We asked one of our favorite skin care experts, Renee Rouleau, to guest blog for us each week with tips on keeping our skin beautiful. She'll be blogging weekly on Wednesdays at 6am so watch for her posts!
Hello Beauty Snob readers! My name is Renée Rouleau and I'll be blogging here once a week and I am so excited to be sharing my expert advice with you...the snobs! A bit about me? I'm been a licensed esthetician for 22 years, I live in Dallas, Texas and am the owner of two fabulous skin care spas as well as the Renée Rouleau skin care line, based on nine different skin types. Well, here goes!
There are so many misconceptions when it comes to skin care products and how to care for your skin so I'm here to share the top five skin care myths and letting you know the truth!
Skin Myth #1 Chocolate and greasy foods will make your skin break out. False: There is no evidence that these foods will increase break outs. However, the foods that ARE most often linked to causing acne is dairy (when the acne is more cystic bumps and occur in the chin and jaw line area) and acidic foods (when the break outs occur in the cheek area) like tomatoes, spaghetti sauce and citrus fruits. If you get acne break outs in these areas, try cutting back and your skin may clear up!
Skin Myth #2 The higher the number, the better it is when it comes to the sunscreen. False: The higher the SPF number, the more chemicals you're exposing your skin to thus increasing your skin's chance of a reaction. So for those with sensitive skin an SPF 30 is adequate. But did you know that an SPF 30 actually offers less than 4% more than an SPF 15? And an SPF 45 offers only 2% more than an SPF 30? So you're not even getting much more sun protection by going higher in number. The key to the best sun protection has more to do with how often you reapply and how generous you apply it, than what the number is. Find one that is compatible with your skin and wear it religiously 365 days a year, rain or shine, inside or out, reapply often...and on the neck, too! (Jump for more myths!)
Hello Beauty Snob readers! My name is Renée Rouleau and I'll be blogging here once a week and I am so excited to be sharing my expert advice with you...the snobs! A bit about me? I'm been a licensed esthetician for 22 years, I live in Dallas, Texas and am the owner of two fabulous skin care spas as well as the Renée Rouleau skin care line, based on nine different skin types. Well, here goes! There are so many misconceptions when it comes to skin care products and how to care for your skin so I'm here to share the top five skin care myths and letting you know the truth!
Skin Myth #1 Chocolate and greasy foods will make your skin break out. False: There is no evidence that these foods will increase break outs. However, the foods that ARE most often linked to causing acne is dairy (when the acne is more cystic bumps and occur in the chin and jaw line area) and acidic foods (when the break outs occur in the cheek area) like tomatoes, spaghetti sauce and citrus fruits. If you get acne break outs in these areas, try cutting back and your skin may clear up!
Skin Myth #2 The higher the number, the better it is when it comes to the sunscreen. False: The higher the SPF number, the more chemicals you're exposing your skin to thus increasing your skin's chance of a reaction. So for those with sensitive skin an SPF 30 is adequate. But did you know that an SPF 30 actually offers less than 4% more than an SPF 15? And an SPF 45 offers only 2% more than an SPF 30? So you're not even getting much more sun protection by going higher in number. The key to the best sun protection has more to do with how often you reapply and how generous you apply it, than what the number is. Find one that is compatible with your skin and wear it religiously 365 days a year, rain or shine, inside or out, reapply often...and on the neck, too! (Jump for more myths!)
Skin Myth #3 Oily skins don't need moisturizer.False: Wrong. Oily skins don't need heavy and greasy oil-based moisturizers (you've already got enough oil) but water-based, oil-free moisturizers are necessary to keep the skin cells healthy and to discourage dead skin cell buildup. Skin cells are like fish, they need water to live and without it, you can cause premature skin aging. And drinking water is not enough, you must give you skin topical hydration by using a moisturizer.
Skin Myth #4 The richer the eye cream, the better it is for preventing wrinkles. False: Most eye creams that are very rich typically contain heavy oils like Mineral Oil or Petrolatum. These ingredients have a hard time getting absorbed, so they sit on the surface and can migrate into the eyes while you're sleeping causing excessive puffiness in the morning! Not only that, but the heavy oils can weigh down the delicate skin tissue under the eyes resulting in a weakening of elasticity over time. Look for eye creams that absorb, yet still leave the skin feeling moist and supple.
Skin Myth #5 I can't wear sunscreen. They break me out and clog my pores.The newer sunscreens available today are so much lighter weight and compatible with oily skins than they used to be years ago. If you can't wear sunscreen because they break you out (because some actually can) then you just haven't found the right one yet. Look for sunscreen containing at least 6% micronized Zinc Oxide. Zinc Oxide is anti-bacterial and dries to a matte finish on the skin making it ideal for skins prone to acne. Titanium Dioxide is also good, but it can leave a white-ish cast on the skin making it not suitable for skin of color. Bottom line: sun exposure is the #1 cause of wrinkles, so keep your skin protected.
Skin Myth #4 The richer the eye cream, the better it is for preventing wrinkles. False: Most eye creams that are very rich typically contain heavy oils like Mineral Oil or Petrolatum. These ingredients have a hard time getting absorbed, so they sit on the surface and can migrate into the eyes while you're sleeping causing excessive puffiness in the morning! Not only that, but the heavy oils can weigh down the delicate skin tissue under the eyes resulting in a weakening of elasticity over time. Look for eye creams that absorb, yet still leave the skin feeling moist and supple.
Skin Myth #5 I can't wear sunscreen. They break me out and clog my pores.The newer sunscreens available today are so much lighter weight and compatible with oily skins than they used to be years ago. If you can't wear sunscreen because they break you out (because some actually can) then you just haven't found the right one yet. Look for sunscreen containing at least 6% micronized Zinc Oxide. Zinc Oxide is anti-bacterial and dries to a matte finish on the skin making it ideal for skins prone to acne. Titanium Dioxide is also good, but it can leave a white-ish cast on the skin making it not suitable for skin of color. Bottom line: sun exposure is the #1 cause of wrinkles, so keep your skin protected.
