High School Formals

Skin care countdown

21 May 2012 by admin in Beauty, Homepage, Latest

By Kate

When it comes to formal planning, many people forget to pay attention to one of the most important accessories: your skin. Clear, beautiful skin will make you feel happier and more confident on the big night, and will ensure your make-up goes on without a fuss. Here’s a guide of what to do and when during the countdown to formal.


Six months before

Start getting into good habits, to improve your skin from the inside out. Introduce more fruits and vegetables into your diet and ensure you’re getting all the essential vitamins and minerals. Exercise regularly—physical activity increases circulation and flushes out impurities.

Drink lots of water, at least eight glasses per day. This helps remove toxins from your body, clears up blemishes, and also helps keep excess fluids from building up around the eyes, causing puffiness. At the same time try to reduce your caffeine intake—not only will this positively affect your skin, but it will also lead to improved sleep and less stress.


Three months before

Develop a routine for your daily skin care. A good cleansing program should involve multiple steps, using products tailored to your skin type. It’s important to cleanse and tone your skin morning and night to remove any excess oil and help balance the skin. Using a facial exfoliant once or twice per week is also a must to scrub away dead skin cells and leave your complexion brighter. Apply sunscreen or moisturiser with SPF protection to your face, neck and décolletage each morning to protect those areas from sun damage. In the evening use a thick night and eye cream to help your skin rejuvenate.


Two to three weeks before

If you can afford a professional facial now is the time. If not, simply treat yourself at home to a peel and mask to remove any impurities and even out skin tone (though be mindful that facials and masks can actually cause break outs as they draw everything out of your skin—if you haven’t had one before, schedule a trial run a few months earlier, so you know how your skin will react).

Catch up on your beauty rest. When you are asleep your skin has a chance to renew itself. Getting a minimum of eight hours per night with improve the overall texture of your skin, and helps to avoid dark circles under the eyes.


One week before

Avoid alcohol and carbonated drinks, and drink plenty of green tea and water. Try to avoid touching any problems areas as this will only spread oil and irritate your skin. Avoid wearing make-up as much as possible to let your skin breathe.

Try to stay as relaxed as possible. Stress causes hormones to rise, which in turn leads to increased oil production which can causes acne and break outs.

One day before

Treat yourself to a full body exfoliation, to leave your skin smooth and glowing. Pay extra attention to tough areas like the soles of your feet. Follow up with a rich all-over body butter to seal in moisture and soften your skin.

Eat low-sodium foods—foods high in salt tend to result in under-eye puffiness. Again, get a good night’s sleep and hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!


On the day

Use a spot gel to treat any pesky pimples you find on the big day. If one should pop, reduce the inflammation by alternating a hot and cold compress on the affected area. Take some cleansing and oil absorbing wipes with you, for any last minute touch-ups.