Perfection , That’s the word every wedding planner wants to hear from the bride after accomplishing a huge task for their clients, from the perfect venue to the perfect dress ,trust me you don’t want to piss the bride off when it comes to her wedding dress. That is why she takes the effort and possibly the time to pick the right one,but as the bride how do you then take care of your body to ensure that that dress not only fits well but that the skin that reveals through the gown glows as well. Now we know that this is the work of the Makeup Artist whom you intend to hire for the day but believe me when i tell you that nothing gives a make up artist Joy than to know that she has a beautiful surface to work with , i am talking about a spotless skin , you know the ones that don’t need any app filters for the camera, less pores, soft skin ,less wrinkles with little or no dark spots, not to mention no puffy eyes and dark circles, yes that’s exactly the kind of smooth surface i am referring to.
There are ways in which you can achieve a glowing skin and below we are going to be talking about each one step by step.
1. HYDRATION
From the inside to the outside , your skin should be fully hydrated by taking lots and lots of water ,it sounds unrealistic when we say that water helps the skin’s elasticity but to achieve a good skin you must drink at least 3 liters a day ( drink at least 500ml first thing In the morning when you wake up and another 500ml last thing at night before going to bed),have a bottle of water with you always ,either in your car on your work desk,don’t wait until you’re about to have or finish a meal,the benefits are endless. Then You can support this by using moisturisers on the skin. If you have an oily skin then stick to moisturisers that are not heavy , if your skin gets dry often due to the weather or you have a combination skin then moisturisers are your best friends. Below is a technique you can use to apply moisturisers to your face or skin.
Tip : spritz a very tiny bit of rose water to you skin and then massage in a circular motion moving your fingers in an upward motion ( for the face) and then apply your moisturiser immediately using the same motion. Do this twice after washing your face.
2. SCRUBBING AND EXFOLIATING
What this does is to basically get rid of dead skin cells and eliminate residues from makeup and beauty products.You can find facial scrubs that works for individual skin types at cosmetic/drug store or you can prepare yours from scratch. For a DIY facial scrub , (this method is for those with acne prone skin) Mix a tea spoon of brown sugar with 2 table spoons each of coconut oil and almond oil, add a tea spoon of baking soda ( Bi-carbonate soda) to the mix and stir into a paste, use this to scrub on the face gently in a circular motion and rinse off with cold water. Do this once or twice a week. Followed by a moisturiser.
2. PUFFY EYES AND DARK CIRCLES
Those late nights staying awake planning ,jotting and rehearsing can be really tiring and the proof is always in the eyes, lack of sleep and rest can lead to puffy eyes and dark circles under the eyes. Here are ways to get rid of the puffiness .
Place two bags of brewed tea in the freezer and allow to chill, then place them under the eyes at night when going to bed , you can also do the same in the mornings if you do not have somewhere to go , or slice some cold cucumbers and place around the eye region and leave them there for a few minutes,do this repeatedly.
To treat dark circles . Add drops of sweet almond oil to your shower cream or shower gel and wash your face with the mixture concentrating on the dark circles with the tip of your fingers , leave on for a minute or two before you rinse of with cold water .
Tip : once you are done washing the face , slather on some facial moisturiser especially on the eye region, wait for a minute or two for it to absorb and apply more moisturisers, do this every night . You will notice a huge difference in just one week.
3. RETIN- A and SUN BLOCK CREAMS
Retin A is used to to tighten the skin on the face and reduce the appearance of wrinkle , i would advice that this should be added to your skin regimen if in your thirties and above , they come with 0.05 % to 0.1% and can be found at any pharmacy. The only way you can see the effect of using a retin-A cream is by combining it with a sun block , that said ,no one wears a sun block at night so here’s a tip on how to use it.
Tip : Morning – on a cleansed face apply Retin – A cream to the face and then apply your moisturiser ( this is because the Retin A cream can leave the skin feeling dry ) followed by a sun block cream that has both UVA and UVB protection of 30 and above , if your facial moisturiser has an spf of both ,all the better, you can skip applying an extra sun block cream. If you prefer to do this at night time then use a moisturiser with out the spf after applying Retin A cream but don’t forget to use a sunblock in the morning.
4. HANDS AND KNUCKLES
I decided to add this to the post because it’s another area of the skin that a lot of ladies might need help with and especially because once your man starts to put the ring on it ,the camera will be focused on those hands while the vows are taken.
To treat dry and dark knuckles Slice some Irish potatoes ( washed but not peeled) and rub gently on the knuckles and lower cuticles of the fingers , spend at least 30 to 60 seconds on each finger before moving to the next with a new slice . leave it on for 5 to 10 mins and then rinse off with warm water . The next step is to Mix a table spoon of Baking soda ( Bi-carbonate soda) with 2 table spoon of fresh full cream milk or UHT milk to form a paste and then apply to the area. Leave it on for 2 to 5 minutes before rinsing off.
Lastly, apply a hand cream , look for a hand cream with oils , vitamin E , or with Q-10 labeled on the pack, you should use the hand cream regularly everyday.
DOs and DON’Ts
1. Never wash your face with hot water , if you can imagine what hot water does to green vegetables that is exactly what it is doing to your face and this speeds up ageing and produces wrinkles. This is because the facial skin is more sensitive and tender than the rest of the skin on your body.
2. Never start a new skin regimen a week before your wedding day because your skin may end up breaking out at the very moment you want it to start glowing . You can only see the effect of a new regimen, or skin supplements from 2 to 4 weeks after you have started, Doing this way ahead before your D-day gives you time to observe your skin and see how it reacts to its new regimen or vitamins and supplements, so starting 3 to 4 weeks before then can tell you whether to drop it or continue with it.
3. Give your skin a break from heavy makeup at least 2 weeks before your wedding day.
4. Never go to bed with makeup on . Number one Rule every Makeup artist will tell you.
5. Try to avoid soda drinks and alcohol at least a month before your Day , replace all your drinks with water.
6. Take supplements like Omega H3 which are good for the skin and other vitamins such as Vitamin C daily.
I hope these tips will help you achieve a flawless skin and don’t hesitate to leave your questions and concerns below in the comment box.
Bridal Picture by Belle Bedazzled- Contact +234-8177411481, Instagram @Belle_Bedazzled
Perfect tips and thanks for the credits.