How to Prep your Skin for your next Photoshoot

By Nicole Romanoff

Chantal Maloney's headshot for Fresh Living

Tis the season to refresh our headshot, portrait, or modelling portfolio. As, I'm booking up with headshots, I realized how little information there is on skin prep for a portrait or headshot session. The scary truth is, living in a very dry, cold climate, our skin suffers the most. I'm hoping to provide you with my tips to help prepare your skin for your upcoming photoshoot!

1. Start your day with a cup of hot water

This tip has many more benefits than just a great looking skin. If you begin every morning by sipping on a hot cup of water your flushing your body of toxins, and hydrating your body and skin. By choosing hot water first thing in the morning, the distillation allows the water to bypass the liver and work to hydrate your body faster. There are many more benefits than just hydration, to read of more benefits of hot water, click here.

2. Choose water as your main beverage choice

At least for the days leading up to the photoshoot, choose water! There truly is no better water to assist us in looking our very best. Beverages such as alcohol and coffee have the tendency to dehydrate us. So they chose drinks that hydrate hydrate hydrate!

3. Book a facial (splurge alert).

Now if you're looking to do some self care, this may be a nice treat. Facials involve multiple steps performed by a professional. It has proven results of reducing puffiness, increases circulation which decreases wrinkles, exfoliates so that our skin is better able to absorb moisturizer, AND, it also detoxifies our body. After all this research on facials, I think I might book one! Here's a link for more benefits of facials.

4. Refresh your hair colour, or roots

This may be another good self care item, and also something I should be doing. Freshening up my hair colour. It is now spring, which means it's time to cut and colour hair for a fresh new look. Not that you have to take it that far, but I would suggest if you have some split ends, or notice a little more grey creeping through those roots it may be time for a touch up, and with a portrait or a new headshot you want to put your best image forward, and this is a huge part!

5. Clean up any facial hair

It's pretty amazing what the camera can pick up on! If you have some stubborn facial hair above the lip or chin area, it's well worth the $20 to have it removed beforehand. It may only take 10-15 minutes too.

6. Exfoliate

Now if you have already booked that facial, you may be okay to skip this one. However, I've put it into my daily facial routine to exfoliate. I use Paula's Choice's skincare sets which includes a gentle liquid exfoliant, and follow it with a serum and moisturizer. I never really realized how important exfoliating is, for absorption and for getting rid of fine wrinkles! Need I also mention, it gets rid of the flakey skin some of us struggle with during those dry winter months.

7. Try a moisture mask

There are probably a million great moisture masks on the planet, but the one I have been using as of late, is by Mary Kay curtesy of my friend Amy Klassen (Call her up if you want to try). I leave it on overnight, or just for 10 minutes and it's incredible how dewy, refreshed, and moisturized my skin feels. If you have another great moisture mask, please share in the comments!

8. Book a professional makeup artist

So since our face and hair is now ready for makeup. I highly recommend a makeup artist! Even though it seems like I'm doing the same thing to myself as them, it never looks as good on the camera as it does with a professional makeup artist. I would say it's WELL worth the $80-$100!

9. Get your beauty rest

Need I say more? There is nothing more beneficial to our skin and body than a good nights rest. Go to bed early and try to get at least 8 hours.

Some of us get uncomfortable in front of the camera, and there is no better way to feel your best and confident when you look your best. You are beautiful, and allow yourself to feel beautiful! These tips are not only good for self esteem but they are also allowing us to take care of ourselves. I want to capture who you really are, and in order to do that you have to feel your absolute best! 

Take the time for some self care! You deserve it! Can't wait to shoot with you.

- Nicole