It’s almost time for the “Super Bowl” of fashion, the Met Gala, and for the past decade, I’ve been honored to help prep some of my celebrity clients for this, and other big red-carpet events. If you want your most radiant skin ready for an upcoming special event of your own, this post is a must-read. I’ve used the following simple, but effective at-home steps to prep many brides, mother-of-the- brides, event guests, models, and beyond. Whether you have a graduation, birthday, anniversary, reunion, or you’re on the wedding or baby shower circuit, these tips are sure to yield skin that’s a healthy, beautiful canvas for your look.
6-Week Countdown to Big Event: Jumpstart Your Glow
When it comes to brightening dark spots and firming the skin, these results can take time. Even though you can start to see results overnight from a good exfoliating serum, some dark spots are more stubborn than others. So, you really want to start at least 6 weeks out from a big event. Less is more here—an effective skincare routine doesn’t have to be complicated.
Your two most powerful skincare actives to jumpstart your glow are an exfoliating serum and a retinoid. Your exfoliating product will speed cell turnover, revealing soft, even skin and smoothing out the texture so your makeup goes on flawlessly the day of the event.
6 weeks out is also when you want to add a retinoid into your nighttime skincare routine if you aren’t using one already. Retinoids are great for firming but they’ll also minimize pores and prevent breakouts on the big day. Again, less is more when you’re starting out with retinoids. Don’t dive into prescription strength if you’ve never used a retinoid before.
Use both products 2-3 times per week max, because if you use powerful actives too frequently it can lead to irritation. You also want to be mindful not to use these powerful products on the same night to minimize the risk of irritation.
See: How To Classic Skin Cycle
Remember, treat your face, neck, and chest as one unit. Many of my celebrity and model patients also use these products on the tops of their hands, upper arms and even the area above the knees to firm and smooth those areas as well, depending on the cut of the dress and how much skin will be showing.
QUICK NOTES
Key Ingredients: AHAs/BHAs/PHAs, retinoids
Products: Exfoliation Night Resurfacing + Brightening Serum + Retinal Night Advanced 0.1% Retinal Firming Treatment
Avoid: saunas, steam rooms, or hot yoga if you’re prone to dark spots or hyperpigmentation. Extreme heat can bring out dark spots in some people. Heat triggers melanocytes, the pigment producing cells in our skin.
3-Week Countdown to Big Event: Hydration, Hydration, Hydration
3 weeks before a big event, it’s all about hydration from the inside out and the outside in. Hydrated skin is smooth, supple, and reflects light evenly, adding luminosity and radiance.
Drink plenty of water, and add brightly-colored fruits and veggies: those vibrant colors are nature's way of telling you those foods are rich in powerful antioxidants and polyphenols, which are great for the skin and the gut-skin connection. For your outer skincare, building in recovery nights to deeply nourish your skin barrier is key as well.
QUICK NOTES
Key Ingredients: polyphenols, ceramides, hyaluronic acid, glycerin, squalane
Products: Bowe Glowe Microbiome Nourishing Cream + Bowe Growe Microbiome Water-Enhancing Elixir
Avoid: anything too occlusive on your skin, like coconut oil or petroleum jelly, which can clog pores leading up to the big event.
1-Week Countdown to Big Event: Manage Stress + Prioritize Sleep
The week before a big event is a great time to focus on managing stress levels, optimizing that healthy mindset, and prioritizing restorative sleep. Stress and erratic sleep schedules can both make dark circles under the eyes more apparent. Chronic stress and consistently poor sleep can both trigger an increase in the body’s production of the stress hormones. This in turn can increase the production of oils like sebum, triggering breakouts. Try your very best to stick to a regular sleep schedule leading up to a big event. Another tip I give my patients is to sleep on a silk pillowcase to minimize creasing and irritation of the skin.
See: How A Lot of Stress and Little Sleep Can Haunt Your Skin
QUICK NOTES
Key Ingredients: L-theanine, vitamin D3, lemon balm
Products: Night Mode Restorative Sleep + Skin Capsules
Avoid: One of the biggest mistakes I see in weeks leading up to big events is that people start to ramp up their exfoliating products and retinoids. This can lead to irritation, blotchy skin, and dry patches. If you’re getting your brows shaped (wax or threading), you’ll also want to hold on your retinoid for a week leading up to that appointment. No one wants to end up with red, raw skin!
The Day Before The Big Event: Flood Skin With Hydration
We’re back to hydration, because it’s just that important. Optimally hydrated skin will allow your makeup to go on beautifully. Flood your skin with moisture using a hydrating, but lightweight serum, then follow with a light or medium-weight moisturizer.
See: Why Hydration Is So Important For Your Skin
QUICK NOTES
Key Ingredients: polyphenols, ceramides, hyaluronic acid, glycerin, squalane
Products: hydrating serum + Bowe Glowe Microbiome Nourishing Cream
Avoid: exfoliating acids, retinoids, and super occlusive products. Note: if you used a spray tan or self-tanning product the day before, any exfoliating acid or retinoid will lift it off your skin.
With all this preparation, the goal more than anything is confidence. Even an incredible skincare routine is no match for the glow that comes when you feel amazing from the inside out. Helping to empower that type of confidence everyday, is why I do what I do!
By the way, at the crack of dawn I was thrilled to be on Good Morning America with the beautiful supermodel Lily Aldridge to break down this prep routine. You can watch that segment right here. Happy skin event prepping!
