Six Skincare Beauty Tips to Follow Before you Walk Down the Aisle

The days leading up to your wedding can feel like the longest days ever! The excitement, the anticipation, and the pressure can do quite a number on a blushing bride’s skin. As a bride-to-be myself, I consulted a wedding makeup artist who gave me her top skincare beauty tips. Start now and you’ll reap the benefits of fresh and flawless skin by the time you say “I do!”

1. Up Your Water Intake

Yes, you may have heard this one before, but the importance of staying hydrated plays a major part in the vitality and visible beauty of your skin.

If you have drier skin, your lack of water intake will cause your skin to be flaky, dull, and difficult for applying makeup.

If you have oily (or acne prone) skin, not drinking enough water can cause your skin to overcompensate the lack of moisture by producing more oil (and thus more acne).

Getting adequate amounts of water will not only help your skin look clearer, more supple, and naturally glowing, you may also lose a few pounds just in time for your wedding day (it’s a great way to kick start your metabolism)!

Aim to drink about 2 liters of water a day for optimal beauty benefits.

2. Get Some Clarity

Give yourself one day out of the week for ’ and relaxin’. You deserve it. Mondays are usually the best days because it helps pull the impurities your skin earned from the weekend, and gives you a reason to look forward to Mondays! Yay!

And speaking of pulling impurities, peel off masks are not recommended (try Googling “charcoal mask peel fail” and you’ll see what we mean). A deeply purifying rinse-off mask is what you'll want to use instead.

Grab your favorite magazines, some cozy slippers, and #treatyoself with a nice detoxifying mask (like Omorovicza’s Deep Cleaning Mask, $120 or Origins Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask, $26) for skin as clear as the rock on your finger!

3. Let Your Skin Breathe

Sometimes less is more when it comes to your nighttime skincare regimen. When we sleep at night, our skin goes through a natural detoxification process (hence the oil slick on your face in the mornings) to clear your body from toxins and the free radicals of the day.

When we use too much product on our face at night (toner, serum, creamy moisturizer, oh my!), we hinder our skin from doing what it does best. Opting for natural skin oils (that have no more than 5 ingredients) is a great way to moisturize, age defy, and renew your skin to its most optimal state.

A great and easy two-step nightly routine would be a washing your face with a cleansing oil or cleansing balm (try Boscia's makeup break up cleansing oil or 100 Percent Pure's new cleansing balm) and moisturizing with a beauty oil (like Herbivore Organic's Lapis Oil, $72 or Caudalie's Polyphenol C15 Overnight Detox Oil, $52). Do this nightly and you'll wake up each morning with fresh dewy skin.

4. Exfoliate With Sugar

Organic cane sugar is an inexpensive and effective way to promote cellular turnover in your skin. It contains glycolic acid, which plays a major role in sloughing off the dead skin (ew!) and revealing the baby soft skin. It is also a natural exfoliant, which helps smooth out any acne bumps, scars, and dry patches of skin. Mix two parts organic cane sugar with one part organic coconut oil and apply on dry skin. Gently rub your fingers over your skin (face, lips, legs, underarms, you name it!), allowing the sugar to set. Let dry for at least five minutes and rinse with lukewarm water.

Don’t have time to DIY? Check out Lilfox’s Orange Blossom Ylang Bang Sugar Body Polish, $65 or diptyque’s Multi-Use Exfoliating Clay for the Face, $65

Exfoliate gently once a week for silky smooth results on your wedding day (and night! Ooh la la!)

5. Go Easy On Yourself

Getting ready for a wedding can be a stressful, exciting, and daunting task. Don't forget to enjoy the moments that lead up to your big day and be gentle with yourself. If you miss a day of cleansing or exfoliating, there's always another chance to get it right tomorrow.

6. If at first you don't succeed, prime and prime again

We all know that weddings can be unpredictable, which is why we believe God created great makeup primers (like Hourglass' Veil Mineral Primer, $54 and Milk Makeup's Blur Stick, $36).

Keep these babies along in your emergency kit, and let your makeup artist know, just in case any happy accidents decide to show up on your skin for your big day.

Check out the Weddings 101 series for more tips and inspiration!