Oh, fellow 2020 brides, what a ride it’s been. If there were one teensy silver lining to wedding season being postponed, green-lit, then thrown up in the air again  it’s that you have more time to prep and revel in the process before the big day comes and goes. If you said goodbye to your 2020 wedding date and traded for one next year, look on the bright side – you now have plenty of time to create a full-fledged beauty timeline that can easily be done at home! There’s not a bride in the world that isn’t concerned about looking picture perfect on her wedding day. As a bride-to-be, the makeup artist does play an important role in making you look gorgeous. But lets take a step backward. Good skin gives the artist a more malleable canvas to work with. Wedding skincare is simple. Your skin must be clean, radiant and have a natural glow. It isn’t rocket science & it’s never too soon to kickstart a bridal beauty regimen for glowy skin and healthy hair. So let us look at a few tips and tricks to get you glowing skin right at home. The best part about these tricks is that they can assist you with good skincare even after your special day.  And what better time to get started than when you’re stuck at home?

Start a skin rich diet
Your diet is a constant reminder that what you put into your body will impact your skin’s appearance. Skin food includes a diet rich in vitamins and minerals, Omega 3 fatty acids such as those found in herring, salmon and mackerel are necessary for plump and supple skin. Leafy green vegetables such as kale, spinach and broccoli promote your iron intake, and sweet potatoes, tomatoes and walnuts also have essential benefits. Green tea also boasts detoxifying properties with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory qualities, as well as being known as a metabolic booster.
Minimise your UV exposure that can lead to pigmentation, collagen breakdown, dry and dehydrated skin.

Drinking At least 8-12 Glasses of Water Daily
If your body is clean from inside, your skin will naturally glow! Drinking water will not only help you flush out toxins but will also help with weight loss. Keep yourself well hydrated is an act one must all learn. For a bride with all the stress that comes along with planning a wedding, hydration will keep her healthy and radiant. Carrying a bottle of water along with you everywhere you go is a good habit which everyone must follow.

Commit to good skincare habits
Since you’re about to make one of life’s biggest commitments, sticking to a regular skincare regime should be relatively easy. For total beginners, a great place to start is with a simple cleanser, exfoliator, moisturiser and SPF. To take your current regime up a notch, consider adding a retinol, vitamin C and face mask Starting now means you’ll have plenty of time to assess what products work best with your skin and tweak your routine accordingly, so by the time your wedding day rolls around your complexion will be suitably radiant.

1. Identify Your Skin Type

There are five different types of skin: oily, dry, normal, combination & sensitive. Knowing your skin type will help you put together a routine that suits your skin’s specific needs. Your skin type is determined by how much — or how little — oil your skin produces, it can vary at different times during our lives due to illness or for other reasons.

A. Normal Skin

Normal skin is neither too oily nor too dry. It has balanced sebum production and good blood circulation.

• Smooth texture
• Fine pores
• No sensitivity
• No blemishes
  
  

Few or no breakouts When choosing the best moisturizer for normal skin, you need something that will hydrate and soften.

If you have dry or normal skin, look for cream-based cleansers with hydrating ingredients like honey, hyaluronic acid, shea butter, glycerine,

La Roche -Posay Hydrating Gentle soap Free Cleanser lipids/oils and ceramides.

Enriched with moisturizing ingredients like glycerine, ceramide-3 and prebiotic thermal water, this creamy facial cleanser gently lifts off dirt, excess oil, makeup and impurities from the skin while restoring essential moisture — leaving your skin clean, soft and supple.

Normal skin can exfoliate two to three times per week. While normal skin has the most options, if you exfoliate too much, you will do more harm than good.

B. Oily Skin

Oily skin is characterized by a greasy appearance. This skin type is prone to acne breakouts. Oily skin is the result of excess sebum production.

