Whether you are getting married this year or next, it is a good idea to start planning now your pre-wedding skin care routine. Despite the hours of sleep you have lost out on leading up to your wedding day, every bride wants to look her radiant best on her special day. As a professional Wedding Hair And Makeup Artist and Beauty Therapist, I have 9 tips for pre-wedding skin care to get you started on your journey to glowing bridal beauty.
1. Start Early.
Yeah, soz about this, I thought I would get it in first. It is no good expecting amazing results if you leave your skincare routine to the month before the wedding. It takes a good 4-6 weeks for the skin to grow, so any treatment or product application will take around a month to start showing results. At the very least you should start 3 months before the day, 6 months is better, but for the best results and to ensure you create a regime that will give you a solid routine for your wedding day and beyond then start even earlier.
2. Get professional advice.
You can try and figure it out yourself but I’m thinking if you have gotten this far without sussing out a routine for yourself then chances are you will be stabbing in the dark. There really is so much choice of products on the market, it is a minefield even for us experts, how is anyone expected to choose the best products for their skin without wasting a fortune and precious time experimenting with different brands. Find a trusted professional beauty therapist, it could be me (I curtsy and say hello) and allow them to analyse your skin and recommend the best products for your skin type and skin concerns. You then have them to guide you and answer your questions on your skincare journey. If you have a budget to stick to, say so, a professional will do their best to create a suitable regime for your budget and lifestyle as opposed to just trying to sell you products to hit a sales target. If you have found such a professional then it brings me neatly to my next point.
3. Try a facial.
If you are using a brand recommended by a salon or beauty therapist then it is likely they have a range of professional treatments to compliment your homecare. Now would be a good time to try a facial. Occasionally starting on a new brand or treatment can throw up some minor issues like a small breakout, this is normal and one of the reasons to get started early. If budget allows, try and aim for a facial a month leading up to the wedding day. In a year, 12 facials can make a huge impact on your skin, backed up by your homecare routine and you'll be creating credible long term improvements to the health of your skin.
4. Look after your gut.
I’m sure you weren’t expecting this one. Essentially it is a new way of saying eat well. The health of our microbiome (or gut to you and me) has been linked to a vast array of body functions including (but not limited to) immunity (very important given the current pandemic) skin health, weight management and serotonin levels which aid sleep. By eating gut-friendly foods like live yogurts, kefir, fermented foods, veg, whole grains, almonds, sourdough to name a few and avoiding the foods that cause bad bacteria to grow; in particular processed sugars, processed foods, salt and alcohol you will help your skin and your wellbeing. Bonus right? So what if you need help with that? Then you may need to...
5. Supplement your diet with pre and probiotics, omegas and multivitamins*.
With the best will in the world, even a well balanced diet can be deficient in some nutrients needed to maintain a healthy gut and glowing skin. A good broad spectrum multivitamin (I say good because not all multi-vits are created equal, the brand I advocate is Advanced Nutrition Programme) to ensure that you have all bases covered and the lining of your gut is being supported, allowing full absorption of all other nutrients from food and supplements. Pre and probiotics are there to ensure your microbiome is thriving in healthy bacteria. Lastly omegas are the essential fatty acids that support cell membranes. If you are lacking in these your cells will just not hold onto moisture and will manifest dry, dehydrated skin. This is obviously not conducive to glowing skin. Which brings me on to the obvious.
6. Drink plenty of water.
I know you hear it said by everyone, but that’s because it is so important for radiant skin (and general health). Our skin is the last organ of the body to receive water, so if we are dehydrated, the water we do drink goes to our brain, heart, liver etc first, leaving the skin to get more haggard looking and showing fine lines and a dull complexion. Also skin hydration levels are dramatically affected by other factors like air conditioning, caffeine intake, alcohol intake, pollution, medication, the list goes on. So our skin can change throughout the course of the day if we are not keeping our bodies hydrated. 2-3 litres is considered optimal amounts, so go and take a drink.. I know I have made myself thirsty. Watch what happens to your skin an hour after a big drink!
7. Get plenty of sleep.
I know another obvious one! Whilst our mind is at rest our body is working hard to restore, renew and repair and it does it fastest at night. If we don’t get enough sleep we compromise the body’s ability to reset and this has a knock on effect on our skin and our health. Sleep hormones like Melatonin have been shown to have powerful protective skin benefits, particularly in relation to UV damage. Speaking of which…
8. Wear sunscreen every day.
A sunscreen with at least SPF15 will help protect against UVB sun damage, these are the burning rays. But a sunscreen that also contains UVA protection is needed throughout the year to protect us from blue light and UVA damage, Environ's RAD Shield does exactly that. Even on cloudy days we are susceptible to damage from UVA rays, these are the rays that contribute to premature ageing, fine lines, dull skin, broken capillaries, pigmentation and age spots. Blue light is the light emitted by phone screens, pc's and laptops and can be just as damaging as UVA rays. You may think that it doesn’t matter now but by prolonged exposure to such we are affecting our skin's ability to protect itself later. Therefore if you think of sun damage as a scar on your skin you will want to prevent that by protecting yourself now. This sun and light damage is much harder to conceal and reverse so help your makeup artist and cover up.
9. Facial Massage.
My last point is a nice treat that you can book in the week leading up to the wedding or carry out yourself at home once a week. Using either your moisturiser, or better still a facial oil or serum, give yourself a prolonged application using the whole palm of your hands in upward, sweeping motions. It doesn’t need to take more than about 5 minutes, but done regularly can improve skin circulation, toxin removal and skin texture. This very much will lead to a glowing, radiant looking skin but will also aid with a bit of stress-relief too.
There you go, you are all set to start your journey to glowing skin for your wedding day with my 9 tips for pre-wedding skin care. If you are still feeling lost then I can help. With 25 years experience in the wedding hair and makeup industry and as a professional beauty therapist I can advise you where and how to start. With an online skin consultation via zoom for £45 I can give you targeted and bespoke advice based on your exact requirements and skin concerns. Although there is no obligation to buy, if you would like my ongoing support I am a stockist of The Advanced Nutrition Programme for skin specific supplements, Environ Skincare for antioxidant vitamin rich homecare and facials and Jane Iredale the skincare makeup. Together the 3 brands holistically offer a feed, fortify and finish approach to skin health.
To book an online consultation use this link. To look at my wedding hair and makeup packages use this link here. For any other questions you have please contact me here.
*If you are under medical supervision, please consult a doctor before use. The Advanced Nutrition Programme is not intended to diagnose, prevent, treat or cure any medical condition.