One of the most important parts of your wedding day is feeling confident in your own skin. You want to glow brighter than you ever have, and the last thing you want is pimples and blemishes on your wedding day. However, the stresses of planning, preparing and making your special day a success can wreak havoc on your skin. And, while stress by itself can derail your day, it can also make you more likely to break out in acne, rashes and other skin issues… ruining your picture-perfect wedding.
When you’re stressed, cortisol is released from your adrenal glands. A surge in cortisol increases sebum production, which triggers acne. It also triggers inflammatory pathways, which can worsen almost any skin issue.
Chronically high levels of cortisol can also lead to sugar cravings, and eating sugar increases inflammation and breakouts.
The good news is there are ways to curb your wedding stress as well as natural beauty tips and tricks to help ensure your skin is perfect for your big day. Whether your skin is breaking out easily, uneven, sensitive, inflamed, starting to show signs of aging, or you’re just noticing your skin is dull or dry, here are some natural skin care solutions for one week to three weeks before your wedding day.
One week before your wedding day
In the week leading up to your wedding, you may be concerned about pimples and blemishes that may appear. Don’t stress (that makes your skin worse)! Here are some simple tips to focus on the week before your wedding:
1. Curb your intake of sugar and dairy.
Two of the most common acne triggers are sugar and dairy. When you eat sugary foods, your blood sugar rises and so do your insulin levels, which can increase sebum production and lead to acne breakouts. In other pathways, eating sugar and dairy leads to inflammation, which can trigger a host of additional skin concerns. Save that indulgence for the wedding reception – the last thing you want on your wedding day is a large blemish!
2. Incorporate stress management, daily.
Every bride and groom deals with stress. This is a completely normal part of getting married, whether it is making sure every detail is in place, worrying about the weather, or just plain nerves!
Because of this stress, there is no better time to practice breathwork, meditation, yoga, and other stress management practices to clear your mind of pre-wedding jitters. For Emmett and Heath skin types, managing stress is particularly important so you can avoid skin issue flare-ups right before your wedding.
Breathwork Exercises
Breathing is something we do without thinking about it; however, it is a powerful stress-relief tool. Here is a breathwork practice that you can complete anywhere, anytime – even fifteen minutes before you walk down the aisle.
- Sit in a relaxing position with your eyes closed.
- Place one hand on your chest and the other on your lower abdomen.
- For five to ten minutes, just focus on your breath, noticing your inhalation and your exhalation.
- As you inhale, allow your lower abdomen to swell like a balloon.
- With each breath out, practice relaxing your jaw and shoulders.
- If your mind wanders, bring your focus back to your breath.
3. Do DIY face masks to brighten and rejuvenate your skin.
There are many DIY mask recipes, but one of my favorites to do within a week of a special event is my DIY Strawberry Yogurt Face Mask. It contains natural and beneficial nutrients your skin will love. Strawberries are rich in Vitamin C and other antioxidants that offer skin brightening, lightening, and anti-aging benefits for Amber- and Sage-types. They’re good for oily and acne-prone Olivia skin as well, as they help remove excess sebum. If you are an Olivia-type, add clay for sebum-balancing effects. Note: If you have an allergy to berries, use 1/2 cup cubed watermelon here instead.
You will need:
- 3 large organic strawberries, stemmed and roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon (15 g) organic plain yogurt
- 1 tablespoon (20 g) organic raw honey
- 1 tablespoon (7.6 g) French green clay or bentonite clay (be sure to include this ingredient if you’re an Olivia skin type)
Directions:
In a small bowl, thoroughly mash the strawberries with a fork, or purée them in a food processor. Add the yogurt, honey, and clay (if using); blend well. Apply the mask evenly to the skin. Leave it on for 10 to 20 minutes; rinse with warm water.
Note: Keep refrigerated in a covered container, and use within 3 days of making. If you use clay, use the mask soon—it grows mold quickly.
4. Exfoliate correctly for vibrant-looking skin.
When performed correctly, exfoliation helps remove dead, dull surface skin cells to reveal fresh, glowing skin underneath. It also enhances the effectiveness of your daily skincare routine.
Be sure to avoid over-exfoliation since it can cause inflammation and may even damage your skin. You want your exfoliant to be gentle rather than harsh. And you want an exfoliant that is full of nutrients, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory properties. When you use an exfoliant correctly, your skin should look and feel softer and have a beautiful glow.
Once you choose the correct exfoliant for your skin, you can exfoliate one to two times the week before your wedding.
With sensitive types, be sure to do a skin patch test on the inside of your jawline before applying to your entire face. Use a light touch; you don’t need a lot of force. Let the exfoliant do the work for you. Work the product over your skin using circular movements, being extra gentle in the eye area. A gentle, natural exfoliant is good for all skin types because it is not harsh for sensitive skin.
Three weeks before your wedding day
With weeks to go before your wedding day, you can focus on rejuvenating your skin from the inside out. It takes about 30 days for the skin to complete its cell turnover process (maybe a bit longer if you’re a Sage skin type), so start now to heal your skin from within!
