Bridal Skincare Advice - Dry Skin

As a make-up artist, I can have all the potions and lotions in the world and apply them with my fingers crossed that morning but without a doubt the best thing you can do to make the most of your bridal make-up is to have a bullet proof skincare routine that you stick to daily in the lead up to the wedding.

With dry skin you need to focus on a few key areas, this is for both the under eyes and the skin.

Hydration:

Is your skin hydrated? How much water are you drinking? Upping your water intake will improve the absorption of products on your face. We want the make-up to glide on effortlessly. Dehydrated skin will lead to flaky, thirsty looking skin.

SPF:

Ideally you need to have a day cream with SPF in, especially if you are using exfoliating acids (more on these later). Sun damage can really dry out the skin and lead to uneven skin and there is nothing worse (trust me) than a bride with sunburn. Sunburn skin is very difficult to cover and as the chest normally gets sunburn as well we end up having to apply foundation all over the face, neck, chest… arms… it’s just a never ending battle to try and cover the redness.

Exfoliation:

Dry skin can lead to flaky, dead skin cells sitting on the surface of the skin. Not only can this be seen from a distance and show up in photos but is also not conducive with applying powder. Powder is fantastic at making the make-up last as it prevents excess oils from mixing with the foundation and making it move/not last. Powder combined with flaky skin will only dry the skin out more and create texture and cakey make-up.

It is not ideal to exfoliate the skin and then apply make-up straight away. This is something that either needs to be done regularly in the build up to the wedding so that the skin is fresh, dewy and there are no dead skin cells, or done on the morning of the wedding hours before make-up application.

There are two different types of exfoliation that I would recommend. Chemical exfoliation is an option, if the solution is strong then I would recommend this once a week or every 3 days if your skin can handle it, you can get at home-chemical peels which are amazing for dead skin cells. There are also chemical exfoliating toners - this is gentle enough for daily/twice daily use and is amazing at loosening the glue that holds the dead skin cells to the skin. If you chemically exfoliate you need to use an SPF as exfoliating the skin makes it more sensitive to the sun. With an exfoliating product you are looking on the label for Lactic Acid, AHA or BHA acids.

Physical exfoliation must be gentle, like a walnut scrub, nothing too harsh on the skin. If it hurts when you use it or it leaves the skin very red then you are either rubbing too hard, the beads in the exfoliator are too small and are grating at the skin like sand or the ingredients are too harsh. Use a gentle exfoliator once a week - you don’t want to be scrubbing your skin everyday as this will do more damage than good.

Eye cream - this is vital for the perfect under eye. Dry under eyes mean that once make-up is applied, the creases are accentuated. Typically for an under eye on a wedding day I will apply an eye cream, then a concealer and a powder. If the undereye is incredibly dry, I have to put my faith in an eye cream based on one application, if you can introduce an eye cream to your regime before the wedding it will be so much more effective than me trying to hydrate the area right before your make-up. Don’t apply an eye cream too close to your eyeball, if you apply an eye cream on the bone, the skin naturally absorbs products right up to the eye for you. If an eye cream ever stings you should not continue with use and you also only need a tiny amount.

Moisturiser - if you have blemish prone skin, but its dry - you’re probably terrified of creamy moisturisers because they leave a greasy residue. If you have dry skin then a creamy moisturiser twice a day will be amazing for your skin. If you have blemish prone skin then opt for something with ‘lightweight’ or ‘gel’ in the name. These hydrate the skin and give it a refreshing feeling. You should use a day cream with SPF in in the day and a night cream or standard moisturiser in the evening.

Cleansing - Cleansing your skin is super important, wether its a simple bar of soap or a fancy up market cleanser, it’s important to clean your face in the morning as your pillow can harvest a lot of bacteria plus you may sweat in the night and have oils on your face- not something you want to put make up on top of, and it is important to clean your face after a day of being outside, inside, wearing make up, or not wearing make up, the skin will still create oils and you will be touching things all day and then touching your face. A lot of my clients have found amazing results with the LumiSpa device - I have a website for this brand which allows me to offer you 20% which is the reason I mention it. This device cleanses and gently exfoliates at the same time. For more info on the LumiSpa click here

I will link below some of the products that I have mentioned with 20% off - please do not feel pressured to buy these as I understand they are in the higher price range, but i do know that they work and have had very big client success rates with them as I have been with the company 1.5 years now. You can easily pop into Superdrug/Boots and grab the same products at a fraction of the price but I will link them anyways if you want to have a look: click here

Blemish Prone Skin: Thirst Fix Gel Moisturiser and Lightweight Day Lotion with SPF

Not Blemish Prone: Moisturise Me Intense Hydrating Cream and Day Cream with SPF

If you look after your skin, it will GLOW on your wedding day and your make-up will last longer, look better, be smoother, photograph better and stay put. If you have any questions please get in contact xx