Changing the Way We Understand Skin

There a few names in professional skincare as recognizable as Renée Rouleau. For more than three decades, she has helped shaped shape the way estheticians, skincare professionals and consumers understand skin-not by following trends, but by challenging long-held beliefs about it.

When I had the opportunity to sit down with Renée on The Beauty Vault Podcast, I was excited to learn more about the philosophy that has influenced so many professionals throughout our industry. Long before personalized skincare became a buzzword, Renée was teaching that skin couldn’t simply be categorized as dry, oily or sensitive. That belief ultimately led her to develop her renowned Nine Skin Types system, an approach that continues to help both estheticians and consumers create more personalized treatment plans.

Over the course of her career, Renée has treated more than 25,000 faces, built an award-winning skincare line and earned the trust of celebrities including Demi Lovato, Sabrina Carpenter and Keke Palmer. Yet what impressed me most wasn’t her resume-it was her passion for education. Every answer she shared during our conversation reflected the same mission that has guided her career for more than 35 years: helping people truly understand their skin instead of simply treating symptoms.

Whether she’s developing award-winning products, educating professionals or redefining the way we classify skin, Renée continues to remind us that successful skincare starts with understanding the individual sitting in front of you. It’s a philosophy that has stood the test of time and one that every esthetician can learn from.

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Q + A WITH RENÉE ROULEAU

Q: What did you see in the treatment room that convinced you the traditional skin type categories weren’t enough?

A: Early in my career, I noticed that people who appeared to have the same skin type often needed completely different treatments. Adult acne was one of the biggest examples. We were taught that acne was primarily a teenage concern and that oily skin was the root cause. But many of my adult clients were breaking out while also dealing with dehydration, sensitivity, and early signs of aging. Treating them like teenagers often made their skin worse. I also saw major differences in circulation. Some clients had over-circulated skin and were prone to redness, flushing, and rosacea, while others had sluggish, under-circulated skin that looked dull and lacked vitality. Those experiences taught me that skin is far more nuanced than dry, oily, normal, or combination, which ultimately led me to develop my Nine Skin Types system.

Q: What’s one skincare trend that’s exploded in popularity that you believe people are getting completely wrong?

A: The obsession with layering products. Social media has made 10-step routines seem like the gold standard, but more isn’t always better. The skin can only absorb so much, and when you keep layering serum after serum, you may dilute the effectiveness of key ingredients or create unnecessary irritation. I’ve always believed in using the right products rather than the most products. A thoughtful, targeted routine will almost always outperform an overly complicated one.

Q: What’s something you’ve learned about skin that still surprises people today?

A: One thing that still surprises people is that dry skin and dehydrated skin are not the same thing. Dry skin is a skin type that lacks oil. Dehydrated skin is a condition where the skin lacks water, and it can happen to any skin type, even oily skin. I can’t tell you how many people have spent years trying to “fix” dry skin with heavier moisturizers when what their skin really needed was hydration. Understanding the difference can completely change the results someone gets from their routine.

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Don't miss her podcast on August 17 streaming on YouTube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts

Renée Rouleau: The Woman Behind the Nine Skin Types

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