Congratulations! So, you recently got engaged to the love of your life. You probably went and quickly booked your dream venue, perhaps picked out the perfect dress and know exactly what you want when it comes to food and decorations. Bet you didn't start thinking about your skin care or extra beauty treatments to consider leading up to the big day. Truth is, getting your skin to look its best — you know, exactly the way you want it — takes planning, time and a little patience. Also, the more time you have to get ready, the better. We sat down with licensed esthetician, Matthew Miller who splits his time prepping famous faces in LA and NYC.
Miller gave us the lowdown on healthy eating, choosing the right actives for your skin, and the best treatments, as well as when to use them in relation to your wedding day. We've broken it down from one year out, nine months out, six months out, three months, one month, and one week from the big day. Read on for some of the best pre-wedding skin care tips to ensure you are your most radiant self when you say "I do."
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One Year From Your Wedding
According to Miller, if you're not following a skin care routine yet, now is the time to start. With 12 months to go, it's the perfect time to try out some new (as well as go-to) products to see how they react with your skin. Once you find a regimen you like, it's important to keep it consistent, so as not to throw your skin off balance.
Not quite sure where to start? Miller recommends using a retinol to "keep skin cells constantly turning over and help to soften fine lines, brighten and help with clarity." If you're new to retinol, one of his favorite products is Define by Cosmedix, $80, which contains a blend of alpha hydroxy acids, retinol, and soothing botanicals.
Next, he suggests using a vitamin C serum, such as DMK Direct Delivery Vitamin C to aid in collagen production, protect against UV and environmental damage, and brighten the skin. Finally, SPF is a must, along with the aforementioned products: According to Miller, 85 percent of aging is caused by the sun and there is no better anti-aging product than sunscreen. One of his favorites is Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 40, $32, for its weightless feel and ability to be worn under makeup.
When it comes to the heavy-duty treatments, it's best to start early to see how your skin responds. Treatments like chemical peels and laser resurfacing treatments tend to have downtimes up to one week. If you are thinking of delving into injectables like Botox or fillers, now would be the time to test them out as they typically last around 3-6 months (depending on the person). If you don't like the result, simply don't re-up.
Lastly, it's important to note that good skin comes from within. Miller recommends "keeping a consistent, healthy diet with lots of protein, vegetables, fiber, water and minimize refined carbs and sugars." This will prevent inflammation that causes flare-ups in the skin. With the healthy eating, it's important to maintain a healthy exercise and sleep schedule as well.
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Nine Months From Your Wedding
So you're past the testing phase and probably starting to recognize what works best for you. Continue your skin care regimen and note any changes at this point. Perhaps you're not seeing the results you want or maybe your skin is a little on the sensitive side; now's the time to do some fine-tuning with your active ingredients. While you may want to be a little more aggressive with the anti-aging ingredients in the beginning, it's important to remain consistent the closer you get to the big day.
Miller notes the importance of establishing a relationship with your esthetician early on: This way before the wedding, they know your skin and can provide a treatments that offer a great glow without any adverse side effects or downtime.
As for the injectables, it's your call: It may be time to visit your derm, it may not be. Every person's body breaks down the injectables differently (somewhere in the 3-6 month range).
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Six Months From Your Wedding
As with the nine month milestone, you'll want to continue your skin care routine and tailor it as needed to continue achieving the results you want. At this point, you may want to up the ante with your retinol—a stronger version like Cosmedix Serum 24, $50, is one of Miller's faves.
Miller also likes adding in some at-home tools and devices to complement your skin care regimen as well as your treatment plan with your esthetician. Miller likes LED devices, as they "can helps boost collagen and elastin production, reduce inflammation, kill bacteria that causes breakouts, and help with over all skin rejuvenation." A favorite of his is the LightStim — red lights help with anti-aging and blue lights help fight acne. Microcurrent devices also make a wonderful addition: Per Miller, "They assist in lymphatic drainage, stimulation of ATP (like an energy pack for our skin cells), and help create and lifting effect." A good option is the NuFace Trinity, $325, which you can use in the comfort of your own home for only five minutes per day.
Oh and since another three months have passed, you may want to touch-up the injectables — though again, it changes from person to person.
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Three Months From Your Wedding
With just three months to go, consistency is more important than ever. Do you notice any negative changes in your skin? Talk to you esthetician — you may need to adjust your routine slightly (though beware of any major overhauls; they might cause your skin to rebel). Continue eating healthy, taking any vitamins or supplements and, yep, check in if it's time for injectables. This is essentially a cut-off point for any aggressive treatments; you're not going to want to tackle anything requiring major downtime from here on out.
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