Tried and tested

THE ULTIMATE PRE-WEDDING SKIN CARE ROUTINE ACCORDING TO THE EXPERTS

woman wearing face mask

Your special day is on the horizon and the planning is well under way. You’ve found the perfect dress, your Pinterest is full to the brim with hair and make up ideas, now all that’s left to do is ensure your skin is looking it’s very best for when walking down the aisle.

The ideal time to begin your wedding skin prep isn’t in the days or weeks leading up to the big day. It’s months. Six months, in fact. “Anyone looking to revamp their skin care routine should remember that time is a key factor to bear in mind,” says Cult Concierge expert Natalie. “Steer clear of making any major changes if it’s less than six months before the big day. Any new formulation will not only need time to get to work, but you also need to let your complexion acclimatise.”

“Introducing too much too close to your wedding day could simply overwhelm your skin and possibly lead to a sensitised skin barrier. Take it slow, give yourself time and really reap the benefits of all your hard work.”

With that in mind, here’s the ultimate guide to getting the best bridal skin care for the big day according to the experts at Cult Beauty… Don’t worry you can thank us after your nuptials.

WHAT PRE WEDDING SKIN PREP SHOULD YOU CARRY OUT

START BY HEALING YOUR GUT

Glowing skin starts with your gut health.  We know how hard it is in the lead up to your wedding, what with all the occasions to overindulge on food and drink. But its these that can contribute to breakouts, excess sebum production and overall stressed skin. Having a balance of a healthy diet inclusive of a variety of vegetables, pre and probiotics, fermented foods, teamed with plenty of water and the right supplements to keep your gut’s microbiome happy is key.  Remember what goes into your body is just as important as any beauty products you’re relying on for a radiant complexion!

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EXFOLIATE REGULARLY

Exfoliate, exfoliate, exfoliate! While it may not be visible to the naked eye, dead skin cells will leave your complexion looking dull and lackluster! There are two different types of exfoliant; chemical and physical and whilst both are great, it’s best to use a chemical exfoliator such as an AHA or BHA two to three times a week in the evening to maintain a luminous glow. For blemish-prone complexions, aim for a formula inclusive that include salicylic acid to break down the oils congesting your pores. For deeper skin tones opt for a more gentle solutions such as lactic acid as these are less likely to cause hyperpigmentation. And most importantly, always ensure that you use sunscreens daily to prevent undoing your hard work.

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TRY FACIAL MASSAGES

There are many tools and tricks to give yourself an amazing face massage at home to boost your skin as well as give you the time to de-stress from all the wedding prep! Hurrah!! Facial massage is a great way to boost the lymphatic system and circulation to help give your face a glow, whilst also sculpting and toning.  A Gua Sha, facial rollers and electrical skin care devices are all fantastic tools to incorporate into your routine. Just bear in mind that consistency is *key* to achieving your desired results and be sure to use the correct oils, serums or conductive gels with your chosen tool.

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USE AN LED FACE MASK

We’ve all seen the image of Victoria Beckham with that scary looking LED mask sitting in bed right? These amazing sci-fiesque tools are the perfect answer to reducing fine lines, breakouts, and pigmentation, leaving your skin plumper, brighter, smoother and firmer by harnessing the power of light therapy at varying wavelengths. Depending on the device and your preferred treatment, all you need is three to twenty minutes a day to boost your skin health, if you don’t have time for professional facials then this is a great alternative you can use at home.

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GET YOUR BEAUTY SLEEP

We all know sleep is vital to keep us alive, but it improves our skin and mental energy too. During the night whilst you sleep your skin works overtime with your circadian rhythm to revive, rejuvenate, and repair itself. To help boost the process why not try an overnight serum that will help give you a radiant complexion. For a restful night’s slumber, try adding a pillow mist, sleep drops or eye mask into your evening routine to help you drift off to the land of nod.

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STAY HYDRATED

Our bodies are 80% water, so it is one of the most important glow enhancing ingredients for your skin. If you’re dehydrated, this will almost always reflect negatively on your skin, leaving you looking dull and tired. It’s recommended that you drink at least 2 litres of water a day to flush out toxins from the body and to keep your skin hydrated, but you can boost this further by adding a supplementary electrolyte to your thirst-quenching drink.

