Acne is something that we want to leave behind in the past as a haunting memory of puberty. Unfortunately, breakouts are persistent little pests that can plague women well into their adult years. In fact, Harvard Health has found that adult women are more likely to get acne after 20 compared to men.
For brides-to-be, a breakout is the last thing you want to mar the joy and confidence warranted on your wedding. Thankfully, you can prevent a breakout by preparing your body in the months or weeks before the big day. Just make sure you know what factors to keep under control.
Your Eating Habits
What you eat and how much you consume is a major contributor to adult breakouts. A study even found that people who have diets that are heavy in sugar and fat are 54 per cent more likely to get acne. So, the best thing is to minimize your intake of food that is high-fat, processed, and full of sugar. Of course, you shouldn’t completely cut out healthy fats from your diet.
You also need to maintain a good level of glucose in your body for your skin to stay healthy. It’s actually a myth that simply eating greasy food will automatically result in a breakout. It’s just about maintaining a diet that doesn’t have too much of anything. Balance is your friend when it comes to getting the nutrients you need and preventing acne.
Your Level of Stress
Stress is a huge trigger for breakouts. Aside from steering clear of other external stressors, you also need to think about the actual wedding. Wedding planning is already one of the most stressful things you can go through, so you’ll need to make the process as pain-free as possible if you want to have clear skin on the big day.
A wedding planning guide on 77 Diamonds suggests that brides start mapping out all their costs, venue arrangements, and suppliers months (if not a year) ahead to avoid the delays and crunchtime challenges that can crop up. The more time you give yourself, the less pressure you’ll feel to get everything smoothed out right away. It’s also a good idea to look into wedding insurance, so you can get reimbursed for any incidents or delays that affect your wedding. If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that being prepared for sudden or unexpected postponements is a must.
Your Self-Care Regimen
One of the best ways to avoid a wedding breakout is to indulge in self-care. Give yourself ample time to recharge, relax, and feel rejuvenated. Even as things get busy, don’t let your skincare routine slip up. It’s not only good for your mental health to maintain a self-care regimen but also a key part of your anti-breakout plan.
If you’re already having some acne trouble, consider integrating some niacinamide serum into your routine. The formula developed by Neutrogena does wonders in hydrating your skin and alleviating the redness and swelling you can get from acne. Of course, you shouldn’t change up your skincare if you’re just a week away from your wedding. Make sure you have ample time to see how your skin reacts to new products.
You should also avoid certain products that can actually worsen acne, such as vitamin E products, exfoliants, and heavily oil-based stuff.
Your Makeup Routine
Either minimize how much makeup you generally wear or make sure you are using products that aren’t causing breakouts. Avoid products that have dyes, parabens, and fragrances as much as possible. Try to cut back and slowly reintegrate products into your makeup routine to see if you have any products that might be triggering flare-ups.
It’s also best to do a look test for your wedding day makeup way ahead of the actual date. This gives you time to make any adjustments to see what makes you feel most beautiful and check how your skin reacts to the products you’ll use. A popular choice is Luminess as it carries an airbrush foundation line that looks smoother and lasts longer, making it perfect for a long wedding all the way up to the reception. It’s also super buildable, so an early test can help you see how many passes you need to achieve the look you’re going for.
Your Sleep Schedule
If you’re not getting enough sleep, you are increasing the risk of acne (and inviting a whole bunch of other health concerns.) When you lack sleep, you are more likely to have cortisol spikes, which can eventually lead to overproduction of sebum. Should these clog your pores, you then get the ever-dreaded breakout.
Simply put, you need to get those restful winks in if you want to avoid blemishes on your big day. CNET also reveals that your sleep position plays a part, as having your face rub up on your pillow or bedding can irritate your skin. There’s also a build-up of bacteria that can trigger a breakout if your face is exposed to the fabric for prolonged periods of time.
