There are so many tips and tricks that are proven to make your skin glow, and I want to share them ALL with you.
Since great skin is the foundation of any beautiful makeup why not use your wedding day to pull out all the stops for perfection. Instead of faking it by covering up your skin with a full face of foundation lets get your skin looking and feeling its ultra best. That’s not to say you won’t want some foundation on your skin the day of the wedding, but if your skin is glowing and you have this underlying luminosity, a more sheer approach to foundation is needed, there will be less blemishes and unevenness to coverup. This gives your day of makeup artist has the best possible canvas to start with, and you'll still be feeling confident and beautiful when the makeup is washed away. Plus most of these tips will have a positive effect on more than your skin, think about how eating extra vitamin and oxidant rich foods effect your overall health and mood. That all sounds worth eating some healthy food and taking care of your skin right!
Number one is
drink lots of water. I can’t stress this enough! Just keep drinking it. Get yourself a fancy new water from some of my favorites:
Swell,
BKR,
SOMA, or
HidrateSpark to carry around, or a new water filter from
SOMA Water if that is what it takes, but just keep drinking water like it will make you the most beautiful person in the world, because it will.
Start doing daily gentile daily cleanse which also loved natural exfoliation. Use a
soft cleansing pad when you wash your face. Here's my method: massage face wash product into your skin (take time with this step, really treat it like a message), add water and continue to message product and water into your skin, rinse pad or cloth with hot-warm water and ring out, wipe away the cleanser, repeat rinse and wipe two or three times, then finish by drying your face with a clean dry towel. If you have been wearing a lot of foundation I recommend repeating all these steps a second time. This gentle exfoliation method does a great job at removing all traces or makeup and gets rid of the dead skin cells on the surface to reveal a brighter complexion.
For all skin types I generally recommend a gentle non-foaming cleanser that is nourishing and effective. The
Quite Wash from Hale & Hush is a current favorite and is gentle and good for ALL skin types. In the evening I recommend a double cleanse using the
Pumpkin Wash first. Also a cleansing grain like this one from
By Nieves is a great cleanser to switch up your day to day routine when you need a little extra exfoliation or something to draw out impurities, it can also be used as a mask.
Exfoliate your lips 2-3 times a week. Mix up equal parts brown sugar, honey and olive oil. Picture tutorial
here. You can also purchase this
Coconut oil based one from my Fox & Doll line.
Switch away from lip balms that are waxy or medicated. Look for ingredients like shea butter and cocoa butter. This one is my
favorite.
Add some additional supplements to your diet. My favorites for healthy skin are: zinc, probiotics, and fish oil or omegas. Plus add in biotin for strong nails and hair.
Eat foods high in vitamins C and E. Fresh fruits and veggies (for C) and seeds and nuts (for E). Plus get healthy doses of antioxidants. Think grapes, bluberries, cherries, strawberries, green tea, tomatoes, dark green veggies, and kidney beans.
If you don’t already use a eye cream, serum and night cream now is the time to start and I finally found the perfect ones!
Adding a vitamin
C Serum and a
Retinal Serum are the best ways to take your skincare to the next level.
Take your time when applying products, really massage them into your skin so that they get fully absorbed. When shopping for skincare look for products that have antioxidants and vitamins added. Trust your estheticians recommendations. They are not just trying to make money when recommending products, they know what is best for your skin and your needs. And if you need a referral for an esthetician that suites your needs ask me for my list, I am happy to sand it to you.
This is the time to really invest in your skin care routine, but I recommend ditching the overpriced department store brands and setting your sites on products you can purchase at the natural foods store and independent clean brands. Shop for products at your local health food store or go to Credo, it's the Sephora of clean beauty brands. As a general rule stay away from department store brands, where you are paying for marketing and packaging instead of the best possible ingredients. What you save in expensive packaging and celebrity endorsements is more than made up for in product that really nourishes your skin, and generally costs a fraction of the price. Here are a few super star favorites:
Rare Retinol Serum,
Rare C Serum and
Soothe Essence Serum.
And if you are looking to add one new step into your skin care regimen that will make a difference and cost very little get a
hydrating spray. Spray all over, then while skin is still damp from it and add your moisturizer, serums and oils to your face. Take time to massage the products in.
If you plan to do a professional peel or other type of skin treatment, do it at least one month in advance. Even better is to do it 2-3 months in advance, then repeat 3-4 weeks in advance (depending on recovery time), your skin care professional will know best based on treatment.
If you choose to do at home mask treatments I recommend a gentile
exfoliating mask and a hydrating mask both once a week. My go to
moisture mask makes skin hydrated and soft, and can also be used as a day to day moisturizer for flaky skin areas. And to keep your skin bright use a
C Serum during the day.
Do you keep yogurt in the fridge? Add a little honey and put it on your face as a mask for 10 minutes. Or mashed up avocado makes a great mask too! Together these provide calming of the skin, hydrating, nutrient replenishment, and added radiance.
You can also add drinking my
Sipping Pretty Tea into your daily regimen, then turn the brewed leaves into a mask and use the cooled down tea as a hydrating and calming facial toner.
Wear extra SPF on your face, neck and body everyday (it would be a bad time to get too much color on your arms and marks from your tank top). And the week before the wedding make an extra effort to stay out of the sun, and especially the day before. I've seen way too many girls with arm and chest sunburns the day before the big day from being outside during family events or pre wedding location set up.
This is a
favorite SPF and
this one for under makeup.
If you are having problems with breakouts or are worried about this here are a few added steps you can take to ensure your skin stays clear:
• Clean your makeup brushes - I recommend a gentle shampoo, rinse well and dry flat.
• Take a zinc supplement, this will help clear a break out, prevent them, plus will also keep you from catching a cold.
• That washcloth face washing method from above can really make a world of difference.
• Change out your pillow cases and wash your phone surface frequently.
And a special tip for the ladies reluctant to drink wine because of a tendency to turn flush in the face. You can take Pepcid AC or Complete (or similar product containing Famotidine) 45 minutes before drinking to reduce the redness. Of course consult your physician and do a test run in advance with a glass of red wine.
I really want your skin looking its best so here are
just a few more tips:
• Do the same treatments you do on your face on your chest area.
• Are you a soda and/or coffee drinker? This would be the time to stop and purge the sugar and caffeine from your skin.
• Use up old face care products or ones you don’t love on your body, have a face wash or exfoliant that isn’t perfect for your skin type then use it as a body wash!
• Share all these tips with your partner, bridal party and family, everyone can have great skin too.
Do all of these steps everyday and DRINK MORE WATER, then you can report back to tell me how great your skin looks and feels. And last but not least, these tips aren't just pre wedding day worthy, they are for everyday and everyone! xo
