How to Get Wedding-Worthy Skin, According to a Dermatologist

Skin Laundry's chief medical officer shares her pre-wedding skincare protocol

The countdown to a wedding is filled with seating charts, RSVP-chasing and the pursuit of camera-ready skin. And, just like booking a venue or choosing a dress, your wedding skincare routine shouldn't be left until the last minute. “I always tell my brides, ‘Don’t wait until the last month or two before your wedding if you’re really trying to get your best quality skin ever,” says board-certified dermatologist Dr. Roberta Del Campo, Skin Laundry’s chief medical officer. “Most treatments do require a series.” Skincare prep for the wedding also requires a conscientious at-home regime.

Ahead, Del Campo shares a timeline, her go-to Skin Laundry treatments and at-home skincare products that will have you glowing from the ceremony to the last dance and beyond.

What is the purpose of a wedding skincare routine?

For any bridal skincare routine, “The idea is to make our skin look and feel its best,” says Del Campo. “Not only are brides trying to look good in front of the camera, but they want to feel their best. That goes hand in hand with improving the strength of the skin, improving the health of the skin and improving the quality of the skin.” In short, the best bridal skincare routine will boost overall skin health from the inside out.

What is the best bridal facial at Skin Laundry?

For couples headed to the altar, “I recommend both [Laser and Resurfacing Facials], based on need,” Del Campo says. “The two of them can work hand in hand to give better results, offering comprehensive combination therapy.” Before you worry about squeezing routine facials into an already hectic time, consider this: Both the Signature Laser Facial and the Resurfacing Facial take less than 30 minutes to complete and come with little to no social downtime.

Which Skin Laundry treatments should I get before my wedding?

Every Skin Laundry journey starts with our hero treatment, the Signature Laser Facial. Our original facial delivers high energy, infrared light beneath the skin’s surface to precisely and painlessly correct and prevent breakouts, calm redness and rosacea, break up hyperpigmentation and stimulate collagen production for clearer, firmer and healthier skin.

Del Campo explains that the 15-minute corrective treatment: “Is about brightening the skin, helping to minimize pigmentation, and helping to blend any redness in the skin.”

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“I often talk about the Resurfacing Facial as a collagen-booster type of treatment,” Del Campo says. In addition to stimulating collagen, this treatment improves skin texture, increases skin cell turnover and creates microchannels that enable greater absorption of products, resulting in brighter, firmer, smoother and healthier skin.

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When should I start my pre-wedding skincare routine?

In the leadup to a wedding, the sooner facials can start, the better. “I would recommend starting at least six months ahead of time,” Del Campo says. If you can start getting pre-wedding treatments a year in advance, that’s even better.

To kick off the process, meet with a Skin Laundry provider to map out a detailed plan for getting your best skin, whether your concerns are acne scars, dullness, rosacea or anything else. “Doing that consultation will help your provider understand what your needs are and what your goals are,” Del Campo says. “Then, you can get on a series of treatments.”

How many bridal facials do I need?

Though the number of treatments will depend on individual skincare concerns, Del Campo says that four to six facials are generally sufficient to transform one's skin for prime time. “I typically educate my clients that for them to look in the mirror and really see that transformation, around half a dozen treatments will get them there,” she says.

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What are the best skincare products to use at home before the wedding?

At-home skincare also plays into overall skin health. To boost the results of regular Skin Laundry facials, Del Campo advises topical treatments to get skin in wedding-worthy shape.

Below, find the two main products Del Campo recommends for skin care prep for the wedding.

Our Vitamin A Serum is formulated with 1% beta-carotene encapsulated Retinol that is activated upon application, increasing skin cell turnover and stimulating collagen synthesis to improve the appearance of fine lines and diminish the appearance of dark spots. Meanwhile, a blend of four types of Hyaluronic Acid works to replenish and maintain hydration while Squalane locks in moisture. Del Campo recommends using this regularly, starting “well in advance” of the wedding.

Our Hyaluronic Acid Serum is formulated with Hyaluronic Acid, a humectant known to attract up to 1000 times its weight in water. It also contains Niacinamide, Peptides and omega-6 fatty-acid-rich Grape Seed Oil, which helps to boost hydration levels and collagen production. The serum reduces the visibility of fine lines and wrinkles, improves barrier function and provides antioxidant protection.

“Hyaluronic acid is extremely important,” Del Campo says. She adds that the ingredient makes skin plumper and more hydrated, which helps bridal makeup sit well. Plus, “You’ll look better in photos,” she notes.

Two months before the wedding

Just as important as deciding when to start a pre-wedding skincare regime, one should have a decisive plan for when to stop. “After doing these [Skin Laundry] treatments, the skin is going to go through a transformative, exfoliative phase,” Del Campo explains. It will take two to four weeks for the skin to return to baseline. To be safe, Del Campo recommends finishing “transformative” treatments such as the Resurfacing Facial one month out.

One month before the wedding

For the last four weeks of pre-wedding skincare, Del Campo suggests moving into a maintenance phase. “I always try to minimize intense treatments leading up to a wedding because we don’t know how the skin is going to heal,” she says. As such, she advises getting facials with a slightly lower intensity, such as a monthly Signature Laser facial. “This will keep that glow and that firmness in the skin,” she says.

As for makeup, Del Campo recommends finalizing details as close to the wedding—and Skin Laundry treatments—as possible. This is particularly true for brides who have undergone treatment for complexion blending or to correct hyperpigmentation. However, if makeup trials must be conducted before the skin has had time to change, that’s not a problem. “Just know that makeup artists, in a positive way, may have to adjust the tone of the products they’re using or use different types of concealers on the big day” Del Campo notes.

One week before the wedding

The lead up to the big day should be focus on hydration and calming the skin. Do not introduce any new actives that may irritate the skin, causing redness or flakiness, or new products to your regimen. Similarly, stay out of the sun to avoid sunburn.

Continue to use gentle, hydrating products like our Hydrating Gentle Cleanser, formulated with amino acids, vitamin B5, niacinamide and watermelon extract, our Hyaluronic Acid Serum and our Hydrating Facial Sheet Masks to restore hydration, calm any stress-induced inflammation and brighten the skin.