A Guide to Perfect Wedding Skincare

Your big happy day is just a few days away!  You’ve chosen your dress, the flowers, and the venue. And now about that skin… It can be tempting to go all out with new treatments and pamper to the max but when it comes to skincare the week of your wedding, less is more. The week of your wedding should feel familiar to your skin. Below we’ll cover the dos and don’ts for your upcoming wedding skincare.

Nope: Wedding Skincare no-nos

First, let’s take a look at the things you should avoid if at all possible.

The week of your wedding will be full of festivities and these moments tend to be busier eating and drinking with friends and family arriving into town.  While it’s tempting to indulge in all your favorite foods and drinks, it’s important to remember that your skin will suffer the consequences. Keep the following in mind to avoid any skincare faux pas.

Wedding Skincare: Food and Drinks to avoid

• Alcohol: Over-drinking can dehydrate you and lead to puffiness and dark circles the next day. When sipping cocktails or taking shots (we don’t judge) be sure to balance out your alcohol intake by staying hydrated.

Drink electrolyte drinks like coconut water to replenish your system. Balance your gut with kombucha or other gut-healthy food and drinks. This is a time for celebrating so if you’re going to drink remember it’s all about balance.

• Fried foods: These are loaded with unhealthy fats that will make your skin look greasy and feel heavy. Avoid them if you can and instead indulge in lighter fare like grilled chicken or fish to avoid any breakouts caused by fried foods.
• Spicy food: Too much spice can lead to redness and irritation. If you’re a fan of spicy foods, be sure to moderate and watch out for any skin flare-ups.
• Dairy: If you’re lactose intolerant or have dairy sensitivities, you’ll want to avoid consuming too much dairy in the days leading up to your wedding. We know it’s tempting to pop a Lactaid and call it a day. Instead, order your latte with a dairy alternative like oat milk, almond milk or simply drink your coffee black.

Other things to avoid with your skincare routine

• Exfoliating the day before or day of your wedding. While using a gentle exfoliant should be a part of your normal routine, we recommend avoiding it the day of your wedding. Exfoliating allows your cells to rejuvenate but your skin needs time to do so. Exfoliating can deplete your skin of its natural oils and lead to redness. Push your exfoliating routine to at least 3 days before your wedding to give your skin time to heal.
• Skip any professional extractions or laser treatments the week of your wedding. Like exfoliating, these treatments require time for your skin to heal.
• Avoid tanning! We’re talking self-tanners and the big glowing ball in the sky. We know it can be tempting to hit the beach and get a little bit of color before your wedding but any type of tanning will damage your skin, could lead to peeling, and or looking like a lobster. Be diligent about applying sunscreen, wearing that beautiful sun hat or staying in the shade.

As for self-tanning creams, we’ve seen these go wrong too many times. It’s not the time to take the risk of looking orange or streaky. Go natural and apply a bronzer if you want a bit of color on your big day.

• Absolutely no experimenting. The week of your wedding is not the time to try any new products, especially if you have sensitive skin. Introducing new skincare products can run the risk of your skin purging, breakouts, and irritation.

Wedding Skincare Tips for the week of your wedding

Now that we’ve gotten the don’ts out of the way, here are our tips for what to do the week of your wedding. 

• Double cleanse your skin at night. This will remove all the makeup, sunscreen, and pollution that your skin has accumulated throughout the day.
• Rest. Be sure to get plenty of beauty sleep the week of your wedding. Eight hours per night is ideal.
• Stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water throughout the day to keep your skin hydrated and looking its best.
• If a pimple (or few) pop up, treat them as soon as they appear. Apply a warm compress and use a pimple patch or topical zit cream to tone down inflammation and try to extract the white head. Whatever you do- don’t pop it!
• Stick to your normal skincare products and skincare routine.

Congrats; it’s time to celebrate your love. When in doubt, stick to what your skin knows. Follow your normal routine, stay hydrated and eat healthily. Your skin will thank you! If you’re looking for more self-care tips for your wedding, check out the tips we put together for winter weddings or our tips to avoid burnout.