There’s a lot to juggle when your wedding is rapidly approaching, from seating charts to dress fittings, and the last thing you want to worry about is your skin. I spent most of my teens and 20s acne-free, which was a blessing I now realize I took for granted. However, once I got off hormonal birth control, breakouts started sprouting.
I was in denial, hoping it would disappear and my skin would return to normal but once I realized that wasn’t happening, I called in the big guns— Melville, NY board-certified dermatologist Dr. Kally Papantoniou and aesthetician and celebrity acne whisperer Sofie Pavitt. While everyone’s skin is different, and I advise you to find your own acne team to tailor a routine to you, I’m sharing what is working for me.
Oral prescriptions
I spent the night before I went to Dr. Papantoniou’s office scrolling through pictures of my skin from two years ago on the brink of tears, wishing I could get that complexion back in time for my big day. When I saw her the next morning, she soothed my fears. Her first move was to prescribe oral prescriptions, starting with 50 mg of spironolactone twice a day and 100 mg of doxycycline twice a day.
Prescription topicals
In addition to the pills Dr. Papantoniou prescribed, she also wrote a script for a handful of topical formulas. Clindamycin one percent lotion on breakouts in the morning, clindamycin one percent gel to spot treat morning and night, and tretinoin cream .025 percent as tolerated. I’ve kept my tretinoin application fairly minimal, applying it about once a week so as not to freak my skin out.
Over-the-counter products
Pavitt infused my routine with a handful of her products since they’re tailored to acne-prone skin and made other complementary recommendations as well. She kept the morning simple, beginning with a simple cleanser. I either use PCA Skin Facial Wash Oily/Problem Skin ($46) or Sofie Pavitt Face Clean Clean Cleanser ($34) and occasionally SkinMedica AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser ($48). I then apply my clindamycin lotion and gel then seal it all in with a hydrating sunscreen. Pavitt notes that if using a hydrating SPF, I can skip moisturizer, she recommends opting for Korean formulas, specifically suggesting INNISFREE Green Tea Hyaluronic Hydrating Sun Serum SPF 50 ($29). I’ve also been using Geologie Clear Skin Face Cream SPF 15 ($17) and Murad Superactive Mattifying Oil + Pore Control Moisturizer SPF 50 ($45). Sunscreen reapplication is essential because of how sensitive skin is while on some of the prescription pills and topicals I’m taking. If you don’t apply properly, you’ll feel and see the consequences.
The nighttime routine is a few more steps but still super manageable. My first cleanse is either Biologique Recherche Lait S.R ($75) or Sofie Pavitt Face Micellar Cleansing Pads ($24) to get rid of any sunscreen or makeup on my skin. For my second cleanse, I use one of the cleansers I mentioned earlier or Liz Earle Cleanse & Glow Cleanser, which lives in my shower. Then, I area treat with Sofie Pavitt Face Reset Benzoyl Peroxide Acne Treatment Mask ($44) for five minutes or less. I usually apply it to my jawline since that’s where my hormonal acne is concentrated, and let it sit while I brush my teeth and then wipe it off. Following that, I apply two pumps of the exfoliating Sofie Pavitt Mandelic Clearing Serum ($54). This is when I add a few dollops of my clindamycin gel. The final step is a non-comedogenic moisturizer, for which I use Clinique Moisture Surge ($47) or Personal Day Deep Dive Melavonic Moisturizer ($38).
Lifestyle changes
Dr. Papantoniou’s biggest advice is to “look at acne holistically, approaching diet, supplements and skin-care practices in addition to the oral and topical prescriptions” to ensure a comprehensive acne treatment. In regards to that, Pavitt recommended adding zinc, fish oil and probiotic supplements to my routine to promote healthy skin from the inside out. Although it may seem like a strange suggestion, Pavitt swears by a daily glass of Sugar-Free Metamucil ($17). She also urges anyone with acne to change their pillowcase nightly and sleep with hair up and away from their face, which I have been doing religiously.
What not to do
When I originally went into Dr. Papantoniou’s office, I was ready to receive my first laser treatment or intense peel—anything to get rid of the acne. However, Dr. Papantoniou and Pavitt both strongly advised against doing anything new to my skin too close to the wedding since we don’t know how my skin will react. Pro tip: If you want to try in-office treatments ahead of your wedding, make sure to start a year or so before the date to allow plenty of time for trial and error.
Facial treatments
As the experts noted, you shouldn’t try anything new too close to the wedding, but getting a facial from an expert who can recommend a tailored routine for you following the treatment is huge. Pavitt performed a full facial on me with extractions and all before advising me on what to do at home.
