Okay, who here thought acne would go away once you became an adult? This was something I believed to my core and sincerely prayed for as a teen. One day, when I turned into an “adult” my skin would magically become as clear and luminous as the movie stars. Guess what? This DIDN’T happen. And I’m still mad about it.

My acne has actually worsened over time. Now I have fewer blemishes in quantity, but more horribly painful, red, cystic blemishes. Yay. This is due almost entirely to hormones and stress.

Since my acne is caused by two factors I have very little control over as an adult in my mid/late twenties (I’m the only millennial experiencing mood swings & stress, right?), a few years ago I decided to stop whining and learn how to manage my acne. This time period just so happened to be the year before my wedding – and it worked. My face was the clearest it has ever been on my wedding day, and I want to share what I’ve learned with you!

If you’re a bride-to-be stressing about your stupid adult acne on your wedding day, this post is for you.

How to Prep Acne-Prone Skin for your Wedding Day

7 Skin-Clearing Tips:

1. Do NOT try new products right before the wedding.

If you want to try new skin products before the wedding, I strongly recommend doing so at least 3-6 months before the wedding. You never know how your skin will react to new products, so testing things out in advance is super smart. The further out you can implement your new skin care routine, the better!

2. Give your products time to work.

This piggybacks off the previous tip, but I feel like it’s worth saying. Start incorporating your new products far enough in advance to let them do their job – most products don’t work overnight!

3. Take off your makeup.

3A: Take your makeup off with a gentle cleanser before using an acne treatment cleanser. I use Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser to simply remove makeup before using Aveeno Clear Complexion Cream Cleanser that has salicyclic acid blemish treatment in it.

3B: Never sleep with your makeup on. I’m serious. This takes a little more effort in your nighttime routine, but it will help so much. And it won’t ruin your pillow cases.

4. Wash your pillow cases & makeup brushes more often.

Speaking of pillow cases. Wash them more often. Really anything that touches your face for long periods of time needs to be cleaned often.

5. Exfoliate & Moisturize

Exfoliating is something that I just recently started incorporating into my skincare routine and I wish I had started a long time ago. From years of fighting breakouts, I have some mild scaring. And while I don’t think the scaring will ever fully go away, exfoliating has really helped with redness and inflammation. I’ve been using Dermalogica’s Daily Microfoliant.

I have to be careful with moisturizers. I make sure to use something really basic with minimal ingredients. My skin goes nuts if there are fragrances or more treatment chemicals than I need. I’ve been using a VERY small amount of Trader Joe’s Vitamin E Oil Blend (face & neck) and 100% Pure’s Retinol Restorative Overnight Balm (under & around my eyes). The retinal balm works wonders with dark circles too.

6. Monthly Facials

I recently tried an acne treatment facial at Ulta and it was GREAT! It was really relaxing and the consultant gave me some great tips and recommendations. I did the 30 Minute Ultimate Skin Resurfacing Facial and I highly recommend.

7. Give your skin a break.

If you are taking time off before your wedding (I recommend your whole wedding week), try not to wear face makeup if you don’t have to. I didn’t wear foundation, powder, or concealer the 7 days leading up to my wedding and I truly think that, and my awesome products, helped my skin be super clear on wedding day.

Now, remember that I am not a dermatologist or an expert on skin care, these are just products and things that have worked for me. Also, everyone is different! So be sure to find a skin care routine that works for you – just find it with time to spare before your wedding!

7 of my Favorite Products:

1. Cetalphil Daily Facial Cleanser

Used at night to take off my makeup.

2. Aveeno Clear Complexion Cream Cleanser

Used on a clean face at night and in the morning. I’ve been using this one for YEARS. It has salicylic acid in it, so it might dry you out at first.

3. Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant

Used daily (or every-other day) after cleansing to exfoliate skin. It comes in powder form, so you simple pour a little in a small container, add water, stir, and apply, I use a cheap makeup brush to stir and apply to skin, then I massage it in for a bit, then wash off.

4. Dermalogica AGE Bright Clearing Serum

This serum is amazing. I apply it after cleansing and exfoliating as a spot treatment and I swear I can feel it working. It only takes a small amount and you press it into the skin until it is dry. I do this in the morning (before makeup) and at night.

5. Dermalogica AGE Bright Spot Fader

This product also helps with acne scars. I use it in the morning and at night after the clearing serum dries. You rub it in as a spot treatment.

*get all 3 Dermalogica products in a bundle*

6. Trader Joe’s Vitamin E Oil Blend

I put a tiny amount of this oil on the areas of my face that are not broken out and on my neck and chest. It’s cheap and awesome. I’ve seen a noticeable difference in the lines on my chest after using this for a few weeks.

7. 100% Pure’s Retinol Restorative Overnight Balm

I could talk for hours about this stuff. Aside from acne, I also have super dark circles under my eyes. It’s hereditary and probably has something to do with the fact that my skin is so fair you can almost see through it. But, this stuff has helped! And it uses all natural ingredients so it makes ya feel good about using it. I took a before and after picture of my eyes so I could see if it was working and you can tell a big difference. I’m not posting the picture here because, well, it’s a weird picture of just my eyes, but if you want proof, let me know and I’ll send it to you!

8. Windex

If you wake up on wedding day and have a blemish, just spray some Windex on it.

JUST KIDDING. My Big Fat Greek Wedding anyone? haha!

That’s a Wrap!

Well folks, there you have it, my biggest tips on how to prep acne-prone skin for your wedding day!

Let me know if you have questions, and as always, Happy Wedding Planning!

xoxo,
Sammy

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