I wanted to discuss skincare for special events in this post. With brides or anyone preparing for an event, skincare is equally as important as makeup. A good canvas is the best way for makeup to turn out great. I’ll talk about my go to treatments and products to look smooth & fresh.
The sooner you start a routine, the better. Please don’t try a new skincare regimen the week before your wedding. I go into all the details in the body of this post, then a routine at the end.
Cleansing
In my opinion, you wash your face twice- once to take the day off- skincare, makeup, etc., then again to cleanse/ clear pores. After work I use a makeup removing cleanser like Philosophy Purity, then a cleanser that has some acids or actives for my pores like Jack Black Deep Dive or Cerave Renewing SA Cleanser. Makeup wipes are never enough, so step your game up if you’re relying on just those. Following up with a steamy washcloth to get any excess dirt off and open up pores is never a bad thing either. I dry my face with a separate wash cloth rather than using the shower or hand towels. In the morning I like a gentle cleanser with an active in it like Pixi Glow Mud, Cerave, or Phisoderm. If you have dry skin and aren’t worried about texture, this is a great gentle cleanser.
Clear & Brighten
My personal skincare goal is to unclog my pores, smooth the texture of my skin, slough away dead skin, and regenerate fresh skin to soften any wrinkles and brighten my complexion. Chemical exfoliation with acids has been the biggest impact in my routine for helping this. I use glycolic and salicylic acid pads in my routine every other day. Along with the acids, the cotton pads themselves are a light form of physical exfoliation. WIN WIN. Anytime I see AHA & BHAs like glycolic, salicylic, or lactic acid in a product, I know that my skin will love it. If you’re new to acids, go easy by starting with using them only once or twice a week to see how your skin reacts. For sensitive skin, lactic acid is great or use a salicylic acid cleanser since it rinses off rather than a leave on treatment like the pads. I like the Jack Black Deep Dive cleanser, Phisoderm anti- blemish cleanser (found it for $5 at Fred Meyer), and the Cerave SA cleanser.
This Allure article gives a simple summary of why I love glycolic acid, “The smaller a molecule, the more easily it gets into the skin. Because glycolic is the smallest of all the acids, it yields the most dramatic results. “There’s a reason glycolic is the acid used the most in anti-aging products and doctor’s-office peels,” says Hirsch. “It does the job.” Almost as well as a prescription retinoid… acid pads to help clear pores and retexturize skin. Some dermatologists believe that no one talks about how glycolic acid changes the structure of the skin because then the FDA will call it a drug, regulate it, and suddenly we’ll need to see a doctor to get it. But the truth is that it regenerates collagen, thickens the epidermis and dermis, and evens skin tone.”
Acne Concerns
So we’ve started the skin renewal process with chemical exfoliation, now we want to treat acne and prevent breakouts. Taking supplements helps me a lot with this, but I still get zits from time to time since I’m super oily and have a bad habit of touching my face. I like to use niacinamide, salicylic acid, and benzoyl peroxide to penetrate the skin and cleanse. I’m always trying to be proactive with acne- skincare is just as important when my face is clear to prevent breakouts. Check out this article to read about the benefits of niacinamide. Panoxyl 10% (from Target) is my secret weapon face wash when my skin is breaking out.
Moisturize
Chemical exfoliation, acne treatments, charcoal masks, and all the skin renewal were focusing on are great, but you have to protect that fresh new skin. For way too long, I thought I should dry out my skin to combat the oil. The opposite is true- lather up on moisturizer morning and night and your skin won’t overproduce as much oil. I also want to moisten my pores so that any gunk in there has a direct path out to the surface to wash away when I cleanse. If you’re repeatedly drying it out, dirt and oil gets trapped in there. I want my pores to be slick as a slip and slide (lol) for all the chemical exfoliation and pore cleansing I’m doing to pull the deep gunk and dead skin out rather than be stuck in dry layers of skin.
It can be nerve wracking to put on a heavy moisturizer when you’re oily, but I promise it’s for the best to create and protect a healthy and strong skin barrier. My favorite nighttime moisturizer for glowing healthy skin is Egyptian Magic. When I’m exhausted and just need to slap on something simple, I go for Cerave SA lotion or their classic Daily Moisturizing lotion. Either of those from Cerave are great for morning or before makeup, but I use Ponds with the blue top daily. It keeps my skin feeling plump, hydrated, and protected all day under my sunscreen, plus it fits in my bag that I use to get ready for work. If you have dry skin I’d highly recommend using Ponds. To take the hydration up a notch, apply an essence before moisturizer like this one to help absorption.
Masking
For me there are two masking strategies- to soothe and hydrate my skin or battle future breakouts by removing dirt and oil. For tightening my skin and getting a deep pore treatment, I love charcoal, clay, glycolic, and fruit enzyme masks. For a soothing and replenishing version, I like masks that provide moisture and nutrients. Origins Hello, Calm mask is my favorite moisturizing mask. I keep it in the fridge to feel extra soothing. For a leave- on sleeping mask, I use this night cream. I was looking into the Summer Fridays mask, and this Derma-E one has the same active ingredients for a lot less. That’s pretty much how I choose any product- when I heard great things about the Dermalogica clay oat mask, I looked into why people like it. The actives in it are niacinamide and salicylic acid, so I bought the Cerave SA lotion with both of those.