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CLEANSE TWICE A DAY

Cleansing the skin removes all the dirt, makeup, impurities, and sunscreen so that the skin can repair itself in the best way possible. It’s important to cleanse both morning and evening so that you can prepare your skin for the products that will follow. As well as removing make up and dirt on a nightly cleanse (ideally double), it’s surprising how much bacteria builds on the skin when you sleep at night, so you need to cleanse it off in the morning too. If you dread the thought of splashing your face with water first thing, try opting for cleansing balm teamed with a bamboo cotton pad instead.

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TAILOR YOUR ROUTINE

There may be specific areas of concern, such as hyperpigmentation or acne, that you want to target ahead of your special day. It’s important to not add too much to your routine too soon, just add one active ingredient at a time, especially if you have sensitive skin and see if your skin can tolerate it without any irritation first. Get in touch with Cult Concierge who can build you a bespoke routine and give you advice on how to implement new ingredients into your routine while minimizing potential inflammation.

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DESTRESS

It’s easier said than done especially when you’re planning the biggest day of your life but keeping stress to a minimum is key to a healthy complexion. If the stress rises so do your cortisol levels resulting in pesky spots, and you don’t want that on your big day. Try anything that helps you to destress, from a walk in the fresh air to meditation or reading a book in between the wedding planning. A long hot soak, soothing bath oil blends, acupressure and adding CBD into your daily routine can all help to bring you back to your centre and help you relax.

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But as always there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to skin care, so Natalie has created the perfect bridal skin care routine for every skin type…

model applying eye cream onto her face

Wedding Skin Care Routine for Normal Skin:

Cleanse: Glowing skin starts from your cleanse, so give your skin a helping hand with The Inky List’s Fulvic Acid Brightening Cleanser. Rich in vitamin C, Kakadu plum extract helps with the overall radiance of your complexion, with aloe vera to soothe and fulvic acid to gently exfoliate without irritation. Use morning and evening to deeply cleanse and brighten the skin.

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Prime: Preparation is key, so introduce Then I Met You’s The Giving Essence to your pre-wedding skin care regime to help enhance your routine and brighten, clarify and boost moisture levels. Ellagic acid offers a natural radiance to your skin, protects collagen and fights bacteria to keep blemishes at bay. Infused with niacinamide, polyglutamic acid and a fermented sake derivative to boot, this is a key player in getting your skin wedding-ready.

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Hydrated: A true powerhouse solution, Youth To The People’s 15% Vitamin C + Clean Caffeine Energy Serum offers brighter, radiant and more hydrated skin, all while protecting from damaging pollutants.

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Protect: Did someone say glow? Supergoop!’s Glowscreen SPF 30 does exactly what it says on the tin, and trust us, you won’t forget your SPF ever again. Primer, broad-spectrum SPF 30 and reef-safe and cruelty free, this really is your multitasking hero. Sheer in texture, never heavy or greasy and glowy without glitter, this is the sophisticated SPF every bride needs to keep their skin protected and perfected.

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Woman touching skin

WEDDING SKIN CARE ROUTINE FOR DRY SKIN

Cleanse: Naturally brightening and deeply cleansing, Farmacy’s Green Clean Makeup Meltaway Cleansing Balm is a Cult favourite for removing every scrap of SPF and makeup without compromising your skin. This balmy formulation is perfect for dried-out complexions in need of a little extra TLC, getting that all-important hydration in right from your first cleanse.

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Hydrate: The key to hydrated, healthy skin? A healthy skin barrier. And there’s no better way to layer hydration throughout your routine than by misting Dr. Jart+’s Ceramidin Cream Mist before applying the rest of your products, to optimise absorption and boost moisture retention, leading to glowing and plump skin.

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Eye Cream: Moisture-attracting hyaluronic acid and Japanese green caviar algae combine in Dr. Dennis Gross’ Hyaluronic Marine Dew It Right Eye Gel to improve elasticity and moisture retention, while reducing water retention that leads to puffiness and brightening dark eyes with optical diffusers.

