The Do’s and Don’ts of Wedding Skin Care – Part 1

From Cris: Remember that time I posted THE BEST guest post ever for y'all (all about ladyparts waxing?)! Whelp, my  old high school friend Millie, a professional Esthetician, is back and this time she’s taking on pre-wedding skin and the importance of supplements!

The Do's and Don'ts of Wedding Skin Care

Late at night staring into the mirror, you think to yourself "I am about to get married in a couple months and I do not look like a bride."  The face you want in your wedding photos is definitely not the one you are staring at. Take a deep breath; you have the ability to help this. I swear you can help yourself without spending thousands of dollars.

Small changes in your daily routine can really help your skin look fabulous for your big day. Most of the recommendations that I have for you require a little bit of research and a LOT of personal commitment. You have to commit to helping yourself for such a special event; no one can do it for you. This commitment to your health will pay off with great skin in your photos.

Image Courtesy of: BlogHer

Product Panic

Before you run to a makeup counter and purchase hundreds of dollars of worth of skin care – think. If these products are so fantastic, why have they not worked for you or for others in the past?

Uh, they aren't magical.

You have to do more than just fall prey to a multibillion dollar industry that markets touched up photos as their results. Skin care products alone cannot undo years of abuse to your skin. You have to start from the inside. Avoid marketing. You want to be a beautiful bride in all of your pictures. Appreciating the looks that you were born with is very important. Coming to terms with this will make the pre-wedding skin prep go better. Supermodels are a bride’s worst marketing enemy.

Image Courtesy of: Prevention

Supplements for Results

Let's start by talking about your skin.  The epidermis is the red-headed step child of the body. If given the chance to be interviewed, your skin would tell you a whole story of abuse and neglect. Nutrients that your vital organs need are taken from what you ingest. The epidermis on the other hand, is given the leftovers. If you are not taking a daily vitamin to supplement this lack of nutrients, your skin will stay in a constant state of struggle.

Choosing a multivitamin can be tricky. As a general rule, acquire a vitamin that is specifically made for women. The additional folic acid and vitamin D are essential to help on a long-term basis. Vegan or vegetarian vitamins vary by manufacture but can be less disruptive to your system. Since they are not regulated by the FDA, you must read the labels and determine if there are the following: Vitamin C, D, B, calcium, folic acid, and potassium. Iron in a multivitamin for women is common but can cause a disruption in your bowel movements; or lack of movement if you will. Keep this in mind.

Many people experience an increased appetite when they first start taking a vitamin. This is common but your body really needs more water due to the increased nutrients that are being processed. The hunger that people feel is your body telling you that you need something to drink – not something to eat. We get these messages mixed all the time. If you find that your vitamin is making you hungry, grab a water bottle and take it everywhere with you.

Taking your multi vitamin in the AM is essential. Pending the amount of Vitamin D3 or D, you may experience a disruption in your sleeping pattern. I recommend that you keep your vitamins by your toothbrush. This will ensure that you actually take it because it is located next to something you have to do every morning anyway.

Image Courtesy of: Dabbo SkinCare Studio

External Conditions Fixed While You Sleep

Once you get on a good multivitamin routine in the morning, it is time to start a evening skin care routine. I know, I know, nighttime is hardly the time that you would like to mess around with a bunch of beauty business. This is where you have to test your commitment with yourself. Do you want to look fabulous in your wedding album? If the answer is yes, commit.

You need to plan on 20 minutes every evening. My first recommendation is to determine what skin "thing" is bothering you the most. Many women suffer from adult acne, dry skin, or rosecea. All of these annoying conditions can be helped by… more supplements! What?! More pills to take! Swallow… and keep reading.

Probiotics supplements have been a staple for many women who invest minimal time on their skin. Probiotics  are the active enzymes and flora that assist our bodies in processing what we consume. If stress, medications, lifestyle, or eating habits kill off what our bodies are naturally sustaining, you must replace them with a supplement.

Lucky for us, pro biotic yogurt and oral supplements are becoming popular and easy to get. Probiotic supplements are a little trickier to take than eating a container of yogurt but will give you better results.  Probiotics come in a pill for that contains billions of active cultures to replace what is being killed off by previously mentioned culprits. These little buggers must be kept cold, I repeat, you must keep probiotic pills cold. There is one probiotic that is shelf stable (Probiotic Pearls) but they are sensitive to heat and cold. I would skip them for this reason.

When searching for your probiotic, you want to buy them from a refrigerated case and immediately take them home to the safety of your fridge. Be sure that the source of your supplement has a decent turnover of products. This will ensure that what you are dragging home will be as beneficial as possible.  Take the supplement as directed every EVENING before bed (it has a tendency to give people gas).

Dry skin? Is it an ongoing battle? The supplement help for this common issue is Biotin. Biotin will help your hair and nails as well. It takes a couple weeks to see the benefits. Don't give up. Ensuring that you are consuming at least 9 cups (2.2 liters) of water per day will help. If you are dieting or exercising, you may need more.

Image Courtesy of: Prevention

Commit to your health and get beautiful skin for your wedding. Maintaining this routine after your wedding will keep your skin looking great for your honeymoon.

Millie Ferguson is an Esthetician and owner of Cosmopolitan SkinCare in Fairbanks, Alaska. Millie is a United States Air Force Veteran, holds a Bachelor’s degree from Park University in Business, attended Esthetics International, and is a member of the Associated Skin Care Professionals. She can be contacted at millie_ferguson@yahoo.com.