With bridal season underway, take a few pointers from seasoned esthetician Cari Guaderrama on how to make your clients’ glowing complexions the icing on the proverbial wedding cake.
The earlier, the better. Guaderrama recommends that clients come in monthly starting at six months out to get the best results. “It takes a while to get the skin to where you want it to be; don’t rush it,” she says.
Adapt to skin type. For some clients Guaderrama will do a microdermabrasion treatment for three consecutive visits, and for others she won’t do one. Her bridal routine for normal skin types is a monthly rotation between gentler exfoliating masks and microdermabrasion or a stronger peel.
Offer an at-home regimen. In addition to sending the client home with Vitamin A, Vitamin C and retinol serums, advise her to drink plenty of water, eat healthy and reduce stress.
Keep it old-school. Sometimes it pays to keep traditional tricks up your sleeve. For years Guaderrama has recommended the same treatment for puffy eyes—cool chamomile tea bags, “besides getting as much sleep as you can.”
Last-minute methods. If a client comes in for the first time just weeks prior to her big day, Guaderrama suggests a gentle brightening and exfoliating mask. She uses a pumpkin peel filled with antioxidants to help slough off dead skin, and offers high-frequency treatments right up to the day-of to help zap away unwanted impurities.—HG