With all the planning that takes place during wedding preparations, it's important to carve out some time for yourself. Ideally we are supposed to workout, eat healthy, get plenty of rest and drink lots of water. With my bridal shower only a few weeks away it was time to take action. I signed myself up for yoga and booked a facial right away. Whether you are a blushing bride or just want to have amazing skin, here are a few points my esthetician shared with me to get your skin ready for the big day.
1) Don't go overboard with procedures. I walked into the facial, thinking I need to spend a lot of money and go in for microdermabrasion, maybe even a peel. Luckily, I have a very honest esthetician. She told me that I don't really need any of those and that she will do a deep cleaning about once a month before the wedding and that will be enough. This made total sense. Our skin is so fragile; the best thing to do is take care of it like a silk scarf. Keep it clean but also be gentle with it. I myself have very sensitive skin but microdermabrasion might be a great idea for other brides, if you have rougher thicker skin. Ask questions and find out what is the ideal for you based on their expertise.
2) Wash your make up off every night, even if you’ve had a long day and it's the last thing you feel like doing. Make sure you do this every night. SK-II Facial Treatment Cleanser is great because not only does it remove all the dirt and make up, it also keeps the skin hydrated. My favorite part of it is the very subtle soothing scent of rose.
3) Use a Vitamin C serum in the evening. Sometimes Vitamin C makes your skin more sensitive to sun exposure. As a general rule, any strong product should be used in the evening because most likely your skin is not exposed to sunlight when you’re asleep (unless you live in Denmark). As far as the Vitamin C serum goes, I am still using my Obagi Professional-C Serum but I bumped up from 10% to 20%, and I definitely notice a huge difference.
4) Moisturize. The La Mer The Moisturizing Lotion in the Ultralight Lotion formula was perfect. It's light but still gives you a radiant glow. This was specifically designed for warm weather climates.
5) Use a serum that contains Peptides and Hyaluronic Acid. Basically these are great for wrinkles and give you that added plump we all could use. Use this after you have washed your face, after your toner if you use one and before your moisturizer. La Prairie Cellular Radiance Concentrate Pure Gold is a fantastic serum not just for the face but also your neck and décolletage, areas that need special care as well.
6) Use sunscreen daily. Just like a dentist tells you to floss, chances are when you get a facial you get the lecture about sunscreen. It's time to get your act together and wear sunscreen rain or shine. Don't give up and keep trying samples of different sunscreens to find one that’s gentle enough for you but still effective. Since I was using La Mer's moisturizer, I figured why not try out the sunscreen as well. La Mer The Reparative Face Sun Lotion SPF30 is not your average sunscreen, it protects your skin from harmful rays but is also very nourishing. Usually whatever is left on my fingers from applying on my face and neck I just use the rest on the back of my hands. The most important tip for a glow is to be happy. This can turn into a really stressful time, but don't forget about the big picture, you are celebrating love!
Aline Agopian
