Wedding prep isn’t just about ordering your outfit on time or booking vendors, it’s also about preparing yourself. Mentally, of course, but also physically (and we’re not referring to body size here).
In today’s post we’re talking skincare so you can GLOW on your wedding day, feeling your absolute best walking down that aisle. And there’s no better person to give us all the tips than Jillian Gottlieb: a hilarious actress, talented singer, and the TikTok skincare queen. But before we dive in to all the extra things you should do and when, it’s important that you already have your daily skincare routine locked in. Let’s go over that first:
Sample Morning routine
Cleanse
(or skip this and go right to toner if you have dry skin)
Tone
Vitamin C Serum*
You always want to pick a Vitamin C with the L-Ascorbic Acid between 10-20%. My fave is Skinceuticals CE Ferulic, or budget friendly Timeless, Maelove Glowmaker, or Makeup Artists Choice are also great.
Moisturizer
Eye Cream
Mineral SPF*
*The most important morning products are your Vitamin C Serum and SPF so pay special attention to those!
Sample night routine
Cleanse
Tone
Some nights AHA/BHA/PHA (chemical exfoliant pad / serum)*
Alternate Nights retinol or your prescription retinoid*
Eye Cream
Cover both with moisturizer
*At night, your retinol or prescription retinoid are key alternated with chemical exfoliants
Regardless if you’re getting married or not, having a regular morning & night skincare routine is important for keeping your skin looking and feeling its best! Be sure to start this as soon as you can and keep up with it post-wedding. Remember that everyone’s skin responds differently so starting early will be helpful in determining which products work/don’t work for you, and give your skin time to react.
3-4 weeks pre-wedding
If budget isn’t an issue (or you want to splurge) a laser treatment like Fraxel Dual or Clear and Brilliant, or a chemical peel will be sure to give you the wedding-day skin you dream of. All of these things I would schedule for 3-4 weeks before the big day. That will give you ample time to heal, but you'll still have that post-laser / post-peel glow!
Don't want an in-office treatment? I recommend getting Olga Lorencin's Red Carpet Facial in a Box and using it a few nights a week up till your wedding. This is glowy skin in a box, and I absolutely swear by it! Plus, it’s a great budget-friendly option.
2 weeks pre-wedding
If you already do Botox (and/or fillers) two weeks before your wedding is a perfect time for your touchup appointment! If you're a bruiser, this will give you ample time for swelling to go down and everything to settle beautifully.
If you're new to Botox (and/or fillers) and want to start doing these things before your wedding, then I recommend starting at least 6 months before the big day, or more if you can. You want to try these things out with ample time before your wedding so you can get acclimated to how it looks and feels. And if you don't like it - it'll be gone by your wedding! Highly recommend NOT getting botox or fillers for the very first time right before your wedding if you can't commit to doing a few "practice runs" months before.
4-5 days pre-wedding
If you want a gorgeous pre-wedding glow on a budget - schedule yourself a facial and add-on microdermabrasion or derma-planing. You can find great deals for this in NYC for about $150, so out of NYC this should be cheaper.
A little note to remember as well: many external factors will play a role in your skin health such as diet, sun exposure, make up, and smoking or alcohol.
If you want more info on anything we’ve gone over in the blog post, here are a few links to my TikTok:
Wedding Timeline Video: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRxMkdSG/
My fave Chemical Peel: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRxMHDbe/
Why You Need Vitamin C Serum: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRxMk2J2/
Starting a Skincare Routine: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRxMrSph/
What is Dermaplaning: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRxMf8kW/
How to alternate nighttime retinoids and chemical exfoliants: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRxMAo2e/
Brand New to Skincare and confused?:https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRxMkag9/
Everything you need before and after laser treatment: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRxMkuJy/
Everything on Vitamin C can be found in my "Vitamin C playlist"
Retinoid info - "Retinol/Retinoid" playlist
Derma-planing and facials - "dermaplaning/facials" playlist
Other playlists include : Fillers. Botox. Chemical Peels. Sunscreen. And Skincare Routines which is all about how to use your products and apply them, and detailed morning and nighttime routines.
If you’re not following her already, Jillian can be found on TikTok @jilliangottlieb (main platform for skincare tips) and Instagram @jillian.gottlieb. For questions or collabs, you can email her at skincare@jilliangottlieb.com or check out her website www.jilliangottlieb.com.
Jillian Gottlieb, Author
Jillian is the master of combining skincare tips with comedy, gaining over 200k followers on TikTok. She’s based in NYC, but her acting work has brought her all over the country through theatre, commercials, and TV shows. She has a passion for books, cheese, and not taking herself too seriously
