How are you getting your skin ready?

[musincy]

What is everyone doing to get their skin ready for the big day? I have less than 2 months left and really need to get to work. What are your plans?

 

[kittybean]

Drinking lots of water! (It really does make your skin look more radiant and fresh.)

I''ve also been taking some pretty serious medicine for my acne--it''s working, but I would not recommend it.

One of my friends has been having a series of microdermabrasion treatments for her July wedding, and her skin looks beautiful. She also switched to Bare Minerals makeup, and she swears it has helped with breakouts and skin irritation.

 

[PilsnPinkysMom]

+1 on the water.

Also exfoliating daily and making sure I wash my makeup off each night.

...And though I''m embarrassed to admit it, wrinkle cream. Nothing fancy, just some Regenerist from the drugstore.

Oooh! And SUNBLOCK!

 

[House Cat]

I''ve been using an alpha hydroxy + sunscreen lotion on my body everyday. I really don''t want tan lines because I tend to hang on to them for a very long time.

I''m thinking of scheduling a series of facials. I need them for the skin conditioning and the stress relieving properties! I think facials are more relaxing than massages.

 

[hawaiianorangetree]

*trying* to drink lots of water, taking my makeup off every night and keeping up with the cleansing, toning, moisturising and wrinkle creams

I have had some IPL which helps with getting rid of sunspots, scarring, blemishes and generally making your skin look better, it also helps increase collagen production so after about 6 weeks it plumps up your skin and any small wrinkles dissapear.

I have also changed my pill to help get rid of some pesky melasma spots but will probably have to go back on to the old one just before my wedding to make sure that my skin isn''t all spotty!

Drinking water is the best and cheapest thing for your skin though!

 

[SapphireLover]

My skin has been all over the place for years, with breakouts, unever skin tone and now to make things more complicated dryness in areas.

I have started having regular facials. I went to see my beautician asking for microdermabrasion, but she told me my skin was too sensitive for it.

At the moment I am having monthly Murad Clarifying Enzyme facials.

Once it is more sorted out (which it is at the moment), I'll drop them down to every 6-8 weeks and maybe try some microderm for added evenness.

Oh, and my skin care regime is
Morning
Wash with Murad clarifying wash
Moisturise (Murad with SPF 30)
Every other day exfoliate gently with Clinique 7 day scrub cream

Evening
Remove makeup with L'Oreal De-Maq
Cleanse with Murad wash again
Apply a glycolic acid treatment to nose, chin and cheeks (where I get my breakouts)
Moisturise.

I get married 6 weeks before my 30th and I am determined not to enter my 30's with teenage skin!

 

[sba771]

I am contemplating buying and using a Clarisonic, they are expensive so I am very on the fence. I may try just using a manual brush with my soap first. Not sure yet. I also have been moisturizing a lot more.

 

[merrymunky]

This thread might be useful for me.

My skin is not so great. When it is clear it looks quite nice, but I do break out in spots very often. My skin is often quite greasy these days. It was always dry until I moved from the north to the south of England. I think the change in water hardnedd changed the balance of my skin.

I don''t have much of a skincare routine to be honest. I exfoliate every now and then, but I don''t generally use soapy products on my face as it irritates me. I use aqueous cream as my moisturiser as recommended to me by someone a while back, but it doesn''t make much difference to my old moisturiser.

I make sure I remove my makeup each night with fragrance free wipes and moisturise.

I try to drink enough water too.

I have no idea what I need to do in order to get rid of potential spots before the wedding though. I have 3 months!

 

[honey22]

I have been using clinique cleanser and moisturiser for the past ten years and I would bet my life on that stuff, it''s truly fabulous. I have tried so many other products but keep coming back to my clinique. I have started using the clarifying lotion (the middle step in the 3 steps), and it really does make a difference. I previously avoided using it to try and save money.

I am also trying to not scrunch my face up in the sun so much (gives you wrinkles), and drinking plenty of water.

I have found now that I am doing high impact aerobics classes again, my skin in really smooth and clear after sweating it out, so that has multiple benefits!!!

 

[emeraldlover1]

I''m on facial number 5 and I have 3 more to go. Ahh...the wedding is in 4 months but I don''t think I am going to schedule a facial the month of the wedding. My skin is looking pretty good right now. As long as I can keep the stress down, I should be ok.

 

[Dannielle]

Definately water, removing makeup and.. well, thats it for now.

When the time gets closer I will undergo some microdermabrasion treatments and invest in some quality home skin care products

 

[laughwithme]

I am more than a year away from my wedding, but already thinking about ways to keep my skin in tiptop shape. I have never had clear skin, though its better now than it was in highschool and college.

I use Arbonne Intelligence - though they just discontinued that line, so I will probably use Arbonne Anti-Aging once these bottles run out. Step 2 of this line is a scrub made of natural materials, and it makes my face incredibly clear about 12-48 hours after I use it. I have some travel packets of this, and I will probably use them the day before the wedding.

