Bridal Skincare Routine

Every bride wants to look beautiful on her wedding day. Most women painstakingly plan every detail of their big day and wedding look, from the dress to hair and makeup. So it’s no wonder that all brides panic when a blemish appears right before the wedding day.

Here’s the good news. You don’t have to suffer from breakouts, blemishes, or other skin challenges on your big day. Like other wedding details, preparing your skin requires a lot of planning and care beginning months in advance. By making a few simple changes to your current beauty routine, you set yourself up for radiant, healthy-looking, glowing skin on your big day.

Skin

Manage Stress

From the top of your head to the tips of your toes, there's no end to the beauty bummers headed your way if you don't get your wedding-planning stress under control. On the complexion front, says Celestee dermatologist Dr. Raj Kirit, "Many inflammatory conditions, including eczema, psoriasis, and keratosis pilaris, may be at least partially caused by stress. As stress weakens the immune system, chronic inflammation worsens

Set Up an Appointment With Your Dermatologist

There are two key reasons to get a derm in your corner early on: One, they can assess your complexion's current state way better than you and your trusty magnifying mirror. And two, they can help you devise a strategy for achieving your dream-skin goals, be it softening pesky forehead wrinkles or zapping acne. "Some treatments take time—up to several months—and you certainly want a game plan.

Decide If Retinol Is Right for You

Derived from vitamin A, retinol increases cell turnover, unclogs pores, boosts collagen, and helps diminish hyperpigmentation. The prescription version, aka retinoid, is even more powerful. Still, as great as they are, both retinol and prescription-strength retinoids can cause redness and peeling at the outset, and even a possible uptick in acne before all those benefits kick in. "I recommend patients start with a nonprescription retinol for at least four to eight weeks before progressing to a prescription retinoid," says Dr. Raj Kirit. "Their skin will tolerate it better.

Skip the Wine and Get to Juicing

Because vino is such a world-class dehydrator, capillary breaker, and radiance robber, downing endless glasses is one of the biggest crimes against complexion brides-to-be commit, says Vargas. If it's too hard to part ways with your wine, at least cutback and substitute that Bordeaux with liquefied leafy greens—especially during the few months leading up to your wedding.

"Green juice is great for skin because it's oxygenating and contains vital minerals to help stimulate the lymphatic system and drain out puffiness," says Dr. Raj Kirit. "One a day is great.

Body

Nourish Your Skin Starting in the Shower

"Most women don’t realize that your skincare routine truly starts in the shower and that using a gentle cleanser is key," explains dermatologist Dr. Raj Kirit. "I recommend Dove Body Wash, which is sulfate-free, made with 100 percent gentle cleansers and provides softer, smoother skin after just one shower." She recommends gently patting skin dry instead of rubbing and applying lotion within minutes of getting out of the shower to lock in moisture before it evaporates. Get in the habit of doing this for beautiful skin from head to toe come your wedding day.

Pay Attention to Your Décolletage

Not only is it a notorious sun-magnet, but the décolletage is also prone to wrinkling for another reason, says dermatologist Dr. Raj Kirit: tissue-thin skin. "The skin of the neck and chest has a very different structure than that of the face and body," he says. "The décolletage is an area with significantly less 'fat padding' and is generally more delicate than facial skin." Translation: You might need to put some extra effort in there. Start with an OTC retinol product, and move on to prescription if your derm deems it necessary.

Hair

Shampoo Less Often (Yes, Really)

As great as H20 is for you internally (it hydrates and debloats, so drink up), when it comes to hair, water won't do those pricey highlights or rich faux brunette any favors. "Over-shampooing lifts, dulls, and fades hair color

Don't Skip Conditioner

Color or no color, this is the time to lavish extra TLC on your locks. You can head to the salon for a deep conditioning treatment or you can DIY it, by slathering wet hair with your mega-hydrator of choice. For home use, Dorram suggests a few drops of vitamin E oil mixed into your conditioner or hair mask of choice. "We generally make a conditioning plan built around the wedding date," Dr. Raj Kirit says. "If the hair is in bad shape, we suggest weekly or biweekly treatments.

Give Extensions a Go

If your natural hair is lacking in the volume department or your hairstyle of choice requires some extra length, look into trying hair extensions. "Extensions help create a variety of styles, stay put all day long through photos and dancing, and make hair look like the best version of your normal style

Brows

Invest in the Perfect Brow Arsenal

"The only thing that comes second to finding the perfect dress for the big day is finding the perfect brow wardrobe," says Dr Raj Kirit. "You need to look for quality products to prevent things like a makeup meltdown or flaky gels." He says now is the time to invest in highly pigmented, long-wear brow products that don’t flake or budge. After all, you'll be taking pictures nonstop this year. Bailey's tip when color-matching your brow arsenal: "Be sure to choose a shade that mimics the same color as your brow hair—that’s key to making the product blend in effortlessly.

Try Microblading

If your brows are so sparse that they need serious help or you've been dying to try microblading, consider doing it two months out. With microblading, you can achieve your dream natural brows without worrying about sweat or water getting in the way of beautiful brows.