You've made it through the fun part of your engagement (admit it, you loved snapping all those ring selfies), and now it's time to get into the nitty-gritty of looking fantastic on your big day. I'm talking about your wedding beauty regimen because right now is the perfect excuse to give it a makeover so that you can have the best skin of your life as you make your way down the aisle.
Sorry, brides-to-be, but it's not just your venue, invitations, wedding dress, and seating chart that need your attention. In addition to your wedding checklist, you have another set of to-dos to conquer before you say "I do," but luckily this checklist is tons more fun than deciding where your feuding cousins should sit.
Starting (or revamping) a wedding beauty regimen is a great way to practice some self-care, giving you the opportunity to de-stress ahead of your nuptials. And of course, each step will aid you in perfecting your wedding-day look. Because who doesn't want to look their best on their big day? The clock is ticking and it's time to start checking things off your wedding beauty plan leading up to the big day!
Set Up an Appointment With Your
Aesthetician or Dermatologist
Not to put too fine a point on it, but flawless skin should probably be one of the top priorities for your wedding day, right up there with securing a stunning venue. And there are two key reasons to get a pro aesthetician or skin doc in your corner early on. One, they can assess your complexion way better than you and your trusty magnifying mirror. And two, they can help you devise a strategy for achieving your dream-skin goals, be it softening pesky forehead wrinkles or combating acne. Some treatments take time, up to several months, and you certainly want a game plan.
Check out our menu of specialised treatments and before & after transformations over on our Instagram page.
Manage Stress
From the top of your head to the tips of your toes, there's no end to the beauty bummers headed your way if you don't get your wedding-planning stress under control. On the complexion front, many inflammatory conditions, including eczema, psoriasis, and keratosis pilaris, may be at least partially caused by stress. As stress weakens the immune system, chronic inflammation worsens. Excess anxiety can also disrupt your sleep, which in turn can wreck havoc on your complexion. The fix? Do what you can to chill out, whether that means hitting a yoga class or listening to a guided meditation on an app such as Headspace.
'Brain Dumping' and jotting all your thoughts down in a journal to get what's stressing you out, out of your mind and on paper is particularly effective if you internally store stress.
Consider Laser Hair Removal
There's no better excuse than your wedding (and honeymoon) to treat yourself to laser hair removal. Is it a splurge short term? Yes, but it will be so worth it when shaving or waxing your armpits and legs is a thing of the past. Not to mention, you save ££££ in the long term.
Planning should be done 9 to 12 months before the wedding, as it typically takes six sessions spaced six weeks apart to see permanent reduction results. Click here, to find out more.
Skip the Wine and Get to Juicing
Because vino is such a world-class dehydrator, capillary breaker, and radiance robber, downing endless glasses is one of the biggest crimes against complexion brides-to-be commit.
If it's too hard to part ways with your wine, at least cut back and substitute that Bordeaux with liquefied leafy greens—especially during the few months leading up to your wedding. Green juice is great for skin because it's oxygenating and contains vital minerals to help stimulate the lymphatic system and drain out puffiness. Don't opt for a full on juice cleanse, just add a juice alongside your breakfast or (preferably on an empty stomach) to retain all the nutrients. Aiming for one a day is great.
Use a Humidifier to Keep Skin Happy and Healthy
Click the humidifier above to take a look at the
one I use to keep moisture in the air!
After chiseling your upper body to perfection in the gym, the last thing you want are patches of unsightly red bumps on the backs of your arms. The condition, called keratosis pilaris (KP for short) is caused by excess keratin, which forms a plug at the site of a hair follicle. Unfortunately we don't know what triggers the buildup of keratin, but KP often affects people with other skin conditions, like eczema.
Triggers can include cold temperatures (resulting in a lack of moisture in the air), hormonal changes, food allergies, and a bride's arch nemesis—stress. While there's no cure for KP, you can treat the symptoms by exfoliating with a product such as our 100% Cotton Mitts with a squirt of IS Clinical Cleansing Complex to unplug the trapped keratin and dead skin cells that cause the bumps. Introducing moisture to the air via a humidifier can also help!
Are you planning your big day and wanting to sort out your skin or begin your laser hair removal journey? Come and see us for a chat and find out how we can help you
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