Every bride should have a pre-wedding skin care plan that works for their skin type. Don't leave it until the last minute to think about your skin, the longer you have to correct any skin issues, the better! Not everyone has the time or budget in the run up to the wedding to get facials done, so here’s a few tips to help you create healthy clear skin at home.
TOP TIP: Don't try any new products up to three weeks before your wedding, if you get a reaction it could take a couple weeks for your skin to calm down. This is the last thing any bride wants to have to deal with!!
DRY SKIN
Prevent your skin from feeling dry and tight:
Use gentle fragrance-free cream based cleansers, massage them into the skin using your fingers and remove with warm damp cotton wool.
Tone your face after with a gentle alcohol free toner, my preference would be a rose based toner, it's gentle and calming which is great for dry skin.
Rich oil based moisturisers or face oils used immediately after toning your skin morning and night will give your skin the extreme moisture it needs to prevent it from drying out and feeling tight.
Once a week gently exfoliate the face to buff away any dead skin cells that can cause the skin to look flaky. Immediately after apply a moisturising face mask and let in sink in for up to 20 minutes, remove any residue with damp cotton wool.
OILY SKIN
Keep your skin clean and clear:
Regular exfoliation is essential to keep pores clean and the skin clear. Using harsh scrubs or scrubbing the areas vigorously can irritate oily skin and cause even more oil production. Gentle exfoliation 3 times a week, concentrating on blackhead-prone areas like the nose and chin is ideal to keep your skin as clear and clean as possible.
Weekly face masks that target oily congested skins are highly effective in maintaining clear skin. Opt for a mask that contains either kaolin clay or bentonite clay which are both very good for gently absorbing excess oil.
Do NOT skip moisturiser!! Use an oil free water based moisturiser to hydrate your skin, missing out this step often causes oily skin to produce more oil to compensate.
COMBINATION SKIN
It's a balancing act with this skin type:
Treat the T-zone differently to get the best results when it comes to picking face masks. Pick a face mask that targets oily congested skin and apply it to the affected areas, on non-oily areas use a hydrating mask to keep the skin moisturised.
Exfoliate your skin once or twice a week, a gentle scrub will prevent skin irritation whilst helping to clear the T-zone from congestion.
Moisturise your skin differently, a super lightweight oil free lotion for the T-zone for hydration and oil based cream on the normal/dry areas for much needed moisture.