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I’m officially getting married this weekend — and I still can’t believe I’m typing out those words! So much transformation (equally as uncomfortable as it was joyful) has occurred in the past year leading up to our wedding. I feel like no one talks about the massive identity upgrade, but also straight up grief of our old selves that can come when stepping into such a significant union… so I had a raw convo about it on the podcast here. I’m amazed at how many of you felt the same during this time in your life yet thought you were alone.

What we certainly DO talk about, though, is skincare! And I thought I’d have some fun by sharing everything I did to prep my skin for the big day. I’m going extremely minimal with my makeup because I don’t feel like myself when I’m too glammed up. Some people can truly rock it (I’m jealous), but I think I look best when it’s a my-skin-but-better moment with maybe an individual lash or two.

Because of this, I’m focusing on skincare and treatments, especially in the 3 months leading up to our special day. You may know that I used to struggle with painful, cystic acne and it took me years to heal my skin… so now I know exactly what works for me and how to keep the skin breakout-free.

HERE’S EVERYTHING I’VE RELIED ON DURING THE MONTHS LEADING UP TO MY WEDDING DAY:

“Talking to your body” + emotional health: You know how when you’re going through something, you can just see it weigh on your eyes and face? I swear, when I’m not right within myself, I wear it on my sleeve – or rather, my skin. I don’t know how to explain it, but when you’re really connected with yourself… when you’re living in your truth and honesty when you  feel like you’re contributing to those around you and don’t need to hide, you just glow differently. I firmly believe in a “body talk” practice where you check in with yourself, your heart, and your organs– and bring to the surface the emotional debris that’s hanging around waiting to be acknowledged. I’ve been leaning heavily on the meditations and body check-ins taught to me by Julie Tracy, LMT who teaches her unique methods on the podcast here. Every night I tell my body that I’m here with it; I mirror and let myself feel through tough emotions that need to be acknowledged in order to dissolve, I ask myself questions that I feel confused about, and I’ve even held a “funeral” for my old identity / our old way of being in relationship. When I’m emotionally lighter and constantly clearing, my skin and eyes reflect it.

Zinc & Quercetin: Zinc is one of the greatest tools I’ve ever used for my skin issues, and it’s something I still take to this day for maintenance, especially around my cycle if I feel breakouts coming on. The skin has its own immune functions against acne-causing bacteria, and Zinc is key when it comes to fighting these microbes. I always take Zinc with something called Quercetin, which is why I made my own formula with a therapeutic dosage of both.

Whereas Zinc helps me with bigger blemishes, Quercetin seems to totally transform any texture on my skin and helps minimize the enlarged pores and whiteheads I get around my cheeks. Studies show Quercetin not only inhibits ‘Propionibacterium acnes,’ the key bacteria involved in acne formation, but it also reduces skin inflammation & redness. It has even been found to stimulate the growth of new skin cells, as well as promote collagen production. I’ve been taking 2 capsules of our quercetin-rich ZincPlus+ formula every day for the past 3 months.

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Microneedling: 1 month out, I did a microneedling facial with one of my best friends Mabel, the lead esthetician and owner of Elevated Aesthetics. Microneedling involves the use of a tiny needling device to create micro-injures in the skin, which triggers the repair response. As the body repairs, it bumps up collagen and elastin to repair the “damage”. This results in better skin texture, firmness, reduction in acne scars, fine lines, and pore size, and diminishes the look of discoloration. This is about as invasive as I go with treatments (the recovery time is 3-4 days as the redness dies down), and I loved the results, especially on my fine smile lines. I just had my final facial today, and we derma-planed (aka shaved!) my face so that my foundation goes on like a dream.

“Beauty minerals” – electrolytes in my water: Proper hydration is KEY for plump, dewy skin, and gives you a glowy complexion from the inside out. I’m someone who never feels quenched with plain water, so I either add lemon or electrolytes to my hydroflask. I’ve been using Pique’s BT electrolytes ever since they came out and notice such a difference, especially when I’m dehydrated from the sun or working out. Along with key minerals, this mix contains hyaluronic acid and ceramides that have been clinically shown to visibly reduce fine lines and increase skin elasticity. Pique always gives the OO crew a 15% off discount on electrolytes here.

Skincare, religiously: You can find my skincare routine video on IG here, and this is the exact lineup I’ve been using leading up to our wedding. I’ve seen a huge difference in a few dark spots/uneven tone from Josh Rosebrook’s Vitamin C serum. I also use his Active Enzyme Exfoliating Mask 2x per week and it makes my skin so much brighter. Lastly, I can’t say enough about how gentle Eminence’s Clear Skin Probiotic Cleanser is for acne-prone skin; it’s the only cleanser I’ve used for 9 years straight. Josh Rosebrook was kind enough to extend our 10% off code ‘ORGANICOLIVIA10’ through the summer in case you’ve been wanting to try!

Facial patches at night: I got these facial patches for forehead lines + laugh lines on Amazon, and I like them SO much better than frownies! They’re way more flexible, don’t feel stiff, and I’m not as aware of them while I’m sleeping. These were developed by a Japanese makeup and skincare professional who worked in Hollywood for 35 years and really keep you from deepening any lines while you sleep.

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