I want to start off by saying that the information in this blog post may warrant you to seek advice from a physician if you have allergies, sensitivities, or health concerns that may be negatively impacted by using these products or methods mentioned. These are my suggestions being a licensed makeup artist with over a decade of experience.
First thing’s first, lets talk about what’s happening inside your body! You hear everyone preach that you are what you eat, but it’s so very true!! A little backstory about my journey…in 2017 I started seeing a naturopathic physician primarily to get help with my chronic asthma and debilitating migraines. I had tried everything from specialists, steroids, and all the inhalers and medications under the sun. Nothing worked and I was just fueling my body with all the wrong stuff, so I figured what could it hurt?
Little did I know it would change everything.
Not only am I off all medications I used to rely on heavily, but everything else in my life improved! My relationships, my sleep, my levels of motivation and concentration, and yes, my skin! There’s likely several factors that played a role here. Let dive in.
- I started sleeping more: I’ve always been one to prioritize sleep, but the quality and length of my sleep always suffered. I always had trouble falling to sleep and sometimes staying asleep. Although I’m still not perfect at getting as much sleep as I always need, I can admit that the quality of my sleep and ease at which I fall asleep has drastically improved.
- I cut out gluten, dairy, eggs, almonds, and most grains and sugars. Yeah, that looks just as intimidating as it felt on day 1. To be fair, I did this in steps. The first year I cut out gluten and dairy. When we realized something still wasn’t quite right, we cut out eggs and almonds after doing a more specific test for food allergens. Keep in mind, these are specific to me. I highly recommend doing the U.S. Biotek 96 General Foods IgG Food Allergy Panel to determine what foods could be inflammatory for you, therefore setting off all sorts of health problems. For example, one of my friends had to eliminate chicken for health reasons, while I did not. To expand on this, I drastically cut down the amount of grains and sugars I’m intaking since September 2020. This is due to newer abdominal pain issues we’re trying to catch before it becomes worse. That long-winded explanation was all to explain that inflammatory foods absolutely play a role in how you skin looks and behaves. I have definitely noticed an overall improvement in my complexion and chronic acne (yes, even in adulthood), since cutting out these foods, as well as increasing my fruit and veggie intake.
- I drink so much water. This one wasn’t as tricky for me as it is for some. I’ve always loved the taste of water and how I feel when I drink plenty of it. My doctor always advised to drink at least 64oz every day, which was honestly a no-brainer for me, but I wanted to pass this valuable information on to you. If you can drink at least half your body weight in ounces, even better. So if you weight 150 pounds, you would need to drink 75oz of water every day.
- I ate more fruits and veggies. I referenced this earlier, but it’s worth reiterating. Listen, I grew up eating corn as my main vegetable. Guess what? Reality hit and I was told that’s actually a grain, which meant I had to cut it out. Not only that, but it really doesn’t have much nutritional value. Over the past few years, I’ve really made the effort to try new veggies every time I go to the grocery store. This way, I could establish some variety in my diet while eating things that come from the earth and will truly nourish me. Guess what? I found out I actually really enjoy things like broccoli, carrots, sweet potatoes, red peppers, spinach and so much more! Sure, some foods took a few tries to start to enjoy more than others. But it was 100% worth the effort and I can now confidently say on the average day, I eat multiple servings of both fruits and veggies.
Now that we’ve covered the importance of taking care of your insides which will reflect outside, let’s talk about keeping up with your skincare routine! It’s vitally important that you stick to a regular skincare routine twice a day, every day. Here’s an example of what that should look like. We’re going to keep it simple, as to not overwhelm your skin or your days.
- Cleanse: This is to be done twice daily, and at night you should be double cleansing if you wear makeup. Makeup wipes are a huge no-no, so try to avoid these. Double cleansing is important because a layer of makeup, dirt, and bacteria gets left behind with only one pass. I love using the Garnier SkinActive Micellar Cleansing Water All-in-1 Cleanser & Waterproof Makeup Remover followed by The Ordinary Squalene Cleanser or Sonia Roselli Japanese Cleansing Oil.
- Tone: I love to use something soothing, especially for acne-prone skin. Check out the Mineral Fusion Skin-Soothing Face Toner.
- Serum: I have fallen head-over-heels in love with the Sonia Roselli Water Oil! It quickly replaced all other serums I was using because of how potent the ingredients are, without added fragrance or anything harsh. This serum works well with all skin types – yes, I’m looking at you oily-skinned lovelies! Believe it or not, you need to be applying an oil-based product like this serum on your face to combat the excessive oil you’re producing. Your skin craves it, which leads to the oily outbreaks!
- Eye Cream: This doesn’t have as much to do with acne as it does with hydrating your under-eyes and combating dark circles. I love the Lancôme Rénergie Lift Multi-Action Lifting And Firming Anti-Aging Eye Cream for diminishing fine lines and dark circles.
- Moisturizer: Hands down, I swear by the Sonia Roselli Water Balm when it comes to moisturizing myself and all my clients. It’s perfect for any skin type, as it’s a gel-type consistency, so it isn’t overly heavy for oily skin while also being potent enough to thoroughly moisturize even the driest of skin. Make sure to use twice a day, and don’t forget your SPF in the morning!
In addition to your regular skincare routine, I have a few suggestions of products that might help with spot treatments, for those days not having acne just wasn’t in the cards.
- Peter Thomas Roth Acne-Clear Invisible Dots: I first picked these up when they were on a sale for Black Friday at ULTA thinking, worth a shot, right?! Well, I’m so glad I did! They quickly became my favorite method for spot treatments. Why? For one, they’re completely clear, so you can’t see much on your face. Another reason is because they’re so easy to put on at night right before bed and peel off the next morning, revealing much smoother skin and a smaller bump. I love that these don’t slip off like some of the drying lotions can when you’re smushing your face into your pillow all night.
- Mario Badescu Drying Lotion: This is a close second for me. Although I don’t prefer how it can rub off overnight like I mentioned before, I do enjoy how quickly it works. Even if I can only leave this on for an hour, it still makes a huge difference than if were to use nothing at all.
A couple other quick tips before you go!
- Stop touching your face. I know, I know. This is so much easier said than done, I’m just as guilty of it. Don’t even get me started on those long days at the computer when you lean on your hand for both emotional and physical support. But I promise you, this is such a simple way to improve your skin’s health. Think about it: we touch so many objects and surfaces on any given day. Chances are we aren’t washing our hands quite as often or quite as long as we should be. Bacteria will inevitably live on your hands and those lovely germs now transfer to your face with pores waiting with open arms. Here’s a tip: put a sticky note where you linger most often when you find you touch your face. This will help you start to establish your new habit!
- Don’t pop or pick your face. We all know this is the cardinal rule of skincare. But this is especially important if you’re getting your makeup done for your wedding or special event. Why? It’s much easier to conceal a red, puffy, smooth bump than it is to conceal a splotchy, dry, crackling, burst pimple. Not to mention it’s unhygienic and can lead to worse acne or an infection for you. So if you end up waking up to a huge zit on your wedding day, resist ALL urges to pop it and lead the covering up to the professionals.
Now that you’ve been schooled on everything there is to know about improving your acne before the wedding day, take a load off! Remember, too much stress can cause acne, too! 😉
Are you a CT couple looking for wedding hair and makeup services? We would love to chat!
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