Preparing Your Skin for Your Wedding Day
Your wedding day is one of the most important days of your life: it’s natural that you’ll want to look your best. Glowing, healthy skin will be the perfect foundation to your wedding day makeup, and will be a great confidence booster too! Take a look at our top tips for preparing your skin for those upcoming nuptials:
Research
To help soon-to-be newlyweds take control of their skincare with confidence and achieve the best skin of their lives, skincare brand BEAUTY PIE has partnered with Kate Kerr, award-winning clinical facialist and founder of Kate Kerr Skincare Clinic, to reveal the best ways to prepare your skin for your wedding day, and the best way to start comes to diagnosing your skin:
"For skin that's not quite at its peak condition and may be dull, displaying small breakouts or slight rosacea, the top priority is to calm, strengthen and stabilise your skin before focusing on resurfacing and revitalisation," says Kate.
"Generally, skin prep can start as early as six months in advance for more compromised skin as it needs plenty of time for chronic inflammation to heal and repair. For those with healthy skin, six to eight weeks before the event will suffice."
Create a Routine
Everyone’s skin routines will differ, but as a rule, it’s always great to start with a double cleanse - first to remove any makeup or dirt, and second to truly cleanse the skin - and moisturiser. Ramp things up with an exfoliator twice or three times a week to help promote cell turnover, and consider incorporating masks and serums to boost hydration. Nicola Moulton, skincare expert at BEAUTY PIE recommends introducing Vitamin C as your first active ingredient, to help fight oxidative stress caused by environmental aggressors, as well as reduce pigmentation and brighten the skin.
Be Consistent
It’s true what they say: consistency is key! If you’re incorporating new products into your routine, it’s normal for your skin to break out shortly after - this is called ‘purging’, and it’s a sure sign that those new products are doing exactly what you bought them for! Give it a couple of weeks, the breakouts will stop, and you’ll start to see the benefits. Kate says: "I strongly discourage trying new active skincare ingredients or different products right before the big day. Active skincare ingredients can be stimulating, which may initially cause initial irritation and redness. The aim is to awaken and invigorate the skin slowly, gradually introducing more active ingredients as the skin repairs itself."
Stay Hydrated
It’s always a good idea to nourish the skin from the inside-out, so try incorporating lots of antioxidant-rich foods, fruits, vegetables and nuts into your diet. Of course, it’s also important to stay hydrated by drinking lots of water - aim for three litres a day to get an unrivalled natural glow to your skin, and avoid too much caffeine or alcohol which are known for dehydrating your skin. If you do overindulge on coffee, or have one too many tipples on your hen party, treat yourself to a nice hydrating mask to give your skin a nice, refreshing drink!
Rest & Relax
There are so many external factors that can contribute to our skin, and if you’re finding yourself feeling a little stressed with wedding planning, it’s time to sit back and take a breather, because stress can be a huge contributing factor to breakouts and dull skin. This is particularly important in the week running up to your wedding day - so schedule in some early nights and sleep your way to perfect skin.
On the Morning
On the morning of your wedding day, start with a gentle cleanse and a lightweight moisturiser - remember to apply your SPF, especially if your wedding is outside. If you’re applying your own makeup, be sure to apply a primer before to give your makeup a longer lasting finish and prevent it from settling into fine lines.
Trust Your Makeup Artist
If you’ve hired a professional makeup artist, they’ll come with a whole load of knowledge and expertise on how to enhance your natural beauty on your wedding day. Your excitement and happiness, combined with your beautiful glowing skin, will make you shine like a diamond as you walk down the aisle!
With thanks to: Beauty Pie & Kate Kerr Skin Clinic