Wedding Day Skin Care

Credit: Sunshine Coast BC Photographer Laura Olson Photography – FX clients Ashley Maronik + Jeff Belak, with permission. Makeup & Hair by Amanda Gangoso.

Wedding Day Skin Care

Your wedding day is a momentous occasion! It goes without saying that you want to look and feel your best. Part Four of our Skin Vows series covers wedding day skin care steps to keep your skin feeling fresh all day.

The focus of wedding day skin care is all about preparing the skin and creating a smooth base for flawless makeup application. Skin care that is focused on smoothing and hydrating sets the stage for gorgeous makeup and ensures longevity – so your chosen look lasts throughout the day and into the evening.

Create a Clean Slate

Exfoliate: It’s actually best to exfoliate the evening before the wedding, not the morning of! Use an enzyme or mask exfoliant to help loosen dull skin cells and reveal fresh, glowing skin. Avoid using harsh scrubs as they can cause redness and flushing in the skin. It is important to use your tried and true method of exfoliation and avoid experimenting with new products at this time.

Morning Cleanse: A great cleanser is the key to preparing your skin for makeup application. A gentle hydrating or milky cleanser removes oil and debris without over-stripping your natural oils (which could result in rebound oil formation, something you definitely want to avoid on your wedding day!)

Tone: Even if you don’t normally use a toner on a daily basis, we recommend including this step for special occasions.  A hydrating toner is a very beneficial multitasking step that helps remove residue & dead skin cells, balance moisture levels & oil production, and brighten and rehydrate your skin.

Layer Hydration

Hydrate: After freshening your skin with a hydrating spray or light-weight fluid, apply a humectant (water-binding) serum that can further plump and smooth your skin. Ingredients such as Hyaluronic Acid, which can attract and hold up to 1,000 times its weight in water, can ensure long-lasting glow.

Moisturize: Based on your skin type, apply a moisturizer to lock in hydration and prevent water loss. For your wedding day, you may want to choose a semi-matte finish with minimal oil and more water-based hydration to prevent your makeup from breaking up.

Prime & Set

Makeup Primer: Choose a primer that is suited for your specific skin type and needs. For example, if you have dry skin, apply a hydrating primer. If you like dewy skin, choose a primer that has a natural shimmer or glow to it. If you have redness, look for a color-correcting primer with a green tint. Or if you have oily skin, look for a primer that absorbs oil and mattifies the skin.

Set Your Look: Setting sprays prolong the wearability of your cosmetics and keep makeup from wearing off or transferring once it is applied. There are different varieties for various skin types such as hydrating, mattifying, shimmery, and even waterproof. Ingredients called polymers help to keep your makeup in place once the spray has dried. Some sprays contain alcohol, so if you have dry skin, look for an alcohol-free formula that provides, you guessed it… more hydration.