Any bride-to-be wants their skin to look healthy, glowing, and youthful on their big day. After all, getting married is a momentous event in any brides’ life and wedding photos last forever. To look extra special on your wedding day, you have to go the extra mile and create a bridal routine that works best for your skin type.
In this post, we’ve rounded up the best skincare tips for brides — from doing simple steps that make a huge difference to using science-backed ingredients that are guaranteed to keep your skin healthy.
Consider Chemical Exfoliation
Not a lot of people try exfoliating their skin as dealing with skincare acids can be quite daunting. But when done correctly, chemical exfoliation can truly bring out the best in your skin. The trick to getting chemical exfoliation right is to always start with the gentler acids like PHAs before moving on to heavier acids like BHAs and AHAs. Hey Winning’s review of the COSRX PHA Moisture Renewal Power Cream notes that if you have sensitive skin, be sure to begin with PHAs that offer gentle exfoliation while simultaneously moisturizing your skin. If your wedding day is still a few months away in the future, you have plenty of time to work acids into your skincare routine and slowly build tolerance.
Always Double Cleanse
Washing your face with only a cleanser and water before you hit the sack and call it a night, is not enough. This overly simple routine isn’t going to cut it with all the oil and gunk stuck in your pores after a long day. Thankfully, we can depend on double cleansing to thoroughly cleanse our skin. To double cleanse, you should first use an oil-based cleanser to thoroughly remove makeup, pollutants, and buildup. Afterward, you can do your usual routine of using water and a gentle cleanser to remove any remnants of the oil-based cleanser without stripping your skin too much of its natural oils. Doing this every night helps keep your skin acne-free and bright — two things that you need your skin to be when you walk down the aisle.
Be Sure to Use the Right Moisturizer
Here’s the thing: Not all moisturizers are made equally. So, it’s important to get one that works best for your skin type and addresses your skin’s concerns. For instance, those with dry skin can benefit greatly from moisturizers that have a thick, rich, and heavy texture as these are formulated with higher amounts of hydrating ingredients compared to lightweight moisturizers.
Meanwhile, those with oily skin might think they can skip this step, but it’s still important to hydrate. While your skin doesn’t need much more moisture or oil, look for moisturizers that are lightweight and can get your skin feeling healthy. In this regard, Pretty Me’s review of the popular Vitamin E cream highlights the importance of moisturizers that can easily be absorbed into your skin without causing stickiness or greasiness. It’s also good to look for one that has a demi-matte finish to keep from looking too oily in the day. So, look for natural ingredients like sunflower seed oil and glycerin. Hyaluronic acid or ferulic acid can also help your skin retain water. By choosing the right moisturizer for your skin type, you can make sure that your skin won’t look dull and dehydrated as you say your vows.
Eat Skin Boosting Foods
Of course, you can also take care of your skin from the inside out by eating foods that boost your skin’s health. For one, try to incorporate a ton of Vitamin C-rich foods in your diet like broccoli, strawberries, red peppers, and citrus fruits since these stimulate your body to produce and form collagen. Dr. Toby Amidor from DietTV.com told SELF that boosting your body’s production of collagen is important as it supports the top layer of your skin and prevents wrinkles.
Other foods to add to your diet are seeds and nuts which contain plenty of good oils and Vitamin E which help protect the skin from free radicals. Moreover, Vitamin E strengthens your skin’s outer membrane which can help improve your skin’s moisture retention properties.
Don’t Skip the Sunscreen
Everyone knows how damaging the sun’s rays are. If your skin is left unprotected from the sun, you’ll have a harder time fading your acne scars, your skin ages faster, and you run the risk of developing skin cancer. So, all brides need to always use sunscreen, especially if you’re always out-and-about doing wedding preparations. When choosing a sunscreen, you need to make sure that it’s at least SPF30 so it can provide ample sun protection, non-comedogenic so it won’t clog your pores, and oil-free so it won’t feel greasy and heavy on your face.
Look for Skincare Products with Actives
If you have any skin issues that you want addressed before your wedding day, you should try to look for skincare products with actives. In a nutshell, an active is an ingredient that aims to provide relief for a specific skin concern. For instance, if you want your acne to dry up, you can use products that are formulated with retinoids, azelaic acid, and salicylic acid. If you want to have an even complexion, kojic acid, hydroquinone, and Vitamin C are some actives that you should look for. So if you’re dealing with a skin issue, be sure to do your research and find out what active you can use to address it.
Have a Good Night’s Rest
Getting enough rest can do wonders for your skin and health as sleep allows your body to repair itself and recover. For brides who are stressed with planning for their wedding, it can get difficult to sleep soundly. In our post ‘Pre Wedding Healthy Habits for Brides & Grooms’ we advised listening to guided meditation to help you get some much-needed relaxation before you doze off. Additionally, turning off your electronic devices at least 30 minutes before you lie down can also help if you have problems sleeping due to mind chatter.
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Written by Allison Graham
For the exclusive use of weddingestates.com