Bridal Skin Care and Facial Tips

In order to look great on their wedding day, brides often visit the spa just before their wedding day. But beautiful and radiant facial skin is not obtained with just one visit. A bride should start on a pre-wedding skin care regime well before the wedding date.

Brides are often busy juggling their work and home responsibilities while planning their wedding. Often all the stress involved in planning a wedding, can take a negative toll on the skin.

Here are some skin care tips a bride can use to promote and maintain beautiful looking skin in advance of her actual wedding day.

This article focuses on a few homemade skin care facial masks with natural wholesome ingredients that should be part of a bride's pre-wedding beauty regime (or any woman's for that matter)!

Bridal Shower Idea:What better way to have fun taking care of your skin, then to throw a spa party at home so that you can pamper yourself and your bridesmaids and female wedding attendants.

Rose Cream Cleanser
1 tablespoon sour cream
1 teaspoon rose hydrosol
2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

Combine all ingredients in the order shown, stirring well after each one. Apply cleanser to face and neck skin, using gentle, upward sweeping motions. Rinse well. This recipe should be used within 2 days and makes enough for two cleanings.

Tone Up Tea
1 cup distilled water
1 heaping tablespoon dried green tea leaves
1 heaping tablespoon dried chamomile flowers
1 tablespoon rose hydrosol
1 tablespoon aloe vera gel
3 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
3 teaspoon lemon juice (optional addition for oily skin)

Heat distilled water until boiling. Remove from heat and add green tea and chamomile. Steep for 15 minutes and strain out plant material. Add rose hydrosol, aloe vera and vinegar (and lemon juice, if using) and stir well. Pour into a clean bottle and label. Shake well to ensure the mix. Store in refrigerator for best results and use within 3 weeks.

Aromatic Facial Oil
3 tablespoons jojoba oil
3 tablespoons rose hips seed oil (or 3 tbsp. hazelnut oil for oily skin)
2 drops rose essential oil
3 drops lavender essential oil
2 drops geranium essential oil
2 drops palmarosa essential oil

In a glass bowl or dish, combine oils with essential oils. Stir with a clean pop sickle stick or plastic utensil to combine. Pour into a clean bottle, preferably one with a medicine dropper so you can apply the oil using the dropper. After cleansing and toning, and while skin remains a bit damp, apply a bit of the moisturizer using gentle patting motions. Do not rub the oil into the skin. Rather, just gently pat it onto the skin and it will absorb readily within a few minutes.

Oats & Aloe Exfoliant
1 tablespoon finely ground oats
1 tablespoon finely ground almonds
1 teaspoon honey
1 tablespoon aloe vera gel

Combine ingredients in a bowl and stir until well mixed. Apply to face and neck skin after cleansing and before toner is applied, using gentle circular motions. Rinse well with warm water and gently pat excess moisture from face. Follow with facial mask.

Creamy Facial Mask
2 tablespoons white clay (recommended: kaolin)
3 tablespoons whipping cream
1 tablespoon rose hydrosol

Combine all ingredients together in a bowl and stir until a paste-like consistency is achieved. If mixture is too runny, add a bit more clay and stir. If mixture is not smooth enough, add a bit more hydrosol. Spread over clean face as the step immediately preceding application of facial toner, avoiding eye area and lips. Rest for 10-15 minutes. Rinse with warm, water and pat excess water from face.