Over the years, I’ve seen a few wedding day skin emergencies (everything from breakouts to puffy eyes) that have made even the most cool and collected brides panic. Thankfully, I have a few tips that can help remedy any skin emergency on your special day.
Problem: A zit appeared on my face the day before my wedding. Help!
Solution: First of all, don’t freak out. I guarantee you're going to be more aware of any skin issue than anyone else. Apply ice to the area for 10 minutes to diminish redness and swelling, and repeat every few hours. Once you're done icing, apply a spot treatment, which will help reduce inflammation and the appearance of the blemish.
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A note of caution with spot treatments: As this type of product is typically drying, it could make your skin flaky and more irritated, especially if you're not accustomed to using one. Disrupting the skin's texture will make makeup application more difficult — and make the blemish even more noticeable.
Avoid ingredients like benzoyl peroxide, SD alcohol 40, or sulfur. Instead choose an anti-inflammatory spot treatment with salicylic acid, but be sure to choose an alcohol-free formula or stick to over-the-counter cortisone cream. Finally, do NOT pick at the blemish unless you're willing to risk an oozing, bleeding, messy scab — which is far harder to conceal than a pimple in its early stages.
Avoid ingredients like benzoyl peroxide, SD alcohol 40, or sulfur. Instead choose an anti-inflammatory spot treatment with salicylic acid, but be sure to choose an alcohol-free formula or stick to over-the-counter cortisone cream. Finally, do NOT pick at the blemish unless you're willing to risk an oozing, bleeding, messy scab — which is far harder to conceal than a pimple in its early stages.
Problem: The tears of joy at my rehearsal dinner made my eyes puffy.
Solution: As soon as the dinner is over, apply a cold compress to your eye area. A bag of frozen peas works great! You can also keep a spoon in the refrigerator and apply the convex side of it to the undereye area.
To reduce puffiness, it’s also helpful to gently massage the area under your eyes. With your ring finger, apply an eye gel to the area and massage the skin in small circular motions. The stimulation from the massage can help encourage fluids to work their way out from the eye area, leaving you puff-free on the wedding day.
Problem: My skin is dry and flaky. I’m afraid my makeup won’t go on smoothly.
Solution: Exfoliate. It’s nearly impossible for makeup to look flawless if it’s applied on dry, flaky skin. The night before your wedding, lightly polish the skin with a very gentle facial scrub that uses round beads to remove dry skin without damaging it. You can also try an exfoliating serum. Spot treat first, to make sure it's non-irritating. If everything seems fine, apply a thin coat, leaving it on overnight.
While you sleep, the mild exfoliating serum will work to dissolve any surface flakiness and leave you with a smoother surface. In the morning, apply a lightweight moisturizer and add 1 to 2 drops of a skin oil over the moisturizer to flatten and minimize the appearance of any leftover flakiness.
Problem: My nerves are causing my skin to get red and flushed.
Solution: Start by keeping the room temperature cool. It’s common for the excitement and nervousness of your wedding day to lead to increased blood flow in the skin. Being in a cool and comfortable environment can help keep the temperature of the skin and body down, preventing any unnecessary redness. You can also apply a gel mask, which will have a cooling, anti-inflammatory effect. I like to keep mine in my refrigerator, so it feels extra cool when I put it on.
No matter what emergency you face, know that it's not worth the stress and panic. Do your best to reduce redness, handle a last-minute pimple, or fix puffy eyes, and most of all, enjoy your day.