This post was written by bia contributor Chelsea M. Becker

We don’t write too much about wedding content on this site, but since I just got married earlier this year, we thought it’d be fun to breach the subject just a bit during “wedding season.” Especially for those of you who weren’t around when Geri shared her own wedding experiences!

This particular post can be applied to anyone, not only a future bride. Basically, I haven’t always had the best skin, so I knew I wanted to make changes leading up to my big day. I wanted to feel confident and not stress about how my skin would look in pictures, and luckily, I got my complexion in really good shape. So whether you’re getting married or are simply trying to improve your skin, here’s what I did:

Regular facials

I’d gotten a handful of facials in my life, but never prioritized them much over that. I always thought they were too expensive and kinda silly. I was on a trip with girlfriends about a year before the wedding and we all got facials – and let’s just say, I had a skin-changing experience. The facialist really took time to talk me through my skin issues and basically gave me the 401 on why facials were so helpful. I had been experiencing hormonal acne around my jawline for a while (super fun), and she was able to detox that entire area. It was uncomfortable, but I noticed crazy improvement about a week later.

Once I got home, I booked my next facial, and then went 1x a month until the wedding. The facialist I found did microdermabrasion, lymphatic drainage, and basically whatever my skin needed that month.

My jawline acne completely faded (other than an occasional blemish or two), my pores stayed smaller, and overall, my skin looked much healthier from this regular routine. So much so that I’ve kept this up since! It’s been worth budgeting for.

Brightening serum

I had some acne scaring from middle school and sun spots thanks to growing up in the California sun – both not cute features. To try and lessen these pigments and boost my complexion, I started using Grown Alchemist brightening serum. I was really good about applying this every single morning and it worked (yay!).

Upped my antioxidants

As a way to improve my skin from the inside out, I added a few things to my diet; namely, more antioxidants. I began eating more spinach, blueberries, acai, and made my treats surround dark chocolate. I also tried to drink a cup or two of green tea a day. Since antioxidants essentially limit the production of free radicals, they reduce signs of aging and improve elasticity. While this wasn’t my main concern, I knew a younger looking complexion couldn’t hurt – and it didn’t!

Collagen smoothies

I ended up getting really into smoothies leading up until the big day – mainly as a means of ease and a nourishing breakfast. I also started adding a big scoop of collagen to each after learning what an impact it can have on your skin. Especially for those of us who tend to get red or inflamed since collagen contains amino acids that are anti-inflammatory in nature.

Let products sink in

Another tip from my facialist that I believe played a major role in my glowing skin on my wedding! Before hearing this, I was decent at sticking to a skin routine, but I’d pretty much do it as fast as possible. Welp, apparently that was a big mistake. By not letting the products have time to sink in and settle, they weren’t able to do their job well. I started letting each layer of skincare set for at least a minute before adding the next. I appreciated not only the impact, but how it lead to a slower-paced routine.

Probiotics/Prebioticis and digestive enzymes

Since healthy skin essentially starts in the gut, I decided to get mine healthier. Now, a probiotic won’t do much if your diet is full of shitty food, so it’s not a band aid to a bad diet. But if you’re eating pretty clean, it can help tenfold with inflammation and overall skin appearance (plus it leads to a healthy immune system, which is key for a healthy wedding). I love RMS’s probiotic/prebiotic and digestive enzymes, personally, as they are both gentle and never made me nauseous (which I’ve experienced with other brands).

Exfolation

Getting on a regular exfoliation schedule seriously changed my skin, and I can’t believe it took me 30 years to accomplish. Without exfoliating, you’re not getting rid of the dead (dull) layer of skin on your face – and products aren’t able to penetrate as deep. Plus, getting rid of excess dead skin helps any makeup glide on SO much better.

On top of all that, it was all about being consistent with my routine. I started thinking of my skincare routine as my ME time – as investment to my appearance and confidence, and I’m so glad I did.