Want flawless skin on your wedding day? The key is starting early. "Obviously good skincare is important at all stages of life but in particular when you're preparing for your wedding day," says Holly Sherrard, education manager at the International Dermal Institute in Toronto. "You should start thinking about skincare from the time you get the ring on your finger," she adds. Here are Sherrard's top tips for achieving a glowing wedding-day complexion.
From the time you get engaged... "SPF! You can never underestimate the power of a good sunscreen," says Sherrard. "And you need to reapply it throughout the day," she adds. "A lot of people think they only need to wear sunscreen when they go tanning or to the beach, but it's not like that and one of the easiest ways to look older is to have pigmentation on your skin." Sherrard recommends reapplying SPF every two hours -- if you don't want to ruin your makeup she says to try a spritzing product or mineral-based makeup, which can also offer some SPF protection. You'll also need to invest in a good cleanser, a good exfoliant and a good moisturizer (preferably with SPF 15 or 30).
Six months before... Go see a skincare professional to determine which products you should be using and whether or not you have skincare conditions that require treatment (such as acne, hyper-pigmentation or fine lines). Most treatment programs require a commitment of six to eight weeks before results are noticeable, according to Sherrard.
A month before... Concentrate on hydration. "Hydration is the one of the key factors to reducing the number of conditions that arise -- everything from acne and pigmentation to dryness and dehydration all go hand-in-hand with whether or not skin is hydrated," says Sherrard. She recommends incorporating a booster, spritz-on toner and daily exfoliant into your regimen. Daily exfoliation with a microfoliating ingredient like rice bran can work wonders, according to Sherrard. "Rice bran not only helps to brighten the skin but it can also decrease dehydration because it helps to bring new cells to the surface and obviously two to three weeks before your wedding you want to have the brightest skin possible," says Sherrard.
A few days before... "Don't go overboard on exfoliation two to three days before your wedding," explains Sherrard. "Any time you have over-exfoliated you could end up with redness, which is the last thing you want on your wedding day."
The day of... "Do a gentle cleansing and apply a masque like Dermalogica's Multivitamin Power Recovery Masque. The multivitamins will help to brighten, nourish and hydrate the skin. It also has oatmeal in it, which helps to calm and soothe any irritation," says Sherrard. "You'll also want to create the best possible palette for your makeup artist by making sure your skin is properly moisturized," she adds. "This will guarantee that your makeup goes on smooth and flawless."
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