Most brides know exactly what they want when it comes to their makeup for their big day. However, starting the prep early with some pre-wedding bridal skincare could be the secret to that sought-after wedding day glow. Before you start layering on that waterproof mascara or filling in those perfectly arched brows, it’s important to bring it back to basics.

We round up the best bridal skincare products and expert tips, to ensure your glowing from head-to-toe on your wedding day. Behind every flawless wedding makeup look is skin that’s been primed, prepped and buffed to perfection. So, we’ve compiled a handy guide to all the best bridal skincare products to ensure your complexion is the perfect canvas.
Best Bridal Skincare Products: Face Oils and Serums
Sunday Riley C.E.O Brightening Serum, £70
You’ve heard of speaking it into existence, but what about skincare-ing it? The C.E.O Brightening Serum is powered by 15% advanced Vitamin C for skin that feels plumper, firmer and brighter. Whether you’re walking down the aisle or into the boardroom, this little serum is a must-have for glowing skin.
Angela Langford Balanced & Beautiful Face Oil, £20.50
The balanced & beautiful face oil boasts the finest, natural ingredients to feed your skin with all kinds of goodness (and no chemical nasties). Suitable for even the most temperamental of complexions, Angela Langford Skincare offers a tailor-made solution to each unique skincare concern.
La Roche-Posay Retinol B3 Serum, £30.40
The product of the moment, wonder ingredient retinol is one of the most effective skincare products around, going deep under the outer layer of your skin to boost the production of elastin and collagen and create a plumping effect. It’s strong stuff, so be sure to test it out a few months before your wedding to be sure you don’t react, which can happen if you have sensitive skin. Opt for something like this La Roche-Posay Retinol B3 Serum, specifically formulated for sensitivity.
Alphascience Alpha Bright Serum, £75
This skin saviour from Alphascience, the French skincare brand specialising in scientifically driven products, is an elixir for spot-prone and blemish-plagued skin. The powerful combination of Vitamin C, Ascorbic acid and Phytic acid work to even out your complexion, reducing the appearance of brown spots and blemishes, all the while ensuring smoother, more radiant and firmer skin.
Glossier Futuredew, £23
If you only buy one skincare product for your pre-wedding makeup bridal skincare prep, make it this excellent-value oil-serum hybrid from Glossier. Futuredew is essential a shortcut to that fresh faced glow you get after a full skincare routine in one little bottle.
Beuti Skincare Beauty Sleep Elixir, £47
Favoured by celebs and royals (Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle are said to fans of this nifty little treatment) the Beauty Sleep Elixir the first product to launch from UK brand Beuti Skincare. A natural blend of 14 plant-based oils, the Sleep Elixir tackles ‘inflammaging’ – a condition where your skin ages due to inflammation over a period of time. Pump 2-3 drops onto your skin before bed to ensure a fresh-faced glow on your big day.
Best Bridal Skincare: Face Masks
Eve Lom Rescue Mask, £55
Thanks to its multi award-winning formula, this moisture-rich rescue mask works to revitalise tired and stressed skin to restore a radiant, healthy looking complexion. The perfect remedy after a long day of wedding planning.
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Germaine de Capuccini Flash C Radiance Mask, £13.50
For some last-minute, pre-wedding day skincare prep, a moisturising face mask could be your saviour. This anti-ageing tissue mask, packed with Vitamin C and Ume Extract, firms and tones the skin whilst providing intense vitality and radiance.
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Clarins Extra-Firming Mask, £47
Clarins’ relaxing anti-ageing mask leaves skin more youthful-looking, smooth and radiant, helping to diminish the look of tension lines, erase signs of stress and fatigue and restore the skin’s firmness.
Best Bridal Skincare: Moisturisers and Face Creams
Sunday Riley C.E.O Vitamin C Rich Hydration Cream, £60
Vitamin C is the active agent of the moment, thanks to it’s ability to address the visible signs of ageing and pollution exposure. Offering fast-absorbing hydration without greasiness, this rich and luscious moisturiser protects during the day and repairs at night.
Clinique Moisture Surge Hydrator, £33
Clinique Moisture Surge is perfect for brides as the skin stays soft and comfortable in changing climates whether you’re getting married in summer or winter, allowing skin to adjust to shifts in humidity and temperature which can result in loss of hydration.
Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant, £28
A multipurpose healing cream. If you’re worried about tired eyes, dry lips, sunburn or any minor burns and blemishes in the run up to your big day, this is the miracle cream you’re after.
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Sunday Riley ICE Ceramide Moisturising Cream
This thick, ultra-rich moisturising cream is a skin saviour for any bride planning a winter wedding or prone to dry skin. The formula includes ceramides (which protect our skin from the harsh winter weather) as well as moisture boosting vitamin F, coconut extract and pomegranate sterols.
