative phase: essential for collagen synthesis, which rebuilds tissue
• Remodelling phase: helps strengthen and stabilise the new tissue

Research shows that vitamin C deficiency is associated with poor wound healing, and supplementation can support better recovery.

Vitamin C can support your body’s natural healing process so that your skin recovers faster and better. It won’t magically erase every mark overnight, but it helps ensure your body has the raw material it needs to repair itself efficiently.

Benefit 6: Protection from Wedding-Season Stress and Pollution

Wedding season in Pakistan often means:

• Driving through traffic and pollution for events
• Exposure to smoke from mehndi and dholki events (shisha, cigarettes, fireworks)
• Stress from planning, family dynamics, and deadlines
  

All these increase oxidative stress in the body. Vitamin C donates electrons to neutralise free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS), preventing them from damaging your cells. Studies have consistently shown that higher vitamin C levels are associated with lower markers of oxidative stress and inflammation.

Think of it as your internal defence shield against the “wear and tear” of wedding season – not just for your skin, but for your whole body.

Putting It All Together: A Simple Pre-Wedding Vitamin C Plan

Here’s how you can incorporate vitamin C into your pre-wedding skincare and wellness routine:

1. Daily supplement: Take Route2Health’s Vitamin C as directed.
2. Vitamin C-rich diet: Add citrus fruits, guava, and colourful vegetables to at least one meal a day.
3. Hydration: Drink enough water so that vitamin C and other nutrients can circulate and support your body effectively.
4. Skincare: Pair internal vitamin C with a gentle skincare routine – sunscreen, moisturiser, and (if suitable for your skin) a topical vitamin C serum recommended by your dermatologist.
5. Lifestyle: Get as much sleep as you can, manage stress with light exercise or breathing exercises, and avoid smoking.

This combination can help you approach your big day feeling healthier, more energised, and more confident in your natural glow.

Conclusion

Your wedding is one of the most photographed, celebrated, and emotionally charged times of your life. While makeup artists, parlours, and photographers are important, nothing replaces the natural glow and energy that comes from good internal health. Vitamin C is a simple, science-backed nutrient that supports brighter, more even skin, helps build and maintain collagen for firmer skin, and strengthens your immune system so you can enjoy every function

By adding Route2Health’s Vitamin C to your pre-wedding routine – alongside a balanced diet and healthy habits – you’re giving yourself a powerful ally for glowing skin, strong immunity, and better overall wellness.

So, as you tick off your bridal to-do list – dress, jewellery, makeup, photographer – don’t forget to add “Vitamin C” to your internal glow checklist.

FAQs

1. How long before my wedding should I start taking vitamin C?

Ideally, you should start supporting your skin and immunity at least 6–8 weeks before your main events. This gives your body enough time to build collagen, improve antioxidant status, and support overall wellness. But even if your wedding is closer, starting now is still beneficial.

2. Can vitamin C alone give me glowing bridal skin?

Vitamin C is a powerful support, but it works best when combined with:

• A balanced diet
• Good hydration
• Sun protection
• A simple, consistent skincare routine
• Adequate sleep

Think of vitamin C as a key part of your glow routine, not the only step.

3. Can I take vitamin C every day?

Yes, vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin, and recommended daily intakes are safe for most people when taken within suggested limits. Route2Health’s Vitamin C 500 mg is designed for daily use, but you should always follow the instructions on the label and consult your doctor if you have any health conditions.

4. Will vitamin C help me avoid getting sick during wedding season?

Vitamin C cannot guarantee that you won’t get sick, but it does support your immune system and may reduce the duration and severity of common colds, especially when taken regularly. It works best as part of a broader healthy lifestyle, including sleep, hygiene, and a balanced diet.

5. Can I take vitamin C with other supplements?

In many cases, vitamin C can safely be taken with other vitamins and minerals, and it can even improve iron absorption from other products. However, if you are on prescription medication or multiple supplements, it’s always a good idea to check with your doctor or nutritionist first.