You’ve found the gown, booked the venue and the suits are ordered; it’s now time to think about something essential for any bride’s big day; the ‘bridal glow’. It can be stressful planning a wedding, but it’s important to prioritise some self-care, and there’s nothing more indulgent than pampering your skin. Today, we’re talking to Emma, who founded luxury skincare line The Face Planner, when as a bride-to-be herself, she couldn’t find any specific articles or information about bridal skin. Emma was inspired by spending time in Italy with natural ingredients, and after teaming up with Dr Catherine Borysiewicz, former NHS Consultant of Dermatology, launched her brand designed to get your skin ready for life’s special moments.
Emma, Founder of The Face Planner
When should you start to think about your bridal skin; what’s the ideal timeframe for preparation for the big day?
I have learnt that patience is a virtue when it comes to skincare results. Too often, we try products for a week at a time hoping to see results instantly, but the truth is many skincare ingredients need months of consistent use to have a real effect. No matter what some products claim, everything your skin needs to glow can simply not be found in one product. That is why I created The Face Planner, an effective and curated set of ingredients and products designed to be used for three months when counting down to a big event whether that is a wedding, milestone birthday, red carpet moment or any other event where you want to look and feel your best, but if you can, the longer before the event, the better. You need to start by thinking about your skin cell turnover – which on average is 30 days however this can slow down with age, hormones and stress. Your skin cell turnover is the time it takes skin cells from the bottom layers of your skin to be sloughed away and start revealing new skin cells from underneath. This is when you would start to notice results from the products that you’ve been using, as these new skin cells are the ones that have been nourished by the new ingredients. High quality ingredients are key and should work together – all of The Face Planner products and ingredients have been formulated to balance and enhance one another. For that coveted glow, your skin needs a combination of deeply hydrating and nourishing ingredients, natural exfoliants, antioxidants and active ingredients.
What daily routine should our brides be following?
We recommend starting each day with THE CLEANSER, our lightweight gel cleanser that includes niacinamide and azelaic acid and following with our liquid exfoliant THE BALANCER, to slough away dead skin cells and prep your skin for the rest of your products. We then recommend our serum, THE SUPER HYDRATOR, one to two pumps every morning patted on to the skin followed by our moisturiser THE PROTECTOR, to lock in all of those good ingredients and protect and nourish your skin. We recommend SPF every day. In the evening we love a double cleanse with THE CLEANSER, followed by a retinol serum if they are looking for something more active to tackle fine lines. We then recommend finishing their routine with THE EYE BRIGHTENER, applied gently to the under eye area and THE PROTECTOR again. We have a super nourishing weekly face mask, THE REVITALISER, which we recommend using up to 3 times per week as you get closer to the big day to boost your glow and moisture levels.
What are the best ingredients for that bridal glow?
We love the hyaluronic acid that we use in THE SUPER HYDRATOR. You’ll find both low-molecular weight and high-molecular hyaluronic acid in our serum which simply means your skin will be plumped on the outer layer and hydrated at a deeper level too. Natural liquid exfoliants are important too, THE BALANCER includes glycolic acid and lactic acid, to gently slough away dead skin cells and prepare your skin to beQer absorb the other products in your plan. Ceramides and peptides are used throughout our formulas at varying levels, to support your skin barrier and encourage the production of collagen and elastin. Vitamin C and niacinamide are antioxidant ingredients used to help protect your skin against environmental aggressors like UV and pollution. It is important to invest in products that are formulated with high quality ingredients. All of The Face Planner products are 100% made in Italy. We source ingredients from our brand home in Tuscany and other suppliers of excellence in Italy, France and Switzerland.
Other than skincare, what other things can our brides be doing ensure their skin is in the best condition?
It is easier said than done but try not to stress! Stressed skin becomes increasingly sensitive, making you more prone to breakouts and inflammation. Eat a balanced diet for the months leading up to the wedding and don’t restrict yourself – we are big believers in making your skin glow from within, so plenty of hydrating fruits and vegetables, protein, carbohydrates and good fats. Your skin loves fatty fish such as salmon and mackerel, avocados, sweet potatoes and spearmint tea to tackle inflammation. Don’t overwhelm or overstimulate your skin with treatments. If you are going to have treatments such as microneedling and lasers, make sure to go to the same person and follow their professional advice.
Describe the ideal night before/morning of the wedding routine
Night before the wedding:
1. THE CLEANSER (a double cleanse is probably required if you are wearing makeup)
2. THE BALANCER liquid exfoliant
3. Facial Massage with Gua Sha
4. THE PROTECTOR
5. THE EYE BRIGHTENER
Morning of the wedding: Simplicity is key. By now your skin should be in a place that you want it to be. Just splash your face with cold water, apply THE REVITALISER hydrating mask, some eye patches and follow with a facial massage if possible. Leave the rest to your makeup artist!
And finally, if there was one product/ingredient/treatment that you would recommend all brides, what would it be?
Without a doubt, it would be consistent daily use of our hero product, THE SUPER HYDRATOR. It really does wonders at evening out skin tone, boosting radiance and plumpness and nourishing your skin from below the surface.
To learn more about The Face Planner, click here.
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