A 6-month Guide to Prepping Your Skin Leading up to the Wedding Day.
Ever wonder why your foundation looks cakey or why it won't last? It's possible it's not your foundation, it's your skin routine, or lack of. Here are my tips for getting your skin GawJess in time for the big day.
Consult with your physician if you're new to any of the ingredients I mention below.
START 6 MONTHS OUT.
Tip # 1: EXFOLIATE! EXFOLIATE! EXFOLIATE!
I can't stress this enough. It's either the step most people skip, simply because they just didn't know they had to, or it's something we overdid in our teens and think it should be done daily (which you shouldn't either). Thanks Apricot scrub!
Everyone should exfoliate. This doesn't mean you should do it every day! But you should 2-3x a week (or 1-2x a week if you're sensitive or just starting to, and then you can work your way up to 3x a week). Why is it necessary? Because your skin accumulates dead skin just sitting there, and won't allow for your skincare to fully penetrate or foundation to fully "sit" on the face. So start googling exfoliating skincare...like, now!
Tip # 2: Use Retinol
Simply put: Retinol is vitamin A and does a number of things I love:
promotes cell turnover
increases collagen production
brightens skin and acne marks
anti-aging (reduces fine lines and wrinkles)
keeps the skin plump and tight
See, babies have the softest skin because they have the quickest cell renewal process. I wish! As we get older, we just accumulate layers of dead skin - gross - because our skin cells don't break down as frequently anymore. But a retinol can bulldoze its way in to those layers of dead skin cells just hanging out, break them up, and start to repair them.
To read more about retinol dos and don'ts, and how you it should be worn properly, read my blog post here.
Tip # 3: Hydrate
Not just the outside of your skin, but the inside too. Drink 8 to 9 cups of water (or 4-5 16 oz bottles of water a day) and add additional 2 oz (or one 16 oz bottle) for every 1 hour workout. Why? Because when you're sweating, you're depleting what you've just put in.
Tip # 4: Moisturize
Under Eye Cream
use morning and night
will prevent makeup from "caking"
Day Cream
a moisturizer that has SPF if going outdoors
look for the ingredient Hyaluronic Acid to plump up the skin
Night Cream
should NOT have SPF
plenty of amazing nighttime moisturizers out there that have RETINOL
Tip # 5: Treatments if Necessary
Dark Circles or Dark Spots?
look for an Eye or Face Serum with Vitamin C or brightening ingredients
Dull Skin or Breaking Out?
Detoxifying Mask to purify for at least 10 minutes, 2x a week or as needed (DO NOT use the day before the wedding, as detox skincare makes your skin purge and you wouldn't want to see a fresh zit surfacing that day)
Nighttime Retinol treatments
Extremely Dry Skin
Facial Oil - these can also be oil serums, can be used before moisturizer
Hydrating Sheet Mask at least 1x a week
Face Balm daily, or every night
If your doctor says it's ok, follow these steps accurately, and you'll have GawJess skin when I see you on your wedding day!