Your go-to glow guide
While planning a wedding is an exciting experience, it also comes with a certain amount of stress, especially in these uncertain times. It is more important than ever to take time to give yourself a little (or a lot) of TLC. Looking to launch a routine for healthy and hydrated skin? We curated a list of tips from experts to help you get a wedding glow.
Weddings are bliss. However the million pressing details—from planning to execution (including arranging for the perfect honeymoon)—make weddings a highly stressful proposition. And have you noticed that stress takes a major toll on your complexion?
Begin by breathing.
What’s the worst thing that can happen on the most important day of your life? Breakouts, zits, facial flare-ups, irritation and redness, puffy eyes, and dark circles—when you need them the least!
But not to worry. Here are a few wedding prep tips from the wellness/skincare team at For The Biome to keep your mind, emotions, and skin as chill as can be.
Take time for daily yoga. Hey, you can even spend a few minutes stretching in your chair, which makes a huge difference in making you feel mentally, physically, and emotionally limber.
Breathe. That means breathe deeply a few times every hour to calm the body and reset your fluttering, overactive mind. (It actually works!)
Meditate. The best mindfulness meditation advice for brides-to-be comes from the late great Ram Das, who said, “Be here now!” Don’t worry about what’s coming or what’s already happened, just focus on the present and know that your wedding (and, for that matter, the rest of your life) is going to be perfect. For The Biome hosts free online live meditations open to everyone each week. Feel free to join in and recharge.
Hydrate. Especially when you’re on the run it’s easy to forget about water, but since our bodies are 60 percent water, brain and heart are 73 percent water, and skin is 63 percent water, we really need to replenish throughout the day. Drink up!
Exercise. Taking time to exercise is time well spent. Even a 10-minute quick walk or slow jog can change your mood entirely!
Laugh. Taking time to laugh helps every bone in your body (literally) and transforms the environment around you. Suggestion: Take a break to watch “When Harry Met Sally,” “The Princess Bride,” or “Moonstruck”—the most romantic, hilarious movies ever made. Love and laughter make the world go ‘round!
Eat. Getting proper nutrition, especially when you’re in 50-yard-dash mode, is critical for looking and feeling great. Side note: Go easy on the sweets—your skin will thank you!
Take care of your skin’s microbiome. Be your own Alchemist with the amazing all-active, whole-ingredient, organic formulas from For The Biome, which are made to nourish the skin’s essential microbiome. Create your own regimen according to what your skin is telling you.
Three Steps Forward
Dr. Richard Bottiglione, Board Certified Dermatologist and founder of Dermatologist’s Choice Skincare recommends the following 3 steps:
Starting at least a month before the wedding:
Use pH Balanced Cleanser and Facial Enhancement Cream daily. Plus, Glycolic Peel Pads 3 days a week as skin tolerates.
Once a week use the Deep Cleansing Facial Mask.
Before each bath use the Pre-Bath Oil.
**If dryness or redness occurs use the Pre-Bath Oil to soothe the skin. Skin will build tolerance to the active ingredients with continued use.
The week of the wedding:
Cleanse with pH Balanced Cleanser and apply Facial Enhancement Cream. If you have oily or resistant skin continue using Glycolic Peel Pads.
Before each shower/bath apply the Pre-Bath Oil.
Night before and morning of your wedding:
Cleanse with the pH Balanced Cleanser and apply the Facial Enhancement cream and Pre-Bath Oil (for extra hydration to prep skin for make-up application)
Beauty from inside out
“Every bride deserve to look their best on their wedding day, and while knowing the best bridal makeup tips and tricks will help hide some last-minute imperfections or blemishes, the most stunning bridal glow comes from inside, says Lesley Reynolds,Co-Founder of The Harley Street Skin Clinic, a Celebrity columnist and author of Easy Ways to Drop a Decade. She gives these helpful tips:
- Stick to a balanced diet
- A full life ensures that you are more likely to focus on food that is sugar or refined to keep you fueled. Before the big day replace these with fruits and vegetables.
- Get enough of drinking
Hydrate the skin and wash away harmful contaminants from inside. The suggested average consumption varies from 2 and 2 1⁄2 litres. - Relax and unwind!
