As you prepare for marriage and your highly-anticipated wedding day, we urge brides to also think about another life partner – your skin. Just as brides-to-be trust hair stylists, dentists, make-up artists, and personal trainers, Skin Coaches can help transform brides and their skin before the wedding day.
For best results, give yourself a six month head start, but if you don’t have the time, we have tips and tricks for any time up to the day before.
Skin Authority Skin Coaches have come up with 10 tips to help prepare for your big day:
- A bride’s best friend. It would be nice to go to the spa multiple times a month leading up to your wedding day. But we know that’s probably not going to happen, so why not bring the spa experience to you? Masks are a great way to start. Look for masks made from clay, eucalyptus, and sulphur to exfoliate dead cells, clear clogged pores, dry blemishes, and calm inflammation. Some masks even incorporate Moroccan Rhassoul Clay, known for its therapeutic skin properties. We recommend you use a mask three times a week in the four weeks leading up to the wedding.
- Everything old can be new again. “Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.” A bride is to bring something old to her wedding – hopefully it is not her skin! Resurfacing is important for brides of all ages and starting eight to twelve weeks prior to the wedding will produce excellent results. It speeds up your skin’s metabolism to smooth rough, wrinkled, dry, or dull skin and reveal a luminous glow, perfect for your walk down the aisle.
- Control acne and breakouts. Studies have shown that severe stress, like planning a wedding, can induce breakouts. This may add to your wedding stress, but don’t freak out and start picking or using the harshest drying ingredients you can find. Look for a product that blends alpha hydroxy acids, such as glycolic and salicylic acids, to open the top layers of skin, kill bacteria, reduce inflammation, and control oil to eliminate acne breakouts without the usual drying effect of most treatments.
- Kissable lips. No one wants to say “I do” with chapped lips. The night before your wedding festivities begin, gently exfoliate with a lip scrub and follow with a hydrating balm to seal in moisture and softness.
- Bright eyes. The stress around planning a wedding can lead to sleepless nights before the big day. Eyes are often one of the first areas of the body to show fatigue, but the right eye cream will help brides look wide awake (even if they’re not). Think of all the ingredients found in an herbal tea, like Earl Grey. Vitamin K, Arnica and Green Tea extracts help attack the causes of fine lines and darkening of the skin surrounding the eyes to keep you looking well rested. The earlier you can start on an eye care regimen, the better.
- Hands fit for a ring. Everyone will want to catch a glimpse of the wedding ring; make sure your hands are smooth and polished! Ditch the cheap body lotion and look for a therapeutic cream with active ingredients to exfoliate and resurface the tougher skin on your hands. Glycolic acid is ideal for this because it not only resurfaces, but helps brighten skin by gently lifting away spots and discoloration. Give yourself at least four weeks for a complete hand transformation.
- Sexy legs. With a bikini and tropical beach on the horizon for many honeymooners, don’t let the unsightly appearance of cellulite and spider veins get in your way. Scrub it away with vasodilating ingredients like coffee and caffeine, which help drain the fat and water from the cellulite cells, reducing the dimpled appearance of the skin.
- Bronzed, not baked. A tan is a must-have for many brides-to-be, though it is important to achieve the perfect bronze glow safely. Use sunscreen every day, rain or shine, to help prevent permanent skin damage. Look for one with SPF 15 or higher that is Full Spectrum (blocks both UVA and UVB rays). To achieve your sunny glow without the sun, we recommend a sunless tanner made without dyes or fragrances to avoid any wedding dress mishaps. Experiment with sunless tanners at least two weeks prior to the big day, so you get a good look at the results.
- Irresistible body glow. Enhance your newlywed glow with body oil. Choose an oil packed with skin softening and repairing properties and use as an alternative to lotion, emitting a healthy shine throughout the day.
- Just calm down! To avoid becoming the dreaded Bridezilla, make sure you are looking for masks, lotions, and hydrating oils infused with essential oils. Take a few deep breaths as you apply and feel the stress of wedding planning slip away and be replaced with the calmness that will get you through your wedding day with peace of mind.
A Skin Authority Skin Coach recommends:
