THE PATH TO FLAWLESS SKIN

We all want flawless, glowing skin. But if there’s one time when you really want the beauty gods to bless you with a perfect complexion, it’s at a wedding. Whether you’re the bride or the bridesmaid, you definitely want to look your best on the big day. And while that begins with a beautiful dress, it ends with a great beauty routine. After all, who doesn’t dream of possessing the stuff airbrushed models are made of?
So if you want to get ready for the big day, here are a few things you should know:
Start early. If you don’t have a good routine, then get one ASAP including regular face washing, moisturizing and a good serum treatment and weekly exfoliation.
You are what you eat. If you want great skin then you need to have a healthy vitamin-rich diet to go with it. Have your fill of fruits and vegies, but don’t skip bone-rich broths for your soups either. Bones (and pork belly) are rich in collagen, which helps skin look young, firm and plump. Our bodies make less collagen as we grow older and this is a great way to get it into your diet. Remember, you can’t start eating saintly a week before the big day. To get the full benefit of a healthy diet, you need to start now or better yet, five minutes ago.
Reduce your salt intake to reduce water retention. If you tend to look like a puffball in the morning (I do), then skip the salt for a few weeks before the wedding. You don’t want to have bags under your eyes!
Have regular facials. A good facial can help you clear your skin and reduce any pigmentation, but they should be done regularly for the full benefit.
If you can’t afford (the time or money) for a monthly visit to the beautician, there are plenty of treatments you can do at home between visits. Once of my favourite DIY masks is ridiculously easy – just use raw honey. After cleansing your face, smear it on and leave it on for a minimum of 20 minutes and… voila, glowing skin! Honey’s antimicrobial and healing properties means it works a treat at fighting breakouts, reducing scarring and evening out skin tone. It’s also moisturizing so your skin won’t dry out. That said, you need raw honey, not the processed kind you find in supermarkets. Big brand honeys are treated at ultra-high temperatures, killing a lot of the health benefits with it. The fancy deli kind is a bit dearer but it’s still way cheaper than a professional facial.
Another mask I’m crazy about is Wei’s Golden Root Purifying Mud Mask ($58). The antioxidant-rich beauty treatment comes with eight individual pots of mud and a really nice brush. It works out to around $7.50 a mask, which is still cheaper than a facial. I use it regularly and my skin always glows afterwards.
Reduce spots with an acid peel. If you have uneven, pimple-prone skin, then an acid peel might be your new best friend. These are normally done over several sessions (around six) to get major results with each session performed a few weeks apart to give your skin time to recover. The treatment can also minimize pore surface to give you a smoother complexion. Your final session should be done at least two weeks before the big day. But if you have a while before the wedding, then you can undertake the sessions twice with six months between each course.
I’ve met a few beauty editors in my day and I always love grilling them for advice. Here are some of their most basic tips for great skin:
– Wash your face twice at night (once to remove makeup and the second to properly cleanse the skin).
– Start using an eye cream as early as you can.
–  Don’t just moisturize your face and neck, but your chest and ears as well – unless you want droopy ears down the track, which I’m guessing you don’t.
– Dry your face on a clean towel to avoid spreading acne-causing bacteria all over your freshly washed skin.
– Shampoo your makeup brushes every week for the same reason as above. That’s right, it could be your brushes that are giving you pimples!
A little bit of TLC goes a long way with your skin, so follow this advice and you’ll be radiant on your big day.