Pre-Wedding Skin Care Routine

[LizJJ]

I am looking for recommendations for my friend who is getting married in May. She doesn't really have a skin care routine (just washes with a Clean and Clear foaming wash and goes to bed...), and she wants to amp it up to have glowy skin for her wedding. She has normal skin and doesn't really suffer from breakouts (lucky girl!).

I have my own AM/PM skin routine for my combo/oily/acne prone skin, but it would be too intense for her.

So I would love some suggestions for a cleanser, an exfoliator, and a moisturizer for normal skin and the routine for which to use them. Drugstore, high end, or a mix of the two would be fine. Her biggest issues are dullness and some blackheads on and around her nose. 

Thanks in advance!

[lylysa]

Do you know if she washes just once or twice a day? 

If her issues are dullness and blackheads in the nose region, my two suggestions would be to have her begin exfoliating and make a visit to an aesthetician or licensed skin care professional who performs extractions.

Skin care itself can be very daunting, especially if someone is approaching things with no established regimen or any known direction as to where to go, factor that in with the fact that she's looking to get set up before a wedding and that's when time frames can be tricky.

Whether it's a wedding or any major event, making any sudden or dramatic changes can be risky the closer it gets to the occasion. Since she has until May, five months is still a good amount of time to work it, but that doesn't mean she should go about all willy-nilly and try anything and everything under the sun and experiment nonstop. 

Since her skin isn't problematic, my initial suggestion would be to keep things mellow and not overly complicated. Should she decide to invest down the time and get more indepth with her skin care she certainly can, but trying to do too much in the given time frame wouldn't be recommended.

Fresh's Soy Cleanser and First Aid Beauty's Face Cleanser are two very basic formulas that walk similar lines. Both are sulfate and soap free formulas to avoid being too harsh or stripping on skin while also being effective at cleansing and removing make up. The Fresh formula is a gel-base while the FAB is cream-based. If her skin is more dry/normal then opt for the FAB, if it's more oily-combo/normal, give the Fresh a try. Both formulas contain hydrating ingredients (FAB - allantoin, glycerin, and sodium PCA / Fresh - glycerin, sunflower oil, and borago seed oil), soothing/calming agents (FAB - feverfew and aloe /  Fresh - aloe, mallow, and cucumber), and conditioning/focus agents (FAB - white tea extract for anti-oxidant protection and licorice to brighten and even skin tone / Fresh - soybean to strengthen and brighten, vitamin E to nourish, vitamin C to brighten, and rose to provide anti-oxidants).

In terms of exfoliation, there are many ways for her to go, from physical scrubs/exfoliants, chemical exfoliating agents (also found in various peel mediums), and even hybrids that contain chemical and physical exfoliating components. Check into the below thread for a fuller break down on the differences along with even an overview on basic skin care products/steps:

http://community.sephora.com/t5/Combo-Normal/Skin-Care-Routine/m-p/1823992/highlight/true#M2542

For moisturizer, key into the above thread which also details the importance of sun protection in day time means and will also be key if she's wanting to combat dull skin.

My mention of extractions above are suggested because the service focuses on an affected region in full attention, a licensed skin care professional uses an extraction tool to help dislodge oxidized sebum, oil, and bacteria which is trapped in pores that may be too deep for easy removal via the use of skin care products alone. There's detailed information regarding extractions below:

http://community.sephora.com/t5/Combo-Normal/What-is-a-good-product-to-use-to-get-rid-of-pores-and-b...

Have her visit a store to obtain samples of products if needed so she can test out items before making a full commitment. 🙂 

[carolang]

Oh! And ask for masks,

The Ole Henriksen blue/blackberry mask is a hydrating but also lightly exfoliating mask (has fruit enzymes... they have a lemon peel that is stronger, this one has never irritated me) that I love - smells like lavender so very calming and reminds me of the spa!

Korres has a lot of fun new ones, I got the set of 4 for $36 with the firming, brightening, nourishing, calming whatever they all are and I really enjoy them.

[carolang]

I share your skin type... but I consider dullness an issue that I have so my suggestion is the Korres Wild Rose Sleeping Facial I think it makes my skin look glowy and amazing and it norishes it so much I normally wake up with very oily skin but with this I don't. For the AM, I recommend the OH Truth Serum for dullness. Killer combo and the sleeping facial is on the thicker side but I still love it (also nudge nudge to you both these products work great at fading the hormonal breakout scar or 2 I get every month quite quickly!).

As for blackheads, the glamglow black mask is amazing of course its only temporary. May be a nice little gift (the smaller size) to get her right before the wedding though (although she may want to test it out a week in advance though if she's prone to reactions).

As for a cleanser, I like the Origins Checks and Balances creamy cleanser, or the Neutrogena naturals line at the drugstore. They're both pretty basic and non-drying and I like to mix them up with my more drying acne cleansers.

I'll leave the exfoliator and moisturizer suggestions to someone with her skin type.