Are you planning on getting married soon? Is your phone full of screenshots of wedding dresses and cake ideas? Well, you’ve come to the right place! We’re kicking off Bridal Bootcamp here at Millies, and we have our Skincare Specialist Adele here to chat about what you can do for your skin in the six months leading up to your big day.
First up, remember it’s really important to manage your expectations. Brides, a lot of the time are looking for flawless, filtered, clear skin, but we do have to realise that it’s more about getting your skin healthy - it still has to be your skin. So it’s really important part of your routine that you first manage your expectations, and remember you can keep things simple as long as you’re consistent.
Top Tip 1: Double Cleanse, Always
Double cleansing every evening is our first top tip. It’s a really easy way to make sure that your skin is perfectly clean before you go to bed or before you apply any other serums or moisturisers. It means you’re removing your makeup and SPF with your first cleanse so that your second cleanse can really clean your skin. Using something like the CeraVe Hydrating Foaming Oil Cleanser will melt away your makeup, or something like the Bioderma Micellar Water if you’re short on time.
Once makeup and SPF are removed, the skin is nice and clean and ready for our treatment cleanser! This way, it’s going to do so much more than just clean your face, it will start the hydrating process or if you’re using a treatment cleanser, like a cleanser with salicylic acid in it, such as Skingredients Sally Cleanse, it’s going to absorb any excess oil and it will be anti-inflammatory for any breakouts or congestion. Salicylic based cleansers will be used twice to three times a week in order to absorb access oil, or for anyone with congestion or spots. If you’re on the dryer side you can opt for a cleansing lotion or a cleansing cream that will hydrate the skin, such as CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser.
Top Tip 2: Reach for Toner
We all know the age-old routine of cleansing, toning and moisturising, and I’m interested in getting people back to using toners and clinical toners. I don’t see them as just a hydrating step, or that step to remove excess cleanser. While they can do that, they’ve also come such a long way in recent years.
For example, the Botanical Moisturising Toner from Environ has lactic acid in it so it will both hydrate and exfoliate the skin. Simply place it on a cotton pad and wipe over the face and neck after cleansing. You’re then leaving your skin nice and damp for your hyaluronic acid.
Top Tip 3: Trust the Experts
Now that you’ve established a good evening routine, you’ve promised yourself you won’t go to bed with makeup, you’ll give yourself those few minutes in the evening to look after your skin, the next step would be to chat to an expert. Whether it’s your beauty therapist, a skincare clinic, or you can even book a consultation with us on Millies.ie to get specifically tailored advice for any skincare concerns you have.
Double cleansing and toning are fantastic for any skin type, but if you have a specific concern such as sensitivity, acne, rosacea, or dryness, you may need more focused advice so it’s then time to book a consultation.
Alongside getting professional advice, remember it doesn’t have to mean expensive courses of facials or extravagant treatments, you can ensure it fits in with your budget, time and lifestyle.
Tip 4: Opt for Supplements
Another thing to remember is that the skin is a double-sided organ, we can treat it topically but the other side of it means that it also needs structure and support from the inside out. Unfortunately, we can’t always enough of what we need from our diet, so that’s where supplements come in.
If you’re really deficient in certain vitamins you may see results from supplements quicker, but for most people, it can take around one month to see results. The most popular supplements we would recommend to people include Skin Vitality from Advanced Nutrition Programme. A daily multivitamin, it contains zinc, and magnesium, meaning it’s also great for cognitive behaviour and energy. It’s a fantastic supplement for overall wellbeing. Then, Moisture Lock from Advanced Nutrition Programme is like no other supplement in that it contains hyaluronic acid so it’s really going to help with your moisture levels in the skin.
Tip 5: SPF, Everyday!
Here in the salon and online, there’s no end to different skincare routines that we can put together for you, but none of that will matter if you’re not going to protect your skin from further damage. Leaving the house without your SPF is not doing yourself or your skin any justice. So look for something that’s a broad spectrum that will protect the skin from further ageing and further damage. A popular pick is IMAGE Prevention Daily Ultimate Protection Moisturiser SPF 50.
Our Bridal Bootcamp segment will continue so we’ll have plenty of tips coming your way, both here and on our Instagram page. Remember, don’t over complicate things, it’s all about small consistent changes. And don’t be shy, get in touch and we’ll be more than happy to help you achieve beautiful glowing skin for your big day!
