You’re engaged! Congratulations! You must be so excited and ready to start planning every detail of your dream wedding. I am willing to bet that your skincare routine isn’t even close to the top of that list, however it should be. One of the biggest mistakes I see brides make as an esthetician is going to get a facial only a week before their wedding and asking how to address their skin concerns. 

Part of receiving a treatment before your wedding day is partly about the pampering experience, but the truth is skincare takes time and patience, and a week is not nearly enough time to make any lasting or noticeable changes in the skin! I want to help you lay out what caring for your skin should look like leading up to your big day.

Find an Esthetician for Treatments

One year out or as soon as possible find an esthetician and get on an effective skincare routine and treatment plan.

Consult with an esthetician who can put together a skincare regimen and a treatment plan that will address your concerns. If you are starting a year or more out, you can dream big with your skincare goals. An effective skincare regimen is great, but it can only do so much. Getting the right professional treatments can make improvements much quicker. For example, have you always had acne scars and thought you just had to live with them? If you are a year or more out from your wedding, you could start a series of micro-needling treatments and get those acne scars reduced before your wedding day! Or maybe you have always struggled with acne, a series of chemical peels and extractions can go a long way. An esthetician will be able to create a game plan for you to follow and make your skincare goals a reality. 

Stick to an Effective Skincare Regimen

Skincare regimen takes consistency and time to work so the sooner you get on a good routine the better.

Just like you want to be on a well-balanced and nutritious diet leading up to your wedding, you should also be on a well-balanced and nutritious skincare regimen! This will at a minimum consist of a non-stripping cleanser, an exfoliating product suitable for your skin type and concerns and a daily SPF. You can’t make changes in the skin without the right active ingredients to do the heavy lifting. An esthetician can help you to narrow down what products are best for your skin and take away that trial and error from trying random products. Another tip is not to forget your neck, chest and back. You want your skin to be beautiful anywhere that will be exposed. Don’t let your skin concerns control the cut of your wedding dress.

Exfoliate Regularly

Dead skin build up interferes with the look of your skin and the way light reflects off the surface. 

When you have dead skin build up it can lead to clogged pores, texture or just an overall dull look to the skin. This is not the desired look for most women’s wedding day. Exfoliation is key to get that wedding day glow and if you are using the right exfoliant you can even treat acne, hyperpigmentation and fine lines in the months leading up to your big day. Products with chemical exfoliants are much more effective than physical exfoliants or scrubs. AHA’s like lactic, glycolic and mandelic can really make a difference in your skin over time. It depends on the product, but you should be exfoliating at least 1x per week to start and can work up as your skin can tolerate it. Some products are suitable for daily use. 

Incorporate Antioxidants

Vitamin C and vitamin A are two of the best ingredients you can invest in if you are getting serious about your skincare routine.

Antioxidants in skincare help to treat and prevent signs of aging and help to protect the skin from the sun's harmful UV rays. They also brighten the skin tone and can lighten hyperpigmentation. Vitamin C is a free radical scavenger meaning that it fights against oxidative stressors that lead to aging. It also stimulates collagen. Vitamin A (retinol) stimulates collagen as well but also accelerates the cell turnover process revealing fresh younger looking skin over time. It is important to choose high quality professional grade products to ensure you receive these benefits. Not all products are created equal, and I am sure you want the best when it comes to looking and feeling beautiful on your wedding day.

Wear SPF Everyday

Wear SPF like your youth depends on it...because it does! 

If you want to look youthful and fresh not only for your wedding day, but for your marriage, then SPF is where it is at. I can’t stress enough that there is literally no point in investing in any type of skincare if you aren’t going to wear your SPF and try to protect your skin from the sun! Using active or anti-aging products without SPF protection is only aging your skin faster, you’d be better off doing nothing at all. Moral of the story is to wear an effective SPF of at least 30 or higher every day and reapply with extended sun exposure. You should also be conscious of how much SPF you apply and shoot for at least a dime size amount for adequate protection from the sun. 

Stay tuned for skincare tips for the week of your wedding, and don’t hesitate to consult with a Pomp Esthetician for free and get professional grade skincare product recommendations that suit your skin type and concerns and get your skin wedding day ready!