• Greasy appearance
• Open/Big pores
• Prone to breakouts
  
  

Control your oily skin by choosing lightweight moisturizers which are oil-free or non-greasy. Look for products which contain hyaluronic acid in a lotion, serum or gel formula to ensure that hydration is locked in while grease is banished.

Foaming or gel cleansers are your best bet if you’ve oily skin. “Pick a cleanser with non-comedogenic ingredients (such as aloe Vera, green tea, citric acid, grapeseed oil and neem oil) so it won’t clog your pores, If you’re prone to blackheads, look for the ones that contain salicylic acid,

Olehenriksens find balance oil Control Cleanser

Formulated with OLEHENRIKSEN’s signature blend of green tea, eucalyptus, algae and Irish moss (Green Fusion Complex) along with neem seed oil, this foaming cleanser deep cleanses the pores and reduces oil production. While additional ingredients like glycerin and lactic acid boost hydration, leaving your skin fresh, soft and supple.

Exfoliation Is Crucial For Oily Skin . Your skin has a higher tolerance for the heavy-duty stuff you can exfoliate up to five times a week. Ones with Salicylic acid is the best option for exfoliating oily skin for its ability to penetrate your pores, prevent acne, and reduce overall blemishes in a mild but extremely effective manner. you can exfoliate up to five times a week.

C. Dry Skin

Dry skin is determined by flaky and rough texture. It can at times feel tight and cause irritation.

• Flaky and rough skin
• Uneven texture
• Itching
  
  

Skin feels tight Quench your thirsty skin with the right kind of moisturiser. Look for powerful and rich products in creams and gels which contain hydrating ingredients, like shea butter, hyaluronate, ceramides and lanolin. These moisturising superheroes will have your complexion glowing and skin perfectly smooth in no time. Just make sure you double down with both a day and night moisturiser to ensure ultimate hydration.

If you have dry or normal skin, look for cream-based cleansers with hydrating ingredients like honey, hyaluronic acid, shea butter, glycerin, lipids/oils and ceramides Cream cleansers are deeply moisturizing cleansers. This makes them preferable for dry skin.

Korres Greek Yoghurt Foaming Cream

This indulgent, foaming cream cleanser from Korres is formulated with skin-nourishing ingredients like Greek yogurt concentrate, castor oil, rice protein, honeysuckle and amaranth seed extract. Its ultra-rich formula easily nixes makeup residue, grime and other impurities while providing intense moisturization and soothing tired skin.

Exfoliation is essential for dry or flaky skin If you do not exfoliate regularly, layers of dead skin cells will sit on the very top of your skin, making it hard for your other skincare products to penetrate and do their job, such as moisturizing. Glycolic acid is one of the best exfoliating ingredients for dry skin types, thanks to its water-attracting properties.

D. Combination Skin

Combination skin is a mix of oily skin and dry skin. Usually in combination skin types, the T-zone is oily and the cheeks are dry.

• Oily T-zone and dry cheeks
• Breakouts only on forehead, chin and nose
• Sensitive cheeks
  
  

It can be hard to find the right facial moisturiser when you have combination skin. Do you invest in a product that will rid you of those pesky dry patches or one that will help you take care of those annoying oily spots? Too much of either and you’ll likely find yourself exacerbating your skin problems rather than solving them. The answer is to opt for a lightweight moisturiser and concentrate it on the areas you need it most. Apply more moisturiser to typically dry areas such as the cheeks and jawline and less to the naturally oily T-zone of your forehead and nose.

If you have combination skin, I recommends using a non-foaming gel cleanser.

Glow Recipe Blueberry Bounce Gentle Cleanser

This K-beauty fan favourite is enriched with skin-nourishing ingredients like blueberry and raspberry extract, hyaluronic acid, coconut oil and liquorice root extract. The 3-in-1 facial cleanser melts away all traces of makeup, effectively purges sebum and other impurities, tackles blemishes and brightens complexion — all the while replenishing and locking in natural moisture.

E. Sensitive Skin

If your skin flushes with spicy food and adversely reacts to new products, you may have sensitive skin.

