Did you recently get engaged? Maybe you’re only a few months away from the big day, or just a few weeks. Like many future brides, one thing you are thinking about or stressing over is – how can you get clear skin on your wedding day? Let’s be real, on your wedding day you want to look FLAWLESS, but how do we prep for that and make sure what we are investing in is actually working.

I collaborated with my facialist, Ginger Hill of SKIN Advanced Holistic Skincare, to get the scoop and to ask her some questions on how to get the best skin for your wedding day. Ginger is known for her hollistic approach to skin, which is how I originally found her. She only uses non-toxic, cruelty free and botanical based products. Also, her facials are pretty magical, which is why I am SO excited to share these amazing tips with you on how to get flawless skin for your wedding day.

So let’s get started….

1)When should I start taking the steps to ensure I have beautiful skin for the big day?

Depending on what you’re trying to tackle, you want to start treatment 2 – 3 months out with professional facial treatments and home care. I recommend a series of 4 or 6 customized facial treatments scheduled 2 – 4 weeks apart, ending about 1 – 2 weeks prior to your wedding day.

If you need corrective facials for acne, scaring and/or pigmentation, I recommend starting 3 – 4 months in advance with 6 – 8 facials done 2 – 4 weeks apart.

2) What should I use for Home Care to keep my skin looking great between facial treatments?

• The correct cleanser for your skin type morning and night
• A mild non-abrasive exfoliator at night
• Correcting serum(s) day and/or night to address anything from dryness, to hyperpigmentation to acne
• An eye cream designed to specifically treat the condition of delicate skin around your eye
• A daily physical (Zinc) SPF 30 or more
• A night moisturizer for your skin type
• A weekly mask to address anything from dryness, to hyperpigmentation to acne

3) Things to avoid in preparation for clear skin on your wedding day?

Now is not the time to try any new, harsh products or treatments.  If you’re going to do something like an IPL, laser, injectables, or anything that will require some downtime and healing, that should happen at least a month prior to your wedding day. Also avoid consuming anything that may cause internal inflammation and disrupt gut health such as too much sugar, alcohol, caffeine, gluten (even if you don’t have Celiac Disease), dairy, and anything else you know to irritate your system.  Consume 1/2 – 1 gallon of clean water, green tea instead of coffee, plenty of vegetables and fruit. Try to eat whole, unprocessed, easily digestible foods.

Lastly, avoid excessive sun exposure.  If you want a tan for your wedding, opt for a spray tan.  Make sure you test the spray tan several weeks prior to your wedding if you’re trying a new practitioner or service. This will help to avoid any surprises 🙂

4) What types of products would be best to help my skin glow and feel plump

• Gentle exfoliation 2 – 4 times a week
• Serums containing alphahydroxy acids, hyaluronic acid and vitamin c.
• Retinal is great for most people, but it’s best to see your aesthetician, who can guide you in the right direction depending on your skin type and condition.
• Read #3 above on what to consume.

5) What brands do you recommend?

There are so many great brands out there that I don’t like to recommend just one. Personally, I use Image Skincare and Cosmedix Skincare for myself and in my treatment room because they’re both very quality, non-toxic, cruelty-free, botanically-based professional products that actually work on the deeper layers of the skin to effect real change.

6) Wedding planning is so overwhelming, how do I make my skin routine easy and stress free and fit in a tight budget while still using products that are not harsh on my skin?

Good skincare does cost more than your drug store variety.  You’re paying for the higher quality ingredients and technology that helps the ingredients to work synergistically together and penetrate deeper into the skin to increase efficacy.  Keep in mind that with quality products, a little goes a long way.  I believe it’s best to buy the right products recommended to you by a professional from the get go so that you know you’re using something that actually works and will not cause issues prior to the big day. Don’t waste your money on products that aren’t right for you and don’t work well.

If you’re going to skimp, keep in mind that it’s more important to invest in the products that are going to stay on your skin such as serums, eye creams, moisturizers and sunscreens.  Nowadays sunscreens offer more than just sun protection, but contain antioxidants and moisturizers so it’s all you need for the day.  I love the Hydrating SPF 30 by Image Skincare.  It’s all I put on my face in the morning along with a drop of Vitamin C serum mixed in.

7) How do I help reduce the appearance of an overnight blemish?

There are several approaches depending on the severity and stage of the blemish.

1. If there’s a white head at the surface, see your aesthetician to have it properly extracted and treated.
2. If it’s a red bump deep beneath the surface, try icing it a few times that day and use a salicylic product such as a pimple patch or acne treatment serum on it.If it’s a large red bump and the above doesn’t work and you’re desperate, take a trip to the dermatologist for a cortisone shot to reduce the inflammation.
3. If you pop the pimple yourself (which I don’t recommend, but I know you’ll be tempted) make sure your skin is clean and fingernails are clean and wrapped in tissue to avoid damaging your skin with your nails. Most people do not know how to use comedone extractors correctly and can give themselves a scar, so I never recommend that to people who don’t know what they’re doing. Apply a pimple patch, serum, astringent or dab of alcohol if your don’t have immediately after on the affected area to kill bacteria.  Never try squeezing anything that does not have a whitehead as it’s not ready and will only get worse.  Opt for recommendation B above.

 

8) Give us your number one advice or tip on keeping our skin blemish free:

My number one advice to keep skin blemish free is proper cleansing.  You should wash your face at least twice a day to remove makeup, dirt and oil.  I like to use a pre-cleanse oil at the end of the day to remove makeup and follow that up with my facial cleanser.  Make sure your face is clean, without makeup prior to working out.  Never go to bed with makeup on.

We hope that these tips and advice helps you feel more confident about achieving clear skin on your wedding day. If you are in the need for a facial or would like to treat yourself for some pre-wedding relaxation Ginger is offering an amazing deal right now! Purchase a package of 5 facials and receive your 6th facial treatment for free when you mention Lauren Dixon Photos. Offer available through December 31st, 2020. Call or text to set up and appointment at (619)823-2037 or visit Ginger’s website here!

 

Check out some other awesome tips from Lauren Dixon here for getting married at the San Diego Courthouse!

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