There’s a lot to do when planning a wedding. You need to find the ideal venue, dress, photographer, caterer…and skincare routine. Yes, preparing your skin for your wedding is just as important as any other task on your to-do list for your special day. And like those other tasks, the sooner you get started, the better.
Follow our suggestions for establishing a beauty routine and bridal skincare timeline, so you’re absolutely glowing when it’s time to walk down the aisle.
Foundation for a Bridal Skincare Routine at Home
An effective daily skincare routine ensures you’ll look radiant at your wedding (and in all your wedding photos). It should include:
Cleanser
This first step in your skincare routine is essential because it sets the stage for everything that comes after. The ultimate cleanser is powerful enough to remove pore-clogging grime and makeup, yet gentle enough to hydrate skin without stripping it. You may want to consider trying a double cleanse–start with a balm that wipes away impurities, then use a lighter cleanser for a refreshing reset.
Exfoliator
Let your joy shine through in a luminous complexion that’s not dulled by a buildup of dead skin cells. Exfoliating with alpha hydroxy, beta hydroxy, or poly-hydroxy acids clears the surface of your skin for a brighter and healthier appearance.
Follow the directions on your exfoliator; overuse can irritate the skin. Another option: a gentle daily toner with exfoliating actives that conditions and purifies your complexion.
Moisturizer
You’ve prepared and nourished your skin–now it’s ready to soak up all-important moisture. Properly hydrated skin reduces the appearance of lines or dark spots, improves tone, texture and elasticity, calms the look of redness, and strengthens the moisture barrier for better protection from environmental aggressors.
Sunscreen
Last but certainly not least, sunscreen protects your skin from UV damage such as wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, and sagginess. Your sunscreen should be a minimum SPF 30 and offer broad spectrum coverage from the sun’s UVA and UVB rays.
Extras
Supplement the basics of your wedding skincare routine with any other products you want to include, such as a soothing self-care mask, a hydrating eye cream to diminish circles or puffiness, or a serum targeting specific skin issues.
How to Create a Bridal Skincare Timeline
You’ve said “yes” to your future spouse–now it’s time to commit to your bridal skincare routine. Here’s what to do for beautiful wedding-day skin:
1 Year Before the Wedding
See Your Dermatologist
Get a professional assessment of your skin’s needs so you know what products to incorporate in your at-home skincare routine. This is also the time to set up a schedule of in-office treatments, such as lasers, peels, or hair removal, for the coming year.
Implement a Bridal Skincare Routine at Home
Use your dermatologist’s suggestions to shop for your products. This will give your products plenty of time to get to work to deliver results; some ingredients, such as retinol, produce the best results with consistent use over time. You’ll also have plenty of time to switch your skincare if a product irritates or causes a reaction on your skin.
Find a Makeup Artist
You’ll want to test different looks for your wedding, of course. But it also helps to know what kind of products your makeup artist uses to ensure they work well with your skin and don’t inflame or irritate.
6 Months Before the Wedding
Find Ways to Chill Out
Your life is only going to get more hectic in the next several months. Find a way to relieve stress so it doesn’t show up on your face in the form of worry lines or breakouts. Practice breathing and relaxation exercises or try meditation; energize and get endorphins flowing with regular workouts, whether it’s CrossFit or yoga.
Nourish Skin from the Inside
Give your skin extra hydration by drinking plenty of water each day. Aim for consuming 2.7 liters (11.5 cups) of fluids daily. And a whole-foods diet of produce, whole grains, lean protein, nuts, and seeds supplies vitamins, minerals, and other micronutrients that keep skin looking its best.
2 Months Before the Wedding
Pause the Peels
At this point, you won’t have much more time to recover from intensive dermatology treatments so make this the last one. You can talk with an esthetician at your favorite day spa to see what gentle facials you can schedule in the weeks to come; your last facial should take place about a week before your wedding.
Book any Body Treatments
It’s time to think about all-over skincare. Make any necessary appointments for spray tanning, waxing, body scrubs, or wraps. And be sure to use bodycare products at home for everyday moisturizing.
Focus on Your Hands
Everyone will want to look at your sparkling new ring, so your hands need to be silky-soft and smooth. Add a luxurious hand cream to your bridal skincare routine.
1 Week Before You Say “I Do”
Get Your Rest
Last-minute preparations, and the excitement and anticipation you’re feeling, may keep you up at night. Do what you can to get as much sleep as possible so you look well-rested for the wedding day. It’s recommended that adults get seven to nine hours of sleep each night.
Get Rolling
Facial massages boost circulation for glowy skin and also drain excess fluid to ease puffiness. This is easy to do at home with a face roller that you use each morning after you wake up.
Go Gentle
Keep skin calm and stress-free in the days leading up to the wedding. You may want to stick to your gentler skincare products and avoid exfoliation.
Day of the Wedding
Stick with Your Wedding Skincare Routine
Now’s not the time to try something new that could upset your complexion. Make sure to moisturize your face and body so your skin looks and feels luscious.
Quick Fixes vs. Long-Term Options
This bridal skincare timeline is built for the long-term but what if you start only weeks before your wedding? There are some quick fixes you can try:
● Schedule a facial if you have at least a week until the ceremony.
● Find products with powerful ingredients that help skin look firmer, smoother, and more supple.
● Use blotting papers to control sebum production for oily skin the day of the wedding.
● Target pimples with a serum designed to fight acne.
● Use the face roller for any puffiness on the wedding day.
● Smile–you will be a beautiful bride.
Skincare Tips for the Groom
Grooms don’t have to feel left out. They can use genderless products to create a skincare routine, following the same timeline above. Men should also eat well and exercise, and stay properly hydrated to look and feel fantastic, inside and out.
Augustinus Bader Skincare for Brides
Augustinus Bader has everything you need for your bridal skincare routine (or for the groom, too). Among our recommended products:
Shop our collection of products today.