It seems obvious but you wouldn’t be the first bride to get wound up with planning and preparation and stressed out. Take breaks from your crazy bath routine, or treat yourself to a massage. - Let’s exfoliate!
Exfoliating is a must, in order to maintain clean and radiant skin. Give the pores a chance to breathe, remove dead cells and impurities on the surface. - Moisturize
Apply kindly a decent moisturizer to the body. Nourish the skin twice a day and you’ll see better elasticity. Pay particular attention to tricky areas, such as knees, feet and paws, which are sensitive to dryness. - Focus on your face
Pay particular attention to your face. A cleanser, toner and facial moisturizer are the three essential basics. Opt for one that includes collagen to provide added clarity and the bridal glow that is all necessary.
The magic of natural oils
Dr. Salar Parvini, co-founder of Saffron & Sage Skin and chief science officer at Saffron & Sage talks about the magic of natural oils.
GLOW is the ideal blend of premium oils, plant derived multivitamins, and antioxidants to provide the bride with a radiant, youthful glow. The non-comedogenic blend features a high concentration of omega fatty acids, vitamins C & E as well as skin balancing squalane, argan and jojoba oil, all brought together with an infusion of age defying CoQ10 making this the perfect finish to your skincare ritual
- To consistently achieve a dewy look you always want to finish your routine with a natural oil. Natural oils are healthy alternatives to silicone based skin care ingredients like dimethicone, a compound that is “Classified as expected to be toxic or harmful*”.
- You want to opt for one that is vitamin fortified and uses lighter, non-comedogenic oils so you don’t get a heavy feel or a greasy finish. Saffron & Sage’s GLOW uses a squalane and sunflower base and is infused with CoenzymeQ10, Vitamin C and Vitamin E to give you a healthy, radiant platform to apply your wedding day makeup upon.
- So not only is it great for your skin, but it also makes applying your makeup just that much easier!
*EC (Environment Canada). 2008. Domestic Substances List Categorization. Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) Environmental Registry.
Avoid These Mistakes
Katrina Riley, MSN, ARNP-C, Co-Owner and Nurse Practitioner @elan.aesthetics advises brides to use sunscreen and keep hydrated!
Always wear SPF, even on your lips! It’s easier to prevent your lips from getting chapped than it is to repair them if they’re already dry and cracked. If you spend a lot of time outdoors, especially in windy, sunny or cold weather, a thick balm with SPF 30 will keep your lips hydrated for your wedding day.
Avoid not drinking enough water throughout the day or not eating a clean nutrient rich diet. The food you’re eating doesn’t just affect your waistline, it affects your complexion too. Excessive salt and alcohol dehydrate your skin, along with not drinking enough H2O.
Make sunscreen a part of your daily skin care routine so you don’t forget to apply. ZO Skin Health now has a SPF Powder with brush that you can throw in your purse and reapply powder with SPF throughout the day!
Carry a fun water bottle with your everywhere, that way you are always staying hydrated. Consider a collagen powder or skin supplement such as Skinade.
A few skin tips for grooms...
Grooms should watch what they eat and drink as well. Grooms need to look healthy and hydrated on wedding day too!
Skin care is important for the grooms as well, moisturize exfoliate and wear sunscreen to have fresh hydrated skin on your wedding day. Consider a GQ Facial or deep pore cleanser facial. Men get facials too!
Best advice for happily ever after skin…
Speak to a skin care provider to help personalize a skin care routine specific to your skin’s needs. Keep your skin hydrated on the outside, by using a serum or moisturizer that is designed for your skin type. Keep your skin hydrated & healthy on the inside and outside.
Relax and enjoy the day!
“Being a bride is as exciting as it is stressful and sometimes that can reflect through your skin. Cannabis seed oil is the perfect addition to a bride’s beauty routine because it brings you that beautiful glowing skin while helping to calm any stress-related sensitivity. It also helps to soften and hydrate the skin to make you feel and look like a goddess, without any of the unwanted shine,” Angela Mustone, Founder & CEO at HighOnLove.