I also bought Clinique Even Better Skin-Tone-Correcter. I love it! It''s a small bottle of serum and I swear it has reduced some of my previous acne scars. You can only use it on clear skin, though, so I am only using it on my cheeks, which are smooth and clear.

Like anything else, I think the more you worry about one thing, the more likely it is for it to go wrong. So, I am trying to keep an open mind - if I have a huge zit on the big day, I''ll cover it up and move on!

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Oh jeeze, I totally dropped the ball with this! All I''ve been doing is washing my face with neurogena, exfoliating, and moisturizing daily. I have pretty clear skin though so I''m not super worried and I drink a ton of water already. I''m one month out and money is tight so I don''t think any facials are in my future....

 

[SapphireLover]

Date: 5/27/2009 4:18:49 AM
Author: sba771
I am contemplating buying and using a Clarisonic, they are expensive so I am very on the fence. I may try just using a manual brush with my soap first. Not sure yet. I also have been moisturizing a lot more.

Register for makeupalley.com and go have a read of the reviews for it before you buy it.

 

[CheshireSmile]

Date: 5/26/2009 11:18:34 PM
Author: kittybean
Drinking lots of water! (It really does make your skin look more radiant and fresh.)


I''ve also been taking some pretty serious medicine for my acne--it''s working, but I would not recommend it.


One of my friends has been having a series of microdermabrasion treatments for her July wedding, and her skin looks beautiful. She also switched to Bare Minerals makeup, and she swears it has helped with breakouts and skin irritation.

Mineral makeup has definitely done wonders for my skin- a facialist recommended it to me awhile ago, and I completely love it.

 

[kama_s]

I don''t usually break out, so I haven''t been changing much to my (rather crappy/low-key) routine. I''ve just added a few facials prior to the wedding. I think I''ll 3 or 4 by the time of the wedding.

I have visible veins under my eyes though, which gives me perpetual dark circles

I''m hoping this is somethig my make-up artist can fix for me.

 

[Lanie]

I need to do something. Facials maybe. I had one and I was crying through it. I thought it would be relaxing and she did an extraction. Maybe I''ll take a shot of whisky before I go. I have 2 months...if I have 2 will that make a difference?

 

[sourstars]

Similar to what most ladies have said... I''ve been drinking a lot of water, and I will be getting a facial this month and the next. Also, I wash my face with Cetaphil everyday. It works great (for me) and it''s under $10 at target.

 

[SapphireLover]

Lanie- Extractions aren''t the best thing in the world. I just go for my facial and think "do what you have to do to get my face right" and don''t go with the attitude that its time to relax. Looking good comes at a price!

Sourstars- I wish we could get Cetaphil in the UK!

 

[Delster]

SapphireLover we have Cetaphil here in Ireland and I''m pretty sure I''ve seen it in Newry so I''d be very surprised if you don''t have it whereever you are! You can get it in the bigger Boots outlets here.

For skincare tips I always rely on Paula Begoun - she''s like Pricescope for skincare

http://www.cosmeticscop.com/learn-skin-care-facts.aspx

 

[musincy]

Wow you all have great suggestions. Here''s what I''m doing now:
working on increasing my water intake
biore blackhead clearing scrub (morning and night)
clean and clear soft moisturizer w/ spf 15 (every morning)
olay deep cleansing clay mask (every so often)


Do any of you still have back/shoulder skin problems? What are you doing for that? BC pills have helped, and I use that Neutrogena clear skin body wash, but every once in a while I still get a little breakout. Any thoughts?

 

[trillionaire]

Eat lots of tomatoes, or incorporate spoonfuls of tomato paste into your diet. Lots of antioxidants and lycopene!

 

[Jen_91909]

Ugh, I''ve battled mild-moderate acne up and down forever. Right now I use tazorac (presecription, very similar to retin A) as my main defense.
I''m also getting chemical peels once a month - mild ones, not ala Samantha in Sex in the City! To be honest, I can''t tell if they make any difference besides thinning my wallet.

 

[ams0124]

My girlie doc recommended I start taking pre-natal vitamins (I''m not preg BTW)...she said that not only are they good for obvious reasons but they''re great for hair, skin, nails etc...I''ve been taking them for about 3 months now and I''ve definitely noticed a difference. I still have minor breakouts before my period (around my jaw line mostly) but for 3 out of 4 weeks a month my skin is great...

 

[Londongirl1]

Date: 5/27/2009 4:34:06 PM
Author: ams0124
My girlie doc recommended I start taking pre-natal vitamins (I'm not preg BTW)...she said that not only are they good for obvious reasons but they're great for hair, skin, nails etc...I've been taking them for about 3 months now and I've definitely noticed a difference. I still have minor breakouts before my period (around my jaw line mostly) but for 3 out of 4 weeks a month my skin is great...

In addition to drinking plenty of water (as already suggested), I recommend taking 'Vitamins for the Skin, Hair & Nail' tablets. You can get them from Vitamin World in the States and from Holland and Barrett in England. They're excellent for hair, skin, nails etc.

I wouldn't have any radical treatment too close to the wedding just in case youy skin has a bad reaction.