I’m married now!

It’s been over a year of planning, deciding, hoping everything goes OK and accepting that even a control freak like myself can’t control everything

I was super serious about having clear skin for my wedding, though.

I’ve consulted probably hundreds of future brides to clear skin before their big day, so I’ve seen how the stress of planning a wedding can show up on your face. But experiencing it all myself gave me a whole new level of insight into what it takes to be clear walking down the aisle. Here’s my best advice for every bride-to-be.

Know your acne triggers
This is so important because acne breakouts and scarring can take months to clear, you want to avoid these things at least six months in advance of the wedding day. Work with your esthetician to determine what foods, perfumes, hair products, etc. could be triggering for you and a plan to work around them for as long as you need to.

Consistency is key for clearing acne
Even if your wedding day is a year away, time isn’t necessarily on your side. Severe cases of acne can take 12 months or more to clear–there’s no way to predict how long it will take. So your best defense against acne breakouts or scarring on your big day is to stay consistent with your skincare routine and your strategy to avoid your acne triggers.

Drink water for clearer skin
When we say consistency is key for clearing acne before your wedding, drinking water is at the top of that list. Water is an essential part of basically everything our bodies do, including keeping the skin moisturized and hydrated from the inside out. Get consistent with your water goals early, which is to drink half your body weight in ounces of water. Start small, maybe three days a week, and increase your goal until you’re doing it every day.

Avoid alcohol for clearer skin
I know. Planning a wedding makes you want a drink. But those boozy drinks are full of sugar, which causes inflammation and acne on the skin. Definitely enjoy your bridal shower and bachelorette party (I did!), but plan to avoid alcohol totally the last 30 days before your wedding day.

Prioritize healthy habits for stress relief
This one had to come next after telling you not to drink! Seriously though, it is critical for your skin that you prioritize your health and wellness during this overwhelming time. You may not always feel like it and there will always be an excuse not to, but it’s hard to regret how relieved you feel after taking a short walk, breathing exercises, doing yoga, or whatever the outlet that gets you out of your head. These activities will keep your head and your skin clear.

Do a few makeup trials.

This is so important because you don’t want any questions about how your look on your big day. Do a few trial runs with your makeup artist so they understand your skin and you get the exact look you want that lasts all day.

Take your cryoball with you to the venue
There will be a lot of things on your mind to take with you on your wedding day, but don’t forget your cryoball. This will calm any puffiness from happy tears or from being up early in the morning. It can also help to calm your nerves!