A celebrity facialist reveals why brides should plan their wedding skincare routine 'before buying the dress'

• Kourtney Kardashian's facialist Candace Marino sat down with Insider to spill her skincare secrets.
• Marino told Insider that brides should find a facialist before they even get their wedding dress.

After getting engaged, brides generally begin the same wedding checklist: find a venue, pick a date, and say yes to the dress.

But celebrity facialist Candace Marino, who keeps stars like Kourtney Kardashian and Miranda Kerr glowing, believes there's one important thing brides should think of before the gown: their skincare.

"When a bride comes in for the first time the month of her wedding wanting to change her skin, there's not a whole lot to be done," Marino, who is known in Hollywood as "The LA Facialist," told Insider.

"You should begin working with a facialist as soon as you have a wedding date," she added. "I always tell my brides that skincare should come before you purchase the dress."

Marino said your facialist needs plenty of time to learn about you, your skin, and its needs so you can get the best results (and avoid any adverse reactions) right before the big day.

If you already have a solid at-home skincare routine and consistently see a facialist who knows your skin really well, Marino said it's OK to get a facial the week before any wedding events.

To make sure you're getting the best facial a week before your wedding day — or any other big life events — Marino said there are a few important treatments it should include.

"Lots of massage to drain lymph and sculpt the face, a mild exfoliation to get you glowing, and calming and hydrating masks," she said. "And maybe things like LED and oxygen to reduce inflammation."

And Marino said it's always important to make sure the facialist is customizing their service for you and not just having you pick something off a menu.

"To me, a good facial includes extractions and a lot of massage. Without those components, I'm not satisfied," she said. "Knowing what you want in a facial is a good starting point."

"Make sure your provider can meet your needs and always speak up," she added. "Give them the opportunity to give you what you want. Not all of us are mind readers!"