When the opportunity to test a skincare line by Renee Rouleau Skin Care fell into my lap last fall, it couldn't have come at a better time. I was in the midst of a really, really bad-skin week, having had a major allergic reaction to a "natural" moisturizer and some other skin care products that I probably shouldn't have been experimenting with in the first place! My face was flaking, red, and ultra sensitive and nothing seemed to calm it down.

So, when this opportunity to try something new presented itself, I was on the phone calling Renee in a flash! Now, a bad skin day for someone my age is probably totally different than it might be for someone in their 20's or 30's, but bad skin is bad skin and that is something no one wants to face... (pardon the pun!). It wasn't that I was unhappy with my current skincare regime. In fact, I was very happy with it, but I was having this major sensitivity problem and having a problem, as I always do, changing seasons. We have not had really cold weather here in several years, and when winter finally decided to descend on DC this year, my complexion had a hard time dealing with it.

Renee Rouleau, a licensed esthetician with over 14 years of experience, owns Renee Rouleau Skin Care in Dallas, TX. Her goal has always been to help others learn how to take care of their skin, which led her to become the founder of "National Skin Care Awareness Week."

Renee explained to me that the #1 cause of aging is free radical damage, and that as we age, the dermis layer, which is not the top layer of the skin, but the layer of the skin that causes wrinkles, thins as a result of free-radicals from sun, exercise (yes!), stress, pollution, second-hand smoke and chemicals. She is a firm believer in antioxidants applied through Vitamin C serums as well as vitamin supplements and a healthy diet. These antioxidants add protection from the free-radicals that are inevitable in our daily lives.

Renee's skin care routines are individually tailored to each client. She offers 14 cleansers, 26 moisturizers, 12 toners , as well as a full range of bath and spa products and much more.... She feels that there is more to skin than just dry, normal and oily and offers an extensive line to cater to every one- and every skin type! All of her products are made from cold-pressed, herbal plant extracts & essential oils with state-of-the-art, pharmaceutical-grade bio-extracts, pure, cold processed, plant based carrier oils and naturally derived water-based emulsions. All of her products do NOT contain mineral oil & petrolatum, isopropyl myristate & palmitate, SD alcohol 40, crude lanolin, known sensitizers, synthetic dyes and synthetic fragrances.

While Renee pointed out that some stimulation to the skin through AHA's, Renova, Retin-A and peels are definitely needed to stimulate collagen production in the skin, too much exfoliation can cause irritation and irritation can cause free radicals!

All that being said, and after discussing my likes and dislikes with Renee, I was ready to start my Renee Rouleau Skin Care Routine... Here is what I used:

AM ROUTINE
Gentle Gel Cleanser ($27.50 for 6oz)
I prefer a gel or soapy cleanser as opposed to a cream and this extremely mild, vanilla and orange scented cleanser fit the bill. It uses cocoa butter as a buffer to keep it from being drying, aloe vera gel for healing. It rinsed off silky-smooth and left my face feeling clean and soft.

Blue Azulene Toner ($21.50 for 6oz)
While I don't usually use a toner, this one was different and I really liked it. Rosewater scented, it's a moisturizing soother, containing no alcohol, and is good for dry, sensitive skin.

Vitamin C & E Complex ($59.50 for 1oz)
This stable form of Vitamin C works to protect your skin cells from breakdown due to environmental exposure. Anti-aging and hydrating, this light citrus scented serum comes in a pump that ensures you can use every last bit! I'm really hooked on this product and intend to continue incorporating it into my daily routine!

Daily Protection SPF 30 ($27.50 for 2oz)
This is one of the best SPF creams I have tried (and I have tried a lot of them!). Non-scented and very lightweight, it contains translucent zinc oxide, ascorbic acid as an antioxidant and Japanese Green Tea as a calming agent to combat redness and sensitivity. It's just right to use as an under-makeup moisturizer, and, in fact, Renee suggested using it for a daily moisturizer, which I did.

Equalizing Serum ($23.50 for .25oz)
This contains ceramides to fill in the invisible cracks in the skin from a damaged lipid barrier and to provide a smooth-as-glass base for applying makeup. I didn't use this product for my everyday makeup, but it was great for "dress-up" and really gave me a professional looking face. Renee says it also creates a breathable barrier to shield the skin from the elements and irritants. I found the Equalizing Serum to be very similar to Ramy Beauty Therapy's Elixir Skin Conditioning Primer.

PM ROUTINE
In addition to Gentle Gel Cleanser and Blue Azulene Toner, Renee suggested Calming Bio-Lipid Repair Fluid ($40.50 for 1.7 oz), which is another keeper! It's a lightweight lotion that repairs a lipid barrier that is damaged from over exfoliation, which is exactly how I had gotten my skin into the condition that it was in in the first place! You only use a few drops all over your face. It also can be used over Renova, which I had been using in conjunction with Obagi Blender every other night. I cut that back to 2x a week and the results have been fantastic!

In the summer, when my skin is oilier, my skin can handle exfoliation, both by grain and AHA, but once the weather turns cold and my skin becomes dry, I can't! I'm now only exfoliating a 1-2 times a week and, as I said, using the Renova, 2x a week at night.

The first week I started this regime I was still flaking, and I called Renee asking for some other kind of moisturizer. She suggested I give it another week, as she really didn't think piling another cream on my face was what I needed. Renee was right! After two weeks, my skin really looked healthier and was not nearly as dry.

Renee did send me a sample of a new product she has just introduced which is called Hawaiian Nourishing Cream ($72.50 for 2 oz.). The active ingredient in this product is red marine algae which is found on the shores of Hawaii. This is Renee's version of Creme de la Mer and she says that the product is backed by clinical studies showing how it increased moisture content in the skin. I've been using Creme de la Mer for quite some time, and found Renee's product to be more of a light, lemon scented lotion, which is very easily absorbed into the skin (in my case, I used it on my neck!). It's definitely worth checking out, as despite it's high price, it's a bargain compared to the same size of Creme de la Mer.

I have been using Renee's skincare items since November. Usually, when I test something, I'm ready to move on to something new when I finish up the test products, but my skin has reacted so favorably to the products I've described that I've reordered them several times and am still using them! In addition, I'm now a firm believer of Vitamin C use for my complexion.

Renee's website is attractive and easy to navigate. Great skin care tips are provided, as well as clear photos and descriptions of each product. Most products are packaged with pump tops, making it easy to use every last drop of product. In addition to skincare products, Renee also carries a full range of bath and spa products as well several different "Spa in a Can" gift sets.

If you're looking for a change in your skin care routine, I can't recommend Renee Rouleau enough! Her individual attention and vast variety of products will result in a personal program that will work for you. While some of the prices that I have shown you for products are high, these are probably her priciest items. Most of the products in her line are in the same price range as you would pay for a department store line such as Clinique.

You can read all about Renee Rouleau, her products, and her spa at reneerouleau.com, email at general@reneerouleau.com or call 972-378-6655.

Happy Shopping!

review: 4/01