Let’s face it: amidst the whirlwind of choosing the perfect venue, tasting cakes, dress fittings, and tracking budgets, it’s all too easy to neglect your skin whether you’re battling bridezilla breakouts or simply aiming to enhance your natural radiance, starting your skincare journey well before your wedding day is a must and looking to turn your skin woes from ‘for worse’ to ‘for better’? Skincare prep is key. Here, we tap expert facialists to arm us with insider wedding day tips.
6 Months Before
The first step the experts suggest is to find a facialist you like and trust. By setting up a treatment plan with professionals, you don’t have to take chances on what’s right for your skin and can budget for it in advance. But why should you start your skin journey at least six months out? The skin has a cycle of about one month when we are young to replace your entire skin with new skin cells. That’s why you often see results after four weeks of starting with a new product. If your main concerns need treatments like micro-needling or IPL for vessels and pigmentation, you will have six cycles to achieve the effect before your big day.
For Dry Skin
For dry skin types, the general suggestion is to focus on deep-cleansing treatments using AHA or BHA, like the Medik8 Pore Cleanse Gel. These ingredients help remove dry, old skin cells, impeding the process. Next, it’s important to kick-start circulation with a massage to treat dry lines. Microcurrent in combination with iontophoresis is recommended. This approach helps deliver hydration deep into the epidermis and stimulates the muscles—it’s like a Pilates session for the face.
For Acne-Prone Skin
Controlling sebum production is essential for oily or combination skin. For active acne, try regular chemical peels that target inflammation. Dermapen can also be effective for enlarged pores and uneven texture. For any issues with acne scarring, experts advise consulting with a therapist to see if laser or micro-needling might be an alternative.
For Sensitive Skin
Cold water is key. Avoid steam and extractions when the skin is most reactive, and if necessary, wait until the skin barrier is intact. A weak barrier is often the cause of reactive or inflamed skin, and repairing it should be your priority at this point. Take a break from overly strong acids or retinol. A favourite treatment to help strengthen a weakened barrier is IPL, which soothes inflammation in the skin. The Philips Lumea 8000 Series IPL device lets you treat your skin with Intense pulsed light from the comfort of your own home.
3 Months Before
It’s now time to ‘level up your water intake’. This may seem like a tedious and obvious tip, but it’s the most important, along with sleep. When there are three months to go, stress and pressure become more apparent, which translates visibly directly onto your skin. Start thinking from the inside out. Drink celery, lemon, and ginger juice every morning. Move your body outside and breathe fresh air to unwind before the evening. Try an ice bath or ice shower. Meditate. Book a body massage.
For Dry Skin
Layering is vital for dry skin at this point. Moisturising masks are key, whether potted or in the form of sheet masks. Add a finishing serum or oil, like the Susanne Kaufmann Face Oil, to your face cream to maximise hydration and strengthen the lipidic shield overnight. Continue with deep and lifting massages.
For Acne-Prone Skin
Continue what you’ve been doing since the six-month mark. The earlier you start your journey, the better, but great results are still possible in three months. Don’t try anything new. Stick to the plan. Do not change your makeup, but test it well in advance so your skin doesn’t react to something new. Focus on hydration and try to find ways to relax. Stress triggers cortisol, which in turn triggers acne.
For Sensitive Skin
Sensitive skin is another skin type that benefits from continuity. Cold water and gentle products that respect the skin barrier are still key. Add healing ingredients such as Centella asiatica, found in the iS Clinical Super Serum Advance+ and perhaps a lymphatic massage.
1 Month Before
A month out, the number one focus should be de-stressing. It may be easier said than done, but it’s essential to your skin health. Beyond everything you’ve already been doing, now is the time for lots of lymphatic massages and striving to oxygenate the skin. Do the things that make you feel good to de-stress. But don’t try anything erratic.
For Dry Skin
Exfoliate and apply a deep cleansing mask regularly a month out. Then, follow this up with serum in layers, a nourishing cream, and oil on top. Try your hand at gua sha, and then get a good night’s sleep. HydraFacial can be a good treatment as it combines cleansing and exfoliation with deep hydration.
For Acne-Prone Skin
Future 5 Elements' Beauty Drops No. 3, layered on top of the pimple every hour, can help speed up the healing. Beyond that, facialists urge you not to let a pimple ruin your day. Be kind to yourself if you wake up with a pimple on the big day. Don’t let your pimple ruin the celebration, and find ways to focus on the positive, like marrying the love of your life.
For Sensitive Skin
Keep all skin care products in the fridge to ensure your skin remains calm. Try Future 5 Elements’ Soft Treatment Gel in a thin layer over the face and a compress soaked in ice water or massaged with ice. IPL is perfect a month before the wedding as it reduces redness and calms the skin. Alternatively, consider a light acid treatment with lots of moisturising and strengthening products.
- Bella Alexander