• Skin feels itchy and tight
• Parts of your body have uneven texture
• Becomes oily in summers
• Gets dry in winters
• Reacts to skincare
• Becomes red after a hot water bath
• Feels itchy while wearing tight clothes
  
  

Whether you have allergies, rosacea or eczema, save yourself the trouble and always buy products which calm sensitivity. Choose fragrance-free options to reduce your risk of irritation and avoid moisturizers that use any sunscreen ingredient other than zinc or titanium. Always look out for gentle, cream moisturizers which contain natural ingredients and remember to patch-test new products.

Reach for products that are minimalist: no artificial fragrances or harsh chemicals. If you’ve sensitive skin, opt for mild cleansers with a fragrance-free, sulphate-free formula. Also, “avoid foaming cleansers as they can remove too much natural moisture

For sensitive skin: Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser

Its mild, non-irritating formula gently cleanses skin without leaving it stripped or tight.

You should be extra gentle and exfoliate with a warm, wet washcloth or a mild chemical exfoliant with lower active ingredient percentages once or twice a week, max. Scrubs with beady parts usually just irritate this skin type and should be skipped.

Try This!

Take a sheet of blotting paper and gently pat it on your face. Hold it against a bright light. If you see little to no oil, you likely have dry skin. If the sheet picks up some oil from the T-zone, you have combination or normal skin. If it picks up oil from all parts of your face, you likely have oily skin

To take your current regime up a notch, consider adding a retinol, vitamin C and face mask!

2. Adding New Products Into Your Routine

While putting together a routine you will likely experiment with a few different products before settling on one as you discover how your skin reacts to different skincare ingredients.

The most important thing you can do here is to only introduce new products into your routine ONE at a time. That means if you decide you need a new cleanser you won’t also start using a new moisturizer without giving the cleanser a test run for a couple weeks

The reason being is that if you happen to breakout or your skin gets irritated you now have NO idea which product is causing you the trouble.

Two weeks is a long enough time to test whether a skincare product plays nicely with your skin.

You can also do something called a patch test which is basically applying a small amount of product to a secluded area of your skin (say behind the ear) to check for any allergic reactions or inflammation. This can give you a rough idea of whether you can tolerate it but note that some people take days or even weeks before they notice any adverse reactions so this isn’t foolproof.

Incorporate Eye Cream and Lip Balm

Caring for your complexion is important, but so is giving your under-eyes and lips a little TLC. Don’t forget to add an eye cream and lip balm into your routine, so you look bright-eyed and hydrated walking down the aisle.

Apply A Sunscreen

This may not be a homemade recipe but discovering the perfect sunscreen and moisturizer for your skin is vital. It is a little daily pampering for the skin. Moisturizers will keep your skin supple and hydrated while a sunscreen will protect you from the harsh effects of UV rays. Establish a good skincare routine and you will see an instant change in your skin. Some natural moisturizers include honey and banana. Making a paste of these two for your skin will help you achieve nourished and happy skin.

Get 8 Hours Of Sleep, Daily!

Sleep helps the muscles in the skin and body to relax. Good sleep will make your skin glow, get rid of dark circles and leave you feeling healthy and energetic. It may be difficult to sleep closer to your wedding day. Establishing a sleep routine months before you get married helps because your body gets used to a sleeping pattern and you will doze off to sleep at the time you have set for yourself.

Get moving

In the age of fitness apps and Youtube, it’s never been easier to follow an at-home exercise regimen. Barre, pilates, and yoga are fun and effective ways to tone up without much equipment. And let’s not underestimate the mental and physical benefits of regular walks and runs around the neighborhood!
Schedule self-care days

Honestly, the most important thing you could do for your beauty (inside and out!) is to take time for self-care. Schedule regular margins in your week to tend to yourself, however that looks. Stress wreaks havoc to the skin, so find activities that bring you to your happy place.

Stay Safe Everyone,
G, xx