Bridal Prep 101: Flawless Skin Prep
Welcome to the first Bride Prep 101! In these blogs, we will unlock secrets, see behind the curtain of a wedding day, and learn the tips and tricks of making your special day perfect.
The most important step in good makeup application is having a clean, clear, and primed canvas to work on; your skin care regime. The number one compliment I receive about my makeup is, “Your makeup is so flawless!” However, this is actually a compliment on my skin care tactics. The first step in flawless bridal skin preparation is:
1). Wash your face (the right way)
I know, I know…washing your face seems like such a daunting task, but if you want flawless skin, you have to take care of it accordingly. Start by allotting yourself time in the morning and the evening before bed to wash your face. If you wear a full face of makeup, start with Miscellar cleansing water, makeup wipes, or other makeup removers. Then wash your face with (my personal favorite) a foaming face wash (I use Clinique’s acne fighting foam).
2). Exfoliate your skin
I always keep a small container of salt next to my sink so every three to four days I can exfoliate my skin with it. I just pick up a bit on my hands after I have applied and rubbed in my face wash, then I lightly scrub my cheeks, chin, forehead, eyebrows (this will help combat ingrown hairs), and nose. I rinse off the face wash and salt and my face feels like a baby’s bottom!
3). Use night time products
Our skin restores and heals itself when we sleep, so use good skin care products before going to bed. There are thousands of products to choose from regarding skin care, but I recommend using at least an eye cream, vitamin E or coconut oil (Shea Moisture’s Daily Hydration Overnight Face Oil is my ride or die), and a moisturizer. At the bare minimum, use a moisturizer. Be sure to use your moisturizer in the morning as well.
4). Cut out sugary drinks
This is the hardest and most important step of all for some people, but it has to be done. Cut out sugary drinks such as soda, sugary coffees (hot and iced), sweet tea, and any other sugary beverages that adds up to 500-800 extra calories a day in your daily diet. Besides being bad for your body, high sugar drinks and food are bad for your skin. The excess sugar will clog your pores and cause acne. Drinks that have carbonation in them will cause you to bloat so your dress may not fit right. Cut out all sugary drinks (hopefully excess sugary foods too, but one step at a time) SIX WEEKS before your wedding day. This will give your skin time to heal current blemishes, heal any marks or scars you may have from previous blemishes, and because your body gets the sugar out of your system, you should not have any new blemishes pop up!
Starting a new skin care regime can be scary, but if you stick to it, you will see immediate results in the first few days. A good skin care routine will not only have your skin Bridal ready, but it will give you a sense of purpose and reason. That may seem minor, but sometimes when I am depressed or just sad, my night time routine makes me feel like I have purpose and reason to keep trying. You can do it! Good luck!
