You dream of the perfect wedding. You plan every detail. But, let's face it, no detail is more important or will garner more attention than YOU, the bride! There is a lot of advice on what to do before getting your makeup done on the big day, but it is just as important to know what to avoid. Below are the top four things to avoid before getting your makeup done on your wedding day.
#1 Any New Facial Treatments or Products One Month Before
Even if you don't have sensitive skin, you can never be sure exactly how your skin will react to new facial treatments or products. It is a great idea to plan to get your face in the best shape; however, we suggest you try any new treatments or products about 3-6 months before the wedding and absolutely no sooner than one month before the big day to avoid any adverse reactions.
#2 Hair Removal Within Seven Days Before the Wedding
Even if you are experienced in hair removal, unknown factors could affect your skin. Though most of the side effects of hair removal are temporary, your wedding day is too important to take any chances. Give your skin plenty of time to heal and repair from any of these temporary side effects, such as redness, bumps, rashes, or ingrown hairs that may occur by having any hair removal done at least seven days before your wedding day. Any scraggly or unwanted hairs that pop up within those seven days before the wedding can carefully be tweezed, giving you a clean surface to work on.
#3 Sun Exposure Within Two Weeks of The Wedding
You may desire a golden sun-kissed look on your wedding day, but too much sun exposure too close to the wedding day can leave your skin looking red, dry, and peeling, which is not a pretty look. Avoid direct sun exposure, sunbathing, and tanning booths at least two weeks before the wedding, and always wear a daily sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30, such as our SkinScript Rx - Sheer Protection. If you find yourself with an unexpected sunburn the day of the wedding, a good makeup artist can help conceal the damage with a matte foundation with cool undertones, but of course, it is better to be safe than sorry.
The healthy alternative to achieving the perfect sun-kissed look is to schedule an appointment with an experienced spray tan artist a few weeks to a month before the wedding to get a base tan started and then finish it off with a final spray about 3-4 days before the big day.
#4 Inflammatory Foods One Week Before the Wedding
We all know that eating an excess of inflammatory foods is bad for your body, but they can also wreak havoc on your skin. As a bride, there are many things that you would love for people to notice about you on the wedding day, but puffiness is not one of them. Fatty and fried foods, salt, sugar, and alcohol are some of the worst culprits when it comes to skin inflammation and should be avoided or at least limited in the week leading up to the wedding. On the flip side, green leafy vegetables, olive oil, and nuts are among some of the best foods you can eat to fight inflammation.
We all know that the days leading up to the wedding are filled with many celebrations, which also means many opportunities to overindulge. If you wake up the morning of the wedding with a puffy face or eyes, teabags and cucumbers both have anti-inflammatory properties, so lay back with one of these over your eyes and a cool washcloth over your entire face to help combat the swelling. Puffiness can also be caused by dehydration as your body's cells and tissues absorb water and try to hold onto it, so make sure you drink plenty of water. Finally, according to WebMD, the myth you may have heard is true, hemorrhoid cream applied directly under the eyes can tighten the skin and help with puffiness.
We know that no one is perfect, and there are often unavoidable situations that come up in your life, so do the best you can with our tips and if you do find yourself experiencing any skin irritations, redness, or puffiness on your wedding day, make sure and articulate your concerns to your stylist. An experienced makeup artist will have suggestions and products to cover any imperfections.
We hope that our tips on the things to avoid before having your wedding makeup done have helped to educate you and prepare you for being your most beautiful self on your wedding day!
If you have any questions or comments, we’d love to hear from you! Shoot us an email at madison@mhdbeauty.com or leave a comment.