Every bride wants to look their best on their big day. So much goes into planning out a wedding – everything from booking the venue to finding the dress all the way down to planning out a seating chart. Don’t forget you need to put some of that effort into your appearance, too! You want to look and, more importantly, feel beautiful on your wedding day.
Start early
Skin takes time to develop. The best skin routines start about a year before the big day, but we get it if you don’t have that long! Start as soon as you can to develop that beautiful, bridal glow. Research the best products and routines for your skin type and go from there. Make sure you have plenty of time to test your skin’s reaction to the products to avoid any irritation or redness. Amber with Zephyr & Luna told us not only should you start your beauty routine months in advance to prepare your skin, but also plan your exact routine and look for the day of. "Before your wedding, start planning a beauty and relaxing routine to help you wind off."
Eat your leafy greens
It wouldn’t be right to dive into all the external products you can use without mentioning that you need to think about what you put into your body too. Focus on a healthy diet of veggies and fruits, cutting out sugary sodas and candy. You can use a healthy fat supplement like MCT Oil to give you an extra boost of energy without the fattening effects of sugar in many energy and sports drinks.
Sweat it out
Workouts increase blood circulation and decrease stress, a perfect combination for helping create a flawless face. Try out a local barre class, move through a yoga flow, or kickbox your way through wedding prep! Sarabeth Quattlebaum with Sarabeth Events even reccomends working out the day of your wedding to help calm nerves. "We schedule a personal yoga instructor to come to visit the bride (and sometimes maid of honor) in the hotel room and lead them through a calm, relaxing session. This is the calmest way to start your wedding day."
Self-care Sundays
Wedding planning can get hectic. Make sure you take time away from planning for your day to remember to actually enjoy the process. You can take a step back and relax with a hot bath, a walk in the park, or an at-home spa day. Don’t have that much time? Look up positive mantras to keep you going through the day.
Know the right order
Do you know if the serum goes before or after the toner? Is your morning routine different than your nightly routine? How do you even use facial oils without being greasy all day? Check out this guide on the right way to go about your skincare routine for the best results.
Brighten your skin
Brighten and even your skin tone with a Vitamin C Serum. Even better, use a kit of cleanser, moisturizer, and serum for the best results. Vitamin C works to reveal brighter, smoother, more youthful skin, a must for a blushing bride.
Moisturize and then moisturize more!
Hyaluronic acid is the golden ingredient of skincare right now. It pulls the moisture out of the air and into your skin for hydrated, smoothed, and plumped skin. Hyaluronic acid can be found in serums that can be layered for beautiful, flawless skin.
Use retinol for anti-aging
Retinol is a type of Vitamin A that boosts cell health and helps to get rid of old skin cells. Because of this, users may experience some redness or flaking skin at the beginning of use. This should go away after a week or so to reveal radiant, youthful skin. Try adding retinolto your routine at the beginning of your engagement to see if this wonder ingredient is for you.
Apply tea tree oil for breakouts
Fighting acne and breakout zits? Keep tea tree oil on hand to help fight breakouts. The best way to use tea tree oil is to dilute it in a carrier oil. Combine a few drops of tea tree oil with an ounce of rosehip oil to combine the powerful attributes of both into one anti-acne oil. Apply at night for best results.
Exfoliate the body
Don’t just focus on your face! Your body needs attention too. Use an exfoliant, like a gentle sugar scrub, to scrub away dead skin and reveal softer, smoother skin. You can also use a clay mask on your body to help pull out impurities and tone, smooth, and stimulate blood flow to your skin.
Moisturize your body too!
Nourish your skin with a creamy body butter or lotion. My oily-skinned brides will want to use a lighter lotion, while my dry babes will want the soothing relief of a body butter. Apply all over the body after a warm shower to lock in moisture for soft, smooth skin.
Get regular massages
Relax with a massage from a licensed massage therapist. You will never know where you’re holding your tension until you try it – my thumbs were so sore from messaging and planning on my phone! Who knew? Stress can be a one-way road to dull, drab skin, so massages are a lifesaver when it comes to releasing tension. Larissa Banting a wedding planner with Weddings Costa Rica told us that the best thing you can do to prepare for your wedding day is get a massage. "My biggest tip is to get a massage in the morning. That time to be alone, get centered and enjoy some me time before everything takes off is important to give you a sense of calm."
Apply face sunscreen
Use face sunscreen and rock a cute hat! UV radiation can cause a whole host of skin issues including discoloration, uneven skin tone, and wrinkles. Using a good, noncomedogenic sunscreen throughout your entire engagement (and hopefully after too) will help protect your skin from the sun’s harmful rays.
Avoid burning and tan lines
Whether you’re wearing a strapless dress or have full, lacey sleeves, you don’t want suntan lines ruining your big day. Applying a sunscreen and wearing clothing with sun protection can help protect you. Using a sunscreen and moisturizer will also keep your décolletage looking smooth and young – no wrinkles to be found here!
Treat your hair and nails with argan oil
Argan oil is an age-old treatment for silky, shiny hair. Apply a few pumps to the ends of damp hair and comb through with your fingers. The oil will hydrate, smooth, and soften your hair.
Use a hair mask treatment
Still not sure that’s enough hydration for your hair? Try a deep conditioning hair mask. Especially for those with tight curls or dry, brittle hair, hair masks take hydration to the next level. Leave on clean, damp hair for 10-20 minutes to allow the hair to absorb the moisture and vitamins in the mask.
Try a diffuser for stress relief
So, we’ve already mentioned how stress is bad for your skin. It increases your blood pressure and heart rate and can cause breakouts from picking at and rubbing your face. One easy way to fight stress is to use a diffuser. I wasn’t sure at first either, but trust me, they work! One of my favorite combinations is rosemary and eucalyptus oil. Relaxing and smells amazing too!
The season matters for your skincare
Last, the season really does matter when choosing your skincare routine for your wedding. If your wedding is held in the summer in a big tent outside, choosing a routine to manage excess oil production is going to help you. If your wedding is in the winter, plump up your dry skin with hydrating products.