1. Eat clean and green.
Now is the time to give your diet a makeover. Start by boosting your vegetable intake to five or more servings per day. This helps give you a healthy dose of antioxidants and fiber, which help nourish your skin from the inside out.
Fiber is an essential nutrient that improves digestion, blood sugar balance, nutrient absorption, and intestinal microflora balance.
That doesn’t mean you should carb up though! Switch from grains to greens for optimal fiber and nutritional boost. The antioxidants in leafy greens help fight oxidizing free radicals that cause signs of aging.
2. Heal your gut.
You might be surprised that healthy skin starts with the gut. An optimal gut microbiome contains friendly bacteria that help keep out harmful bacteria and parasites that influence the health of the body and the skin. To start improving your gut health, you can consume foods and drinks rich in balancing probiotics, prebiotics, and fiber. This includes leafy greens, kombucha, and sauerkraut. A probiotics supplement can also assist with balancing your gut microbiome.
3. Nourish your skin.
While you’re nourishing your skin from within, don’t forget to add nourishment to your skin on the outside, too. Your skin care routine should focus on minimizing redness and inflammation. If your skin is inflamed or sensitive, applying a homemade face mask like my Oat, Green Tea, and Yogurt Face Mask can be used year-round. It contains skin-loving ingredients that are hydrating and have anti-inflammatory properties. That makes it an excellent choice for wedding skin care.
Here’s what you will need:
- ¼ cup (30 g) oat flour
- 2 tablespoons (30 g) plain organic yogurt
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) brewed green tea, cooled
Directions:
In a small bowl, mix the flour, yogurt, and green tea. Apply evenly to your face. Leave it on for 10 to 20 minutes; rinse with warm water. This recipe makes enough for three to four applications.
4. Use balancing skin care for glowing results.
Did you know that your skin has its own microbiome, just like your gut does? Skin treatments with harmful ingredients can disrupt the pH balance your skin needs to stay clear from blemishes and breakouts. This is very important for Olivia skin types.
Ideally, our skin sits at a 5.5 pH level, which is slightly acidic.
When your skin pH is off, it can cause irritability, redness, and interrupt normal oil production. To balance your skin’s pH, use products that are formulated in the 4.6-5.0 pH range. If you don’t know what the pH levels of your skin care products are, you can find out by using a simple pH strip.
5. Reduce the need for makeup.
If you’re struggling with uneven skin tone (like an Amber skin type) and makeup has been your only solution to a smooth and even complexion, add a boost of antioxidants both internally and externally. A quick way to do this is by taking an astaxanthin supplement. Astaxanthin is a red pigment found in microalgae that have powerful antioxidant properties to benefit skin health. It also has anti-inflammatory properties. And, use antioxidant-rich skin care products like Step 2 Antioxidant Serum.
By reducing the need for makeup, you can let your true, natural beauty shine on your wedding day. And if you want to glow even more, here’s my wedding day tip.
On my wedding day, I used The Spa Dr.’s Step 4 Glow Boost – my bottle of “liquid gold” and the fourth step in The Spa Dr.’s 4-Step Skin Care System. Glow Boost hydrates the skin with a beautiful blend of natural organic plant oils and powerful antioxidants – including Vitamin E, one of the best skin-healing nutrients.
6. Follow a plan.
If you’re ready for a more specific and structured plan, you have time to do my two-week plan for clear, radiant skin. You can access the plan in my book, Clean Skin from Within). This four-step plan helps you improve what is on your plate. It also teaches you how to replace harmful toxins in your skin care products, what supplements you need to encourage toxin removal and body cleansing, and how to clear your mind of emotional clutter. It’s the perfect reset plan to help you achieve your wellness and skin goals for your wedding day.
7. Practice gratitude.
Before a wedding is a perfect time to reflect on what you are truly grateful for. For many people, it is a celebration where friends and family will gather to celebrate love. And even bigger than that – you have chosen to share your life with someone else! That is pretty special. There are many ways to express gratitude, a way to appreciate the special people, experiences, and things in your life. You can practice gratitude in any way that you want. You can write a letter to a loved one, remember a special blessing, say a prayer, or keep a gratitude journal. Maybe before the wedding, you write a letter of gratitude to your significant other. Focusing on the good stuff will help take away stress.
So, take a deep breath and de-stress with these natural beauty and skin care tips because when your skin is smooth and naturally radiant, you will be able to smile and feel your best on your wedding day.
And if it rains (remember, that’s good luck!), you won’t have to worry about your makeup revealing blemishes and other skin problems. It doesn’t take a lot of time to put good wedding skin care habits into practice. And by setting up these habits now, you can build a healthy foundation for your wedding skin care routine.
Congratulations on your wedding, and feeling confident in your skin!
To find out if you’re an Olivia, Amber, Sage, Emmett or Heath Skin Type and how to address the root causes of your skin issues, you can take The Spa Dr.’s Skin Quiz.
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