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Treat: Calming evening primrose, vitamin A-rich red raspberry seed oil and potent but stable THD Ascorbate work together in Sunday Riley’s C.E.O Glow Vitamin C+ Turmeric Face Oil to boost radiance, even out skin tone and leave your skin looking and feeling healthy. Try adding this to your pre-wedding skin care routine to really boost hydration and radiance, our top tip? Take a drop into your foundation for the ultimate wedding day glow!

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Moisturise: Kind to your skin without compromising on ingredients, Honest Beauty’s Hydrogel Cream acts as a saviour for parched skin with its bouncy, plumping properties. Everyone’s favourite ingredient, hyaluronic acid, is used in not one but two types here to draw moisture into your skin, with squalane helping to hydrate and soften dry and dull skin.

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Protect: Let’s not forget SPF, so say ‘I do’ to Supergoop!’s Play Everyday Lotion SPF 50 With Sunflower Extract. Offering broad-spectrum protection, coral-reef safety and protection from IRA rays, this product quickly absorbs into your skin and won’t leave a white cast. Finish your routine with your SPF every single morning, taking two fingers of product as your guide for the perfect level of protection.

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Woman applying a creamy cleanser onto her face

WEDDING SKIN CARE ROUTINE FOR OILY SKIN

PM Cleanse: Removing make up and SPF from the day just got a whole lot easier with Biossance’s Squalane And Antioxidant Cleansing Oil. You heard us right! This will help to balance out your natural oil production over time, helping your skin to create less of what it’s craving and leaving your skin perfectly cleansed as well as normalised.

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AM Cleanser: Something old, something new, something borrowed and something…green. Farmacy’s Whipped Greens Oil-Free Foaming Cleanser was created for combination and oily skins alike, helping to remove every impurity without stripping your natural hydration levels. The inclusion of papaya enzyme gives a very gentle exfoliation for instant radiance, with French green clay absorbing excess oil from the very surface of your skin to give a more balanced complexion over time. Your new morning cleanse and PM second cleans, this pH-balanced soap-free foaming cleanser will leave your skin silky-soft and rejuvenated.

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Tone: Restore balance to your skin with this Herbivore’s Jasmine Green Tea Balancing Toner. A blend of targeted ingredients work together to bring harmony to oily and combination complexions. Salicin is your anti-microbial hero to battle pre-wedding breakouts too. Simply shake, spray and press into freshly cleansed skin prior to your serums and moisturiser.

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Moisturise: If there’s one thing wedding planning can bring about, it’s unwanted stress breakouts. Allies of Skin’s Multi-Nutrient And Dioic Renewing Cream is the perfect partner for tackling stress-induced blemishes, with a lightweight gel-like formula infused with 1% dioic acid, probiotics for your microbiome and centella asiatica. The perfect pick-me-up for fatigued and oily skin types feeling the stress and needing some TLC.

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Protect: Prevent UV inflammation, damage and future pigmentation without clogging the skin with Murad’s Oil And Pore Controlling Mattifier SPF 45. Working overtime to refine pores and reduce breakout frequency, this broad-spectrum SPF also doubles up as the perfect primer for makeup wearers too.

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model with glowy skin dark hair tied back off face

WEDDING SKIN CARE ROUTINE FOR COMBINATION SKIN

Cleanse: Boost your skin’s natural immune system with The Nue Co.’s Barrier Culture Cleanser. Avoiding stripping sulphates, this low-foaming gel cleanser effectively cleanses the skin of all impurities in a pH-balanced formula all while rebuilding your microbiome. It’s the easiest way to achieve balanced, healthy and glowing skin.

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Tone: Looking for purified skin but without that ‘squeaky clean’ feeling that often means a compromised barrier? Try introducing Caudalie’s Vinopure Purifying Toner to your cleansing and toning routine to help battle breakouts, balance oil production and clarify confused skin.

