Skincare Guru, Renee Rouleau, shares 25 Skin Secrets

By Julie Keller Callaghan - Well Defined

Longtime skincare expert Renée Rouleau’s eponymous skincare line is about to celebrate its 25th anniversary. In honor of this auspicious occasion, this skin pro with a cult following has shared 25 informative, interesting, and eclectic revelations that most profoundly shaped her growth as a skin expert, brand founder, and human being.

1. Hang your head upside down for two minutes at night.

“Circulation slows down with age,” says Roulou.“On most nights, I hang my head upside down off the side of my bed to increase blood flow to my face. This helps to increase oxygen and bring fresh blood and new nutrients to the skin cells and gives an instant, glowing boost to the skin.”

2. Fashionista to be a complexionista.

A fitness enthusiast, Roulou spends a lot of time wearing workout clothes. To avoid messy sunscreen application, she avoids wearing tank tops and opts for crew neck t-shirts (often long-sleeved). This makes protecting the chest easy by using clothing coverage. “It’s a lot easier to prevent daily skin damage than trying to get rid of it once it appears, so keep that body covered,” she says.

When shopping for regular clothes, she advises clients to avoid yellow-based colors (mustard, olive green, khaki, bronze, and burnt orange shades) that can make the skin appear sallow and dull. She prefers cool-toned shades of pink, light blue, and silver that generally enhance the skin’s natural glow and brightness.

3. Always close the window shade on an airplane to block out skin-damaging UV rays.

When you’re 30,000 feet closer to the sun, skin is put at a higher risk for damage.Did you know that airline pilots have a higher risk of developing skin cancer, because airplane windshields only filter about 50 percent of dangerous ultraviolet (UVA) rays? Rouleau says she closes the window shade whenever she travels on planes.

4. Nine different skin types philosophy.

Esthetician school addresses skin narrowly –categorizing types as dry, normal, and oily. In real life, Rouleau observed a much broader range of unique concerns that transcended this limited view. This realization is what led to her Nine Skin Types and Skin Quiz.

5. The daily foundation.

Upon moving to Texas from Boston, Rouleau made a skin-altering discovery—Southern women had fewer visible wrinkles and a smoother skin texture. She quickly concluded that makeup-loving Texans were unknowingly packing on extra skin and sun protection from daily foundation wear. “After that, I started wearing foundation makeup or a mineral powder every single day and encourage my clients to do the same,” she says. 6. The real glow up.

Rouleau says that the secret to glowing skincanbe found in a jar of skincare. She recommends using “performance”formulas that increase the skin’s moisture and glow. And for extra radiance, Rouleau adds glow-boosting makeup like pore-minimizing makeup primers, “blurring” foundations, and shimmery powders that allow the skin to reflect light for a healthy, dewy complexion.

7. For treating under eye dryness, don’t rely solely on an eye cream.

Exfoliate the eyes to hydrate, combat dullness and fine lines, and maximize how your eye cream performs. Consider an eye-specific exfoliating treatment like herOvernight Eye Serum, a gentle acid-based serum made for the delicate eye area that dissolves and removes dry skin cells.When used regularly, the product’s moisturizing effects boosts overall hydration for the eye area.

8. To make a blemish go away fast, you must treat it in sync with its life cycle.

Blemishes have a life cycle, and it’s best to address a breakout swiftly and carefully.“The biggest mistake I see people make is aggressive treatments using harsh drying spot treatments that dry the skin, trap the infection, and prevent the whitehead from exiting the skin’s surface,” says Rouleau. “The infection, or bump, can stretch out the skin tissue and create melanin activity, which leads to a longer-lasting discolored mark.”According to her, less is more and no picking!

9. Neck neglect.

Don’t think treating the neck with leftover SPF residue from a face application is enough.“If you’re someone who applies sunscreen to your face, and then carries down whatever is left over onto your neck, you’re making a big mistake,” says Rouleau. “The neck needs its own generous application. I always apply one generous layer to my face and then another for my neck, the sides of the neck and the ears.”

10.Avoid drinking out of narrow bottles or bottles with a straw.

“Similar to squinting this repeated facial expression actually breaks down collagen and elastin fibers over time,” she says. “When drinking a beverage, avoid using straws or narrow bottles, because pursing the lips can lead to unnecessary lines and wrinkles around the mouth, like smoker’s lines. Little lifestyle changes can make a difference over a lifetime.” Instead, drink out of a wide-mouth cup.

11.The ‘Golden Minute’ rule.

Skin cells are like fish and need water to live (it’s what makes the skin look plump, dewy, and bouncy). Keep cells thriving and avoid dehydration by working through your routine quickly. “Within a minute of cleansing, apply an alcohol-free toner to deliver water to thirsty cells followed by a serum and a moisturizer,” says Rouleau. “In doing this, skin never gets an opportunity to become tight, dry, or dehydrated as a result of osmosis.”

12.Heat (not from just the sun) can be a trigger for hyperpigmentation.

The sun isn’t the only culprit behind sunspots. Heat also worsens pigmentation by increasing melanocytes activity when the skin’s internal temperature is raised. That means protect UVexposed skin and reduce heat-induced activities when possible, like cooking over grills or spending time in saunas and steam rooms, and some forms of exercise (particularly hot yoga).

13.Skip complexion cocktailing.

Trendy skin care mixing and layering is just that, not an effective strategy. Because the skin can only absorb so much, Rouleau says excessive product won’t add benefits, it’s just a waste. Skin acts like a sponge and can only take in so much moisture before it starts to pour out. So, when you mix serums together, you not only cut results in half due to dilution, you also waste money. Instead, she says toalternate serums nightly so skin can absorb all the good benefits each formula has to offer in full.

14.Never interfere with your sunscreen.

Sunscreen is clinically tested to perform optimally straight out of the tube. When diluted or mixed with serums or oils, it degrades effectiveness.Apply SPF last and don’t interfere with the formula.

15.Drinking water is the least efficient way to hydrate the skin.

Drinking water is essential to good health, but it’s far less efficient at hydrating the skin. Water runs through the intestines, is absorbed into the bloodstream, and then is filtered out by the kidneys. It hydrates the cells inside the body, but not the skin. Apply moisturetopicallyto maintain ideal hydration and use well-formulated moisturizers, serums, and alcohol-free toners.

16.Recipes for wellness, not skin.

Rouleau is constantly being asked about DIY recipes for the skin using fresh ingredients from the kitchen or refrigerator. “Although it seems a natural and unadulterated approach to healthy, non-toxic benefits, it’s not effective,” she says. When you eat, saliva starts to break down the food that then passes through the digestive tract. Nutrients from the food are distributed throughout the body where needed. The skin doesn’t work this way, so it isn’t possible to topically apply food and expect the nutrients to benefit the skin.

17.Exfoliate with care.

Daily exfoliation is not only aggressive, it can also be damaging to the skin’s protective barrier, allowing moisture to easily escape. This can cause skin inflammation, lack of radiance and bounce. “While I love a good at-home acid peel, facial scrub, and exfoliating serum, I give my skin a break every few