De-Puff
Facial massage is so incredible for getting rid of bloat and bringing blood to the face. You can do this a few different ways. Try an ice roller on clean skin- focus on rolling jawline, cheekbones, brow, and cheeks, or add Bio Oil into your nighttime moisturizer and mindfully massage it around- get a little on your eyelashes to stimulate growth while you’re at it. Count to 60 while using face wash and just use two fingers to get into all the crevices of your face. Mindfully applying products like this gives attention to all the nooks and crannies instead of just slapping it on your cheeks with both hands.
About every two weeks I do a physical exfoliation with the PTR pumpkin enzyme mask or No.7 Boots Total Renew microdermabrasion exfoliant. They have tiny beads that slough away dead skin and stimulate blood flow when you massage them in circular motions. I feel like our generation grew up overdoing it on the physical exfoliation though, so go easy. Chemical exfoliation is the way to go 99% of the time. The infamous apricot scrub is a great one for legs/ feet/ body, but keep it away from your face.
When I’ve been eating like shit, my skin shows it. I breakout less and look less puffy when I’m not eating garbage. My skin looks best when I’m eating low carb, drinking a gallon of water a day, taking supplements, and avoiding sugar and alcohol, especially beer. Track your food in MyFitnessPal to take a good look at your diet. Instead of feeling like you should cut “bad” things out, it helps me to add in the good stuff. Add more water and you may not feel like getting a soda. Chug a Hydro Flask of water before your first cup of coffee. Fill up with a huge salad with protein for dinner, and you might not crave a late night snack. I have a major appetite, so I like a low carb lifestyle with huge quantities of healthy food. Being healthy makes my skin glow just as much as any expensive skincare treatment.
Water is HUGE for me- if you don’t currently have a full water bottle beside you right now, go fill one up. Keep it within reach at all times and make it a habit. I finish water quickly when I drive or when I’m at work so I make sure to keep a full water bottle with me in the car & at my desk. When I don’t eat very healthy, I try to make up for it by drinking extra water and trying to help with digestion. Being hydrated lowers my appetite, so everything goes hand in hand.
Steam & Dermaplane
My favorite face to apply makeup on is a dermaplaned face. I would never tell someone that I need them to dermaplane before I put on their makeup out of politeness, but this is my blog where I can be honest. It takes away dead skin & peach fuzz all over the face, creating a perfectly smooth canvas makeup won’t cling to. Here’s a video I made of how I do it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5PXrmMszwY
Cleanse your face, then wet a washcloth to make it hot and steamy and lay it on your face. This will soften skin, take off any other dirt, and get your face wet. Gently shave your face with one of these razors. They’re better than the Tinkle version everyone talks about. Make sure the razor is clean and go in small sections so you don’t cut yourself or end up without an eyebrow. Stay away from your brows until you get the hang of it. Focus around your sideburns, jawline, lip, chin, and cheekbones. Do another steamy washcloth treatment afterwards to lightly exfoliate. Making sure your face is damp is key, you’ll notice dead skin build up coming off as you go.
Supplements
It’s easier to remember to take vitamins when it’s making you prettier. Everyone has different needs, but I take spearmint, vitamin A, l-lysine, collagen, probiotics, hemp oil, magnesium, & fish oil. Here are a couple articles to get you started to figure out what’s best for you: https://intothegloss.com/2016/08/beauty-supplements-that-work/
https://stylecaster.com/beauty/best-skin-supplements/slide1
Routine
Morning:
- Cleanse with Cerave Renewing SA Cleanser, Pixi Glow Mud, or CosRX low PH
2. Tone with Nip + Fab Extreme Glycolic or Stridex pad (3-4x per week)
3. Moisturize with Ponds, apply SPF
Night:
- Cleanse with Philosophy Purity
- Cleanse with Cerave renewing SA Cleanser, or Panoxyl if you’re acne- prone.
- Serum or essences
- Moisturize with Egyptian Magic or Cerave SA Lotion
Extras
- Mask (once a week)
2. No.7 Total Renew Microdermabrasion (once every 1.5- 2 weeks)
3. Dermaplaning (once every 1.5- 2 weeks)
4. Skin supplements (daily)
5. Drink a gallon of water, lower sugar & alcohol intake. (Daily)
6. Change pillowcases & sheets (at least once a week)
7. Wash makeup brushes (at least monthly)
8. Steamy washcloth (once per week)
I hope this helped give you a some guidance for a regimen to get into for your skin to look its best on your wedding day or any day. Like I said before, don’t start this all a week out from your wedding. If you’re looking at this super late, just start double cleansing your skin & moisturizing morning and night. Ideally you incorporate this routine literally now, even if you plan on getting married in three to four years. One more tip to prevent wrinkles before I sign out- stop furrowing your brow and relax your forehead. Wear sunglasses so you’re never squinting outside.
I’m semi- consistently posting skincare recommendations on my Instagram, @Kimandmakeup. Check out my SKIN highlight on there to see some of these in action. This post has more skincare recommendations if you’re interested in how I’ve picked some of these out and found great drugstore alternatives for the high end stuff. Thank you for reading!
-Kim
Comments