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Hydrate: Oil-free, non-comedogenic and perfectly formulated for confused, oily and congested skin types, BYOMA’s Clarifying Serum brings peace to your skin. PHA and zinc work seamlessly to unclog pores and offer gentle exfoliation, while a tri-ceramide complex really looks after your all-important skin barrier.

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Moisturise: Deeply hydrating but never heavy, Summer Fridays’ Cloud Dew Oil-Free Gel Cream Moisturiser is the go-to for those in need of hydration without the weight. A gel-cream hybrid formula, this combines three different weights of hyaluronic acid to offer hydration throughout your skin, while ceramides, minerals and key amino acids boost your natural moisture barrier, leaving your skin radiant, smoothed and as light as a cloud.

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Protect: Fear not, Coola’s Mineral Silk Creme SPF 30 won’t leave your skin feeling suffocated. Instead, this non-nano zinc-based SPF will offer broad-spectrum protection from UV rays, with blue light and infra-red protection too, but in the lightest silky cream infused with niacinamide that further boosts radiance and gives that coveted glow!

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woman moisturising her face

WEDDING SKIN CARE ROUTINE FOR SENSITIVE SKIN

Cleanse: Herbivore’s Pink Cloud Creamy Jell Cleanser non-drying, pH balanced and super soothing for redness and inflammation. Tremella mushroom plumps lacklustre, dry skin instantly while rose hydrosol soothes irritation. Perfect for makeup removal when used on dry skin before adding water, or as your second cleanse or AM cleanse on slightly wet skin.

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Tone: Keep your complexion perfectly hydrated for the ultimate healthy glow with the Caudalie’s Grape Water mist. This is ideal for sensitive complexions, with just three key ingredients and no drying alcohol or sensitising fragrance. Mist to tone and hydrate after cleansing and whenever you need a pick-me-up throughout the day.

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Exfoliate: Exfoliation is going to be essential for that wedding-day glow, but sensitive complexions need to be a little more considered in their approach to keep the skin microbiome in check. Dr. Dennis Gross’ Alpha Beta Ultra Gentle Peel is your route to bright, glowing and revitalised skin without irritation. If you struggle with exfoliation typically feeling too harsh on the skin, then these are the way to go.

Step 1 is a gentle but effective acid blend that munches away dead skin and clears congestion, which is then neutralised with step 2 to avoid any chance of over-stimulation. Start introducing these well ahead of your wedding day, once or twice a week to start with. As your skin acclimatises, you can gradually work up to more frequent application. And don’t forget your daily SPF application too!

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Hydrate: Say hello to your skin’s new best friend. Cue: Medik8’s Hydr8 B5 Serum. The multiple weights of hyaluronic acid used within this formulation draw moisture into your skin across the upper and lower layers for perfectly hydrated and plumped skin. Vitamin B5 works to boost your skin’s own water retention capacity too, really helping with your skin regeneration. Free of any sensitising fragrance and alcohol, this is perfect for a more delicate complexion. Try applying your hydrating serum to slightly damp skin after misting to supercharge absorption!

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Moisturise: Sensitive skin, be soothed! Focusing on the health of your skin barrier Cultured’s Biome Calm Cream works wonders on any sensitive visage. Postbiotics help to feed goodness to your skin, while prebiotics, micro algae and inulin balance and protect your barrier to keep your skin in check. Over time you should see redness reduced, sensitivity soothed and hydration levels boosted, ready for perfectly glowing and healthy skin in time for your wedding day!

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Protect: SPF is the essential final step in every morning skin care routine, and if you struggle to find an SPF your sensitive skin can tolerate then look no further. Ultra Violette’s Clean Screen Fragrance-Free Sensitive Facial Skinscreen will provide broad-spectrum protection without irritation by way of fragrance or alcohol, while keeping your skin refreshed and soothed with plant-derived pentavitin. Finish your skin care daily with a generous application of this SPF, aiming for at least five pumps or two fingers of product, for your true SPF 30 protection.

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Now, you have everything you need to prime your skin for the big day, it’s time to get all the prep underway…

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Cult Beauty

Cult Beauty

Writer and expert