Renée Rouleau, licensed esthetician with nearly 25 years of skin care experience and the owner of the Renée Rouleau Skin Care Salon in Plano, shares her Top 10 Secrets for Beautiful Skin!

1. I DON'T WASH WITH A CLEANSER THAT CREATES A LOT OF LATHER

Bar soap and many foaming cleansers have high pH balances with harsh ingredients that strip the water and natural oils out of the skin. And what you wash with is the most important part of your skin care routine. Why? Because if you wash with a foaming cleanser or soap that is too drying, it creates dead, dry skin cell buildup. Then you have to put your moisturizer on to restore what you just removed! It makes no sense! Choose either lotion-based or gel cleansers that avoid the harsh ingredient Sodium Laureth Sulfate. These are better choices as they won't rob the skin of much needed water. Remember the rule: More lather, more drying; less lather, less drying!

2. SECRET INGREDIENT: USE GLYCOLIC ACID

Studies show that glycolic acid (the most effective of the alpha hydroxyl acids) helps to reduce past sun damage, smooth and soften the skin, fade post-breakout marks, reduce clogged pores and breakouts, and increase the cell turnover rate. Moisturizers and cleansers that contain Glycolic Acid won't always do the trick. To keep any type of skin looking beautiful, incorporate an alcohol-free, pure glycolic acid serum (like Renée Rouleau Glycolic Acid Serum 10%) into your nightly skin care routine.

3. USE AN ALCOHOL-FREE TONER MORNING AND NIGHT

"I don't like to use toners because they dry out my skin." We hear this comment a lot, and it's because most toners on the market contain SD Alcohol 40, which is extremely drying to the skin and will encourage dry skin cell buildup. But toners that are alcohol-free (like all of the Renée Rouleau toners) will not strip the skin and are a crucial step in a good skin care regimen. They remove cleanser residue and chlorine found in tap water; when the toner is left damp on the skin, your moisturizer will seal in the water and the beneficial ingredients. The result is healthier, hydrated, and plumped up skin.

4. MINERAL POWDER: THE SECRET WAY TO CREATE THE LOOK OF BEAUTIFUL SKIN

Mineral powders were introduced several years back, and are all the rage for women searching for that perfect foundation makeup. Natural, crushed minerals such as mica, micronized titanium dioxide, and zinc oxide, create a powder foundation that leaves the skin with a luminescent, incredible glow. It's free of talc, which means that for oil producers, it won't disappear throughout the day and it doesn't give that chalky, dull-look like traditional powder foundations. Other benefits include that it contains an SPF to protect the skin from sun damage, it is free of fragrances, dyes, and preservatives so it's ideal for sensitive skin, and it won't clog the pores or cause breakouts as some foundations can. It gives excellent coverage and is used in place of liquid or powder foundations. So to enjoy the look of beautiful skin, consider mineral powder--I love the ColoreScience line! See it here.

5. WEAR A MOISTURIZER WITH A SUNSCREEN 365 DAYS A YEAR, RAIN OR SHINE, INSIDE AND OUT

Studies indicate that 78% of the sun exposure you get in a lifetime is incidental exposure. You may say, "I'm not out at all during the day." Just walking to your car, driving in your car, and sitting in your house next to windows will subject you to unnecessary sun damage. Windshields do nothing to protect you from UV rays! And we know that sun exposure is the #1 cause of aging! A minimum of SPF #15 should be used every day, year round. Try Renée Rouleau Daily Protection SPF #30.

6. WEAR SUNGLASSES, AVOID USING STRAWS, AND AVOID SLEEPING ON YOUR SIDE

We know that sun damage causes lines and wrinkles, but they're also caused by facial expressions (think of smiling as the cause of crow's feet around the eyes). When drinking through a straw, you have to purse your lips, causing unnecessary wrinkles and lines around the mouth. If you're concerned about lines and wrinkles, then drinking directly from the glass is a much better option. Unnecessary squinting when outdoors will accelerate the wrinkling process around the eyes, so wearing sunglasses is important. Also, one surprising cause of premature wrinkling on the face and decollete (chest) is sleep or, more precisely, the position of the body during sleep. To prevent the crepiness between the breasts, marionette lines around the mouth, and wrinkles around the eyes, get in the habit of sleeping on your back. After the sun, sleeping on the side is like ironing wrinkles into the skin. This means that on average, you're spending more than 2,500 hours per year potentially reversing the positive effects of your skin care treatments.

