bridal skincare favorites
heeeey future bride!!
as a professional bridal makeup artist, here are some of my favorite skincare products & tools that I LOVE for bridal and why I love them. just click on the picture to buy!
id you’re super oily, you can skip getting embryolisse, but otherwise, these are awesome steps to include in ANY at home skincare routine!
& don’t forget- if you grab any of these for home use, let me know how you like them with a DM on Instagram! :)
centella light cleansing oil & DCH cleansing oil - these are lightweight, refreshing cleansers that removes oil, dirt, & makeup + washes off easily, leaving your skin feeling soft & clean.
sonia roselli line- these products are must-haves in my kit but you can’t go wrong with her entire line! the sexapeel spray is a gentle gomage style exfoliant that’s safe for sensitive & rosacea prone skin. for ladies whose skin might be on the tougher side, you can go in with another round of use. her products Water Oil, Water Balm, & Water Elixir are each loaded with amazing ingredients & add hydration + skin benefits in layers.
the inkey list omega water cream - this is a thin, hydrating moisturizer that works fantastic as a moisturizer for oily skin, or to layer under other products for normal-dry skin, acting as a serum. this is a more affordable dupe for Sonia’s Water Balm, though I will say, Sonia’s has better skincare benefits :)
embryolisse lait-creme concentre - a staple for dry-skinned girlies, this moisturizer just soaks into dry & dehydrated skin + can be applied heavily & left on as a mask until it absorbs!
first aid beauty glycolic pads - these exfoliating pads are a bump up from the sexapeel spray but still very gentle. offering a deeper exfoliation increase cellular turnover & glycolic acid brightens the skin!
grace & stella gold eye patches - these feel amazing on the undereye; so cooling, hydrating, & firming! + these eye patches are so fun. I continously repurchase these for my kit. highly recommend.
biodance bio-collagen mask - these feel amazing on the skin, so cooling & hydrating & plumping! the week of your wedding, it’s highly recommended that you play it safe with your skincare to avoid reactions, break outs, or interactions with the makeup. these are safe to use in the days leading up to your wedding morning & will help prepare your skin for the makeup!
auqaphor healing ointment - don’t freak out!! auqaphor is not comedonegenic (fancy word for acne-causing!) but what it does do is form an occlusive layer overtop the skin, letting moisturizers & serums work their magic underneath while blocking moisture from escaping your skin! it traps in hydration for your skin products to work their magic
poppy & pout lip scrub - this is a solid sugar scrub with a lovely scent. using a sugar scrub helps break away any dead skin + increase circulation, giving them a healthy plump. removing that dry, dead skin & scabs lets the lip mask really sink in & do its job.
jouer lip mask - the scent that I have is their vanilla, but I didn’t see that one on amazon! however, ALLLLL of my clients LOVE the way this product makes their lips feel so soft & they rave about the scent. these two are a winning combo!
castor oil - I love using castor oil on my brows & lashes. I’m not going to say I’ve noticed a massive difference in thickness, but I don’t use it as consistently as I should. but when I’m using castor oil on my lashes + brows, they never look better! castor oil is honestly great for fine lines & wrinkles as well. I use castor oil around Agatha & Harrison (my 11 wrinkes + forehead valley) & have noticed improvement. I would just recommend stopping two nights before the wedding to make sure you don’t have any residue leftover.
extra virgin coconut oil - I recently started oil pulling & I’m obsessed! I feel like my teeth look whiter & my mouth always feel clean. this is totally a bonus, but unless your dentist recommends against it, I think oil pulling is a great addition to your pre-wedding prep.
blue face towels & pink face towels - is this basic? yes. but I love these face towels because they’re the perfect size to use on your face without making a big mess + they’re incredibly soft! I prefer using dedicated face towels because I know they won’t be used for anything else, so they’ll stay clean longer, & these ones aren’t going to be scratchy against your skin. included both links because i’ve used both in my kit <3 but I’m currently using the blue (larger) towels & do prefer them!
at home facial steamer - okay, yes, perhaps getting your own facial steamer sounds bouijee, but there’s a reason estheticians use them in the spa. first- they feel wonderful. that’s a big one! & second, the hot steam helps cleansers + exfoliants soften & breakdown the dead skin cells & dirt & debri that’s floating around your face! resulting in a deeper clean + smoother exfoliation, not to mention you can use it for product penetration + hydration as well! I have a similar one at home & its such a nice touch to my own DIY facials
how do I use these products?
baaaabe, I got you!
here’s what I recommend as a starting point - but I do offer skincare consultations to my brides to help better utilize the products they have + make recommendations for additional products/supplies/treatments or completely build a new routine from scratch <3
how to build your routine
all products are safe for all skin types, but oily-skin girls can skip embryolisse unless they want to purchase to use as a rich mask :)
pick 1 oil cleanser
pick 1-2 serums (water oil and/or water elixir - I am currently testing out new ones to add!)
pick 1-2 moisturizers (water balm/omega water cream for all skintypes, embryolisse for the dry girlies!)
pick 1 exfoliator (sexapeel or first aid glycolic pads - if you’re up for 2, totally get both! use sexapeel first, then the glycolic pad)
pick your sheet masks (eye pads and/or biodance) * optional but highly recommend
pick.. the aquaphor. just get the aquaphor. trust me. plus, it will last.