Skin Sapiens Face Cream, £11.99
Formulated with Calendula to help relieve that tight feeling caused by office air conditioning, make-up and late nights, this Skin Sapiens face cream is a great cream for brides navigating busy city life.
Best Bridal Skincare: Night Creams and Anti-Wrinkle Treatments
Rodial CBD Sleep Drops, £95
Add a few drops of this collagen-infused elixir to your regular night cream and you’ll wake up with plumper, firmer skin. The CBD and anti-inflammatory properties help calm and reduce the appearance of redness.
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Alphascience Surface [CR], £85
Another cult product from the French skincare experts at Alphascience, this ultra-smoothing wrinkle corrector is a little bit of Botox in a bottle. Perfect for an older bride prepping to walk down the aisle, or skincare obsessed brides-to-be who believe prevention is better than cure. The light cream is a medley of powerful, natural ingredients including Tripeptide, L-Glutamine, Genistein and Hyaluronic Acid working to boost collagen production and restore your skin’s natural density.
Best Bridal Skincare: Cleansers and Toners
Glossier The Skincare Set, £35
These three essentials from cult beauty brand Glossier will keep your skin clean, moisturised and looking full and fresh. Top tip: keep Balm Dotcom in your clutch for the big day for a natural, dewy skin salve on top of your bridal makeup.
Skin Sapiens Facial Cleansing Gel, £8.99
The perfect kickstarter to your morning skincare routine, this Skin Sapiens cleanser is suitable for all skin types. Simply apply to a wet face, massage in and then rinse thoroughly for a fresh-face, dewy glow.
Dr LEVY 3 Deep Cleanser, £39
Dr. LEVY Switzerland’s 3 Deep Cell Renewal Micro-Resurfacing Cleanser provides gentle cleansing, intensive micro-resurfacing and acts as a skin-renewing ‘Fast-Mask’ to ‘re-boot’ lacklustre complexions. It contains both glycolic and lactic acids to dissolve the nasty stuff that builds up on the surface of your skin. This instantly refines and brightens to help you achieve that fresh-faced radiance on your big day.
Emma Coleman Roses and Lemon Cleansing Balm, £35
Roses and Lemons Tender Cleanse Balm is designed to cleanse the skin gently, without stripping the skin of its natural oil content, preventing dryness and dehydration. Enriched with Mango, Virgin Coconut, Cranberry, Calendula, Rose de Mai, Rose Absolute, Lemon and Bergamot, the balm is great for dry, sensitive and mature skin types. A great way to prep and soften your skin ahead of your big day.
BUY NOW from Emma Coleman Skin
Best Bridal Skincare: Spot Cream
Dermatology M Fei Zi Shui Spot Treatment Gel, £16
Sod’s law says you’ll get pesky spot a few days before the wedding. But never fear, because Dermatology M’s bestselling spot cream is a targeted treatment gel for blemishes that helps clear pores and soothe acne, blending Tea Tree Oil and Aloe Vera with toning organic Lavender Essential Oil and ProVitamin B5.
Best Bridal Skincare: Body Creams and Lotions
Crabtree & Evelyn Coconut + Sandalwood Body Balm, £27
A one-of-a-kind body hydrator. This rich cream smells like fresh coconuts and incense to give you supple, softly-scented skin – perfect for your wedding day.
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Best Bridal Skincare: Exfoliators
PAI Skincare Virtuous Circle Ultra Gentle Exfoliator for Sensitive Skin, £29
Exfoliation is the perfect prep for your bridal make up, and PAI uses an innovative and ultra-gentle approach to exfoliation specifically for sensitive skin. Using 100% natural jojoba beads, the gel formula gently rolls across the skin to lift away dead skin cells and impurities leaving zero damage, with omega 3 and kukui oil to condition the skin and protect the moisture barrier.
BUY NOW from Crabtree & Evelyn
Best Bridal Skincare: Dermatologist-approved Skincare
Dermatica Dermatologist Subscription Service, from £19.99
Dermatica is the UK’s first online dermatologist service, offering tailored, expert skincare advice and customised medicinal products for acne, anti-ageing, pigmentation and eyelash/brow growth. Whether you want to tackle problem skin ahead of your big day or need to up your beauty regime in the run up to your wedding, Dermatica are on-hand with a virtual consultation and personalised treatment.
Find out more at dermatica.co.uk
Read More:
- The Top Wedding Dress Styles and Trends for 2022
- Best Bridal Makeup Products for Your Wedding Day
- Wedding Hairstyles: The Ultimate Guide
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