Every bride wants to look naturally radiant at her wedding. To achieve that beautiful bridal glow, you need to start planning and caring for your skin many months before the big day. Getting your skin in top-notch shape doesn’t happen overnight, especially if you want to carry that glow long after the ceremony—and even the honeymoon. So, don’t forget to include some self-care in your wedding checklist.
Find the time to pamper yourself with professional skincare treatments between buying your wedding dress and creating a seating chart. Know which beauty essentials to get and which skincare basics you should add to your routine.
Keep on reading for bridal skincare tips and advice guaranteed to give you that radiant, glowing skin when you walk down the aisle next year.
Assess Your Skin Concerns Early
It is ideal to start your bridal skincare routine and habits at least a year in advance. Begin with identifying and dealing with any major skin concerns. Is it blackheads, whiteheads, pimples, dark spots caused by acne, contact dermatitis, or eczema? Dark circles, eye bags, and wrinkles? Do you have dry and dull skin, far from that bright and blemish-free complexion you dreamed of for your wedding?
Don’t get stressed if your list seems long and daunting. Stress also doesn’t help improve the health of your skin. Instead, once you’ve identified each skin concern, you can figure out how to properly address them—from setting an appointment with a reputable dermatologist to investing in the perfect moisturizer for your skin type.
Schedule Professional Facials
Book a facial once a month to cleanse and exfoliate your skin. Custom facials performed by experienced estheticians can help you relieve and prevent the skin issues you’ve identified, including acne, discoloration, inflammation, and redness. Aside from giving your skin a deep cleanse and a boost of moisture, consistent and regular facials also improve circulation in your skin and minimize the effects of aging. You’ll look younger than you did on the day you said yes.
While a facial increases your confidence by making you look and feel great, resist the urge to have a facial the day before your wedding. Even if you’ve had the same facial regularly over the past six months, you don’t want to risk experiencing unwanted reactions, such as post-facial breakouts and irritation. Just to be safe, book your last facial a week before your wedding day to give your skin enough time to recover if adverse side effects occur.
Consider a Microneedling Treatment
Microneedling, also called collagen induction therapy, is a minimally invasive procedure recommended giving you smoother, glowing skin. The process, which involves very small needles penetrating the skin, stimulates collagen and elastin production to help improve the appearance of scars, fine lines, wrinkles, stretch marks, hyperpigmentation, and sun-damaged skin. It also shrinks the size of pores and enhances the effectiveness of anti-aging moisturizers and topical products for skin health and appearance.
If you want to receive the full benefits of microneedling, schedule your treatments at least six months before you tie the knot, particularly if you want to correct severe skin concerns like deep acne scars. Your skin may appear pink or blotchy for a few days after a session, but don’t fret. After your skin heals, you will see a remarkable improvement in your complexion in the weeks that follow.
Manage Your Stress
Planning a wedding is very exciting, but it can also be equally stressful. Everything, from finding the right vendors to finalizing your guest list, can raise your stress levels through the roof—and your skin will pay the consequences of these aggravating situations. Feelings of stress stimulate your body to release cortisol, a hormone that causes an increased production of oil in your skin glands, resulting in clogged pores and acne breakouts.
While you can’t completely avoid stress, you can find different ways to handle stress better and ease its effects on your skin. Take a break from all the wedding madness and treat yourself to a nice, warm bath or a quiet stroll. Ask your family and friends for help with the wedding preparations. Go on a relaxing date with your significant other, watching your favorite TV show or getting a couples' massage.
Final Tips for the Day Before Your Wedding
Once you’ve established a skincare routine, stick to it. Don’t try any new beauty product less than a week before your wedding that may trigger adverse reactions. You don’t want to be wearing a thicker veil to cover your rashes or a full-blown allergic reaction with swelling, itching, and hives.
Make sure to get good sleep every night—especially the night before your wedding. Listen to some soft music and fill a diffuser with calming aromatherapy oils, such as chamomile and lavender, to get some rejuvenating sleep and to keep those dark circles and puffy eyes at bay. After seven to nine hours of sleep—and months of proper skincare preparation—wake up refreshed and radiant, with flawless and glowing skin, turning heads as you walk down the aisle.