& also pick the sunscreen if you don’t already have one that you love! trust me - get the sunscreen
get your extras if you want: lip scrub, lip mask, face towels, castor oil, coconut oil, steamer, etc
this seems like… a lot
I love a super involved skincare routine as much as the next girl, but you don’t always need to go super complicated to get good results. a lot of my brides don’t wear much makeup - sometimes that means they’re really into their skin & super minimal clean beauty, and other times that means they don’t really have much of a skincare routine, either. I won’t ask you to go from using ivory soap & some cold cream sometimes to a 16 step Korean skincare routine (unless you want to, of course!!) so figuring out what works for you may take trial & effort but that’s okay! we can customize a routine that we come up together- one that bridges the gap between your ultimate bridal makeup goals & your comfort + realistic dedication <3
putting it all together
the steps are simple!
on the daily
morning:
oil cleanse - (can remove with face towel so its less messy :) )
serum(s)
moisturizer
SPF
evening steps:
oil cleanse - (can remove with face towel so its less messy :) )
serum(s)
moisturizer
castor on on brows & lashes + “problem” areas (wrinkles, dry patches, etc)
optional face masks for hydration + skincare benefits (can use as often as you’d like!)
optional aquaphor ointment to sleep (really locks in the skincare so it will absorb overnight!)
1x-2x weekly
start off 1x a week if you’re coming from a minimal skincare routine, then graduate up to 2x a weeks after 3-4 weeks if your skin responds well :)
give yourself 3-4 days between exfoliation (if 2x per week)
you can exfoliate + mask any time of day, but you want to avoid exfoliating before going out in the sun!
I would often this routine at night often when finished with work/kids/etc :) but I’ve def been known to wake up, take a how shower, & give myself a mini facial before diving into WFH!
EXFOLIATION + MASKING
oil cleanse: thoroughly cleanse your skin with the oil cleanser without using water. really make sure to remove any makeup & get in the nooks & crannies. rinse off in the shower, at the sink, can use a face towel to remove, etc :)
exfoliate: very sensitive skin? use sexapeel only to start. but all other skintypes can use either exfoliator depending on their preference. for a deeper exfoliation, start with the sexapeel gomage first & rinse/wipe off before using the glyolic pads. always use a physical exfoliator before a chemical exfoliator! remove in shower, at sink, or with a face towel. TIP: use the lip scrub at the same time you’re exfoliating your face! don’t want to use a lip scrub? use your toothbrush
mask: I enjoy using the biodance (or another sheet mask) while I do other hygiene tasks like oil pulling. this step can last as long as you want. i’ve kept masks on for 15 minutes for a quick shot of nutrients + hydration & other days I’ve kept it on for 1-2 hours as I worked or completed chores! the longer you keep it on, the more your skin can absorb. TIP: apply your lip mask at this point! don’t want to use a lip mask? just pop on some lipbalm!
serums: after you remove the mask, you don’t need to rinse the product off. you can layer any serums you may use like normal! really don’t want the extra step? ditch the serums
moisturizer: go in with your moisturizer like usual! if you’re super dry, you can apply a generous layer of a rich moisturizer (like embryolisse) as a mask, but that’s optional. your skin may already be super happy from what we’ve done! TIP: apply as much moisturizer as you typically do & massage that in. does it dissappear pretty quickly? or are you able to evenly spread that around & your skin still feels nice & slick with some extra product to asborb? if your fingers catch or your skin feel really tacky or already back to normal- that tells me you may want to add another layer, sister!
the cherry on top: slather aquaphor ointment all over your face & let it sit for several hours/overnight. I promise- you won’t end up a grease-field!
remember- listen to your skin. ask any questions you may have. if it feels like too much? we can break it down even slower!
some people honestly find that washing their face once a day only is better for their skin. honestly? try it! I would skip the morning cleanse, because you definitely want to remove any dirt, makeup, oils, debris, free radicals, etc at the end of the day. but in the morning, you can just go onto serums, moisturizer, & SPF like usual.
you really don’t want all of these products or these extra complicated steps?
okay-
do me a favor. do this routine instead for about 4 weeks. then I’m going to ask you to add one more thing to your list. I don’t think you’ll even notice it!
simplified:
oil cleanse 1-2x daily
moisturizer 2x daily
spf in morning
1x week first aid glycolic pads
1x aquaphor ointment as mask
if you try any of these products or my suggested routine- pls LMK how it goes! my email & in my inbox are always open so make sure to head over to my Instagram highlights to stay up to date on my favorite products & bridal makeup + skincare info!
& a quick note- some of these are commission links, which means purchases made using these links will result in a small commission for me, but if you don’t feel comfortable using these links, don’t! you can look up the product in a new tab instead so there will be no commission :)