Skincare is the base that any wedding day make-up will be applied to, so it’s vital that we start looking after it. Ideally, you want to start your skincare journey as soon as possible to give your skin time to get used to its new level of TLC. But how can we look after our skin? Typically, your skin will fall into one of the four main skin types: normal, dry, oily/ combination, or sensitive. I’ve collated all the best skincare advice for each skin type so you can jump straight in with your shopping. NORMAL If you’re lucky enough to be graced with a normal skin type, then most of the hard work has already been done. All you need to do is maintain your skin barrier and protect yourself from signs of aging. The main thing to remember with your skincare is that less is more, you won’t have as many steps as everyone else and that is completely fine. No, you are not missing a trick, you simply just don’t need as much. You’ll want to find yourself a non-foaming cleanser (foam cleansers can dry out your skin). Then while your skin is ready to soak things us, apply a vitamin C serum that will brighten the skin and bring some life back. Follow this with a light moisturiser (with some hyaluronic acid if you want to encourage hydration). This can all be finished with SPF. All skincare should finish with sun protection – just because the sun isn’t out, doesn’t mean it isn’t doing damage. Once you’ve mastered this and you’re feeling brave, then it’s time to try out some skin resurfacing. This isn’t as scary as it sounds, as it’s simply helping your skin follow its natural process of shedding. You’ll want to look out for low percentage retinol to get started or some AHAs and BHAs. These are chemical exfoliants that help your skin resurface. DRY If you’ve got dry skin, then incorporating and protecting moisture is at the forefront of your skincare routine. You’ll want to start with a hydrating cleanser, and you’ll only want to cleanse once a day as you don’t want to strip your skin of any of its natural oils. Then you need to tone with an alcohol-free toner to close your pores after cleansing. This can be followed with a serum for your specific concern (i.e. hyaluronic acid to lock in moisture). After that you want a nourishing moisturiser to add hydration to the skin, which can all be finished with SPF. To help dry skin, don’t use any aggressive exfoliants and try to avoid caffeine as this can dry you out. OILY/COMBINATION This is the most common skin type and perhaps the hardest to maintain. Not only does it create problems with layering make-up, but it can also impact the longevity of it. However, the quicker we tackle it and understand it, the better! To combat this, you want to cleanse twice a day with a gentle cleanser. This then needs to be followed by an alcoholfree toner to close pores. Then you want to apply a serum, ideally one to hydrate and protect the dryer areas of your face. Finally, you want to finish with SPF – don’t forget this adds moisture and protection! To help maintain the skin, you’ll need to exfoliate once a week to clear dead skin cells and you’ll need learn about face masks. A common misconception is that you have to apply the same face mask to your whole face, but this isn’t the case. Mix-and-match facemasks depending on the area’s needs. For example, you could use a detoxing face mask on your T-zone (typically the oiliest part) and then a hydrating one on the rest. SENSITIVE For our sensitive skin readers out there, I’m sure you’re no stranger to an unscented product. Skin sensitivity can be very frustrating, especially when you are trying to bring some life back to your skin. To get you started on your skincare regime, you’ll want to grab an unscented gentle cleanser. This can then be followed by a light serum with no harsh chemicals – hyaluronic is typically a safe one. After that, grab an unscented moisturiser and finally, finish with SPF! To keep sensitive skin happy, it’s a good idea to try some emollients such as shea butter and squalane – these are brilliant for holding in moisture and ceramides. 66
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTA0NTE=