Since a lot of our wonderful readers have asked us for skincare advice (and experts), we sat up and took notice. On tap this week (and LIVE today) is Renée Rouleau, celebrity esthetician and trusted skin care expert who has been helping men, women and teens of all ages attain glowing, beautiful skin for more than 20 years. She has two skin care spas in Dallas, TX and an exclusive skin care line based on nine different skin types.
Renée is available to answer your questions LIVE on Facebook for 1 hour on JULY 20th only, from 1:30-2:30pm EST and we’re giving away a special surprise to one lucky reader if you scroll down and read below.
BeautyStat: A lot of our readers complain about their skin and breakouts. Have you seen an increase in this phenomenon? What would you advise them to do?
RR: I definitely see more skin sensitivity, rosacea and increased breakout activity now than I did back in the 1980’s when I became an esthetician. As for breakouts, back then I recall that teens and those in their 20’s were the ones most likely to struggle with blemishes, but now I see women well into their 30’s 40’s and 50’s that still battle breakouts. The words ‘adult acne’ was hardly in the vocabulary back then compared to how often it is used now. I’m sure stress, hormone imbalances and using more potent skin care products than ever before can all play a role.
What to do? I’ll speak specifically for those that are well out of their teens but still struggle with acne breakouts. If you’re breaking out the key is not to use ALL acne products. Many people feel like they need to switch their entire routine to acne products, but that’s over-compensating and will only leave your skin dried out and irritated.
A great way to address the recent breakouts is to switch to a product using Salicylic Acid such as Renée Rouleau AHA/BHA Cleansing Gel. Salicylic Acid is a keratolytic beta hydroxy acid (BHA) famous for its ability to:
-Smooth the skin without causing irritation,
-Reduce acne-causing bacteria and oil to prevent blemishes
-Penetrate the pores to help clear out impurities
These properties not only help prevent acne, but also make it an excellent choice for preventing blackheads after a deep pore cleansing facial. For these reasons you’ll usually find Salicylic Acid in cleansers and moisturizers formulated for breakout prone skin as well as in acne spot treatments. It’s a fabulous ingredient with proven results in reducing blemishes. If you’re using a cleanser with Salicylic Acid, make sure it is sulfate-free so it doesn’t leave the skin feeling tight and dry.
BeautyStat: What is your best selling product?
RR: The Anti-Cyst Treatment. It’s been in my line for 18 years and continues to be one of our best sellers. Of all the types of breakouts one can get, cystic acne is the most stubborn and hardest to treat. Traditional spot treatments only leave the skin dry and flakey on the surface, but this product absorbs deep within the skin to dissolve and digest the bacteria and infection for rapid healing. True acne cysts can take anywhere from 2-4 weeks for the body to reabsorb the infection, but by treating the cyst with our Anti-Cyst Treatment, you can get a 50% quicker recovery. It’s also important to note that if someone is prone to cystic acne in the chin and jaw line area, this may be caused from too much dairy in your diet. So cutting back on dairy might really solve this problem!
BeautyStat: What tips does Renée give regarding a skincare routine? Is a routine important? If so, how important? At the very least, everyone should be cleansing, toning and moisturizing morning and night. For the health of the skin, it’s so important to remove dirt, debris, makeup and bacteria on the skin by cleansing and keeping the skin cells hydrated using an alcohol-free toner and moisturizer. A lot of people think that tending to their skin takes a lot of time. But I’ve timed it and it doesn’t take long at all. Washing your face takes 75 seconds, applying toner takes 10 seconds and moisturizing takes 25 seconds. That’s less than two minutes! Be sure your daytime moisturizer has sunblock included in the formula. The next most important additions to a good skin care routine would be to use a gentle facial scrub 2-3 times a week on the face and neck, and apply eye cream at night. (Daytime is optional.)
BeautyStat: What about wrinkles? How early is it to do prevention of wrinkles and aging?
RR: Anti-aging products (particularly those with antioxidants) can start to be used as early as age 21. But here is the important part: it’s important to choose anti-aging products appropriate for your skin type. Many cosmetic companies (not mine, of course) assume those who want anti-aging care must have dry skin so many anti-aging formulas can potentially be pore-clogging. I see young women and men all the time in our skin care spas who still have oil and breakouts, but want to preserve their youthful appearance for as long as they can. Choose formulas that contain Hyaluronic Acid, Stabilized Vitamin C (Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate is my favorite type of Vitamin C for sensitive skin), Elderberry Fruit Extract, Glycolic Acid, White Tea Extract and Beta Glucans. And of course, the #1 best anti-aging product in the entire world is sunscreen because the #1 cause of premature aging is from daylight UV exposure. So wearing sunscreen 365 days a year, rain or shine, inside or out (damaging UV rays can penetrate through windows in your home or office) is a must.
Thank you Renée!
GIVEAWAY: All readers who leave a Comment below (ask about your biggest skincare concern and Renee will do her best to answer) AND Share this article with their friends will be entered to win a collection of her ‘top sellers’ (Elderberry Toner, Toning Cloths, Anti-Cyst Treatment, and Matte Moisture) and her newest launch (Luxe Mint Cleansing Gel), worth over $180!!
A winner will be picked at the end of this week. So what are you waiting for?