7. KNOW HOW TO PROPERLY CARE FOR YOU BLEMISHES TO AVOID LINGERING POST-BREAKOUT MARKS

When a blemish first starts to form, ask yourself: What kind of blemish is it?

A CYST

These are those hard, sore lumps under the skin (most often occurring in the chin and jaw area) that linger for weeks.

What NOT to do: Don't pick! They hurt. And you know that something is under there and if you pick at it long enough, you'll get that infection out, right? Wrong! You need to understand that true cystic blemishes will never come up to the surface. They develop deep in the dermis layer of the skin, and they heal there also. Left alone, the infection is not meant to come out of the skin. So if you pick at it repeatedly, yes, you might eventually get a little something out, but by that time, you have torn up the skin so severely that you're guaranteed to have a discolored mark for months. And let's face it, what's worse? Covering up a sore bump with makeup, or covering up a scabby scar for months? Your best bet is to leave it alone. Since the infection is not on the surface, traditional spot treatment drying lotions will not do anything other than to just dry out the skin, and leave you peeling.

What WILL help: The moment you get this type of blemish, don't pick at it, and apply a small amount of Renée Rouleau Anti-Cyst Treatment. This incredible best-selling product doesn't dry out the surface of the skin but instead penetrates deep down into the dermis layer of the skin where the cyst is, and works to dissolve and disperse the infection to make it go away fast! It is the only product on the market to effectively treat cystic acne, and it really works! Plus, you can dab a small amount in areas where you're prone to getting them, to prevent future ones. Another option is getting a cortisone injection from the dermatologist, but who wants to deal with that? If they are primarily in the chin and jaw area, you might be consuming too many dairy products in your diet; try eliminating those foods and see if that makes a difference.

A SURFACE, INFECTED BLEMISH?

These are traditional blemishes or zits. They are red, moderately sore, larger in size, and form a yellowish whitehead after a day or two.

What NOT to do: Don't pick this type of blemish the minute you feel it forming; rather, wait until it is ready. Why? Because if you attack it right away when the infection isn't ready to come out yet, you start injuring the skin which will result in a scar. Then you might start putting topical spot drying treatments on it; this will dry out the skin, not the infection, because the infection hasn't reached the surface of the skin yet. After a day or two, when the infection does come up to the surface, you squeeze it; although you can get the infection out, the dry skin is also peeling. The result is a post-breakout red mark or scar that will now linger for months. And that's worse than the blemish itself!

What WILL help: The key here is to leave it alone and don't touch the skin until the infection has reached the surface, which is usually 1-2 days after the blemish first appears. Then you can carefully wrap your fingers and gently try to squeeze out the infection. Remember the rule: three strikes and you're out! If it doesn't come out after three tries, leave it alone and try again the next day. Once you do get the infection out, then apply a spot drying treatment because now it can really get into the skin and heal up any remaining infection. With a blemish, the goals are to eradicate it and to prevent a red mark that lingers for months.

8. CONSIDER PERMANENT MAKEUP

For most women, eyebrows get sparse as they age, so they need to use eyebrow pencil to create the brows that they once had. But women must be careful not to use a pencil that's too dark or to make each brow a different shape or height. A popular procedure is permanent makeup or cosmetic tattooing. Experienced permanent makeup artists tattoo tiny brush stroke lines to create the look of real hairs, giving you a permanent eye brow that doesn't smudge, wash off or look unnatural. Eyebrows frame the face and create balance, and can make the biggest improvement in the face. So a nice, soft, natural-looking arch is essential for a beautiful face. Renée Rouleau offers the most natural-looking permanent makeup with renowned artist Cees Penning. Call 972-378-6655 for more information.

9. ALWAYS WASH YOUR SKIN AND MOISTURIZE AT BEDTIME

The latest research indicates that the skin repairs itself most effectively at night, between 10 PM and 11 PM, indicating the need for night cream application before midnight. For those who are too tired to wash off their makeup at night, try this! Your nighttime routine doesn't have to be done minutes before you hit the bed. Wash your face when you get home from work, or even after dinner. Do it earlier rather than later! Washing off the day's dirt and grime and nourishing it with good moisture and nutrients will give your skin a chance to renew while you sleep! And remember, quality moisturizers that do not contain clogging ingredients will not suffocate your skin.

10. GET A PROFESSIONAL FACIAL

Think of facials as maintenance for the health of your skin! As the skin ages, circulation and metabolism slow down, resulting in tired and dull-looking skin. One of the benefits of a facial is increased circulation and oxygen, resulting in healthy, glowing skin!

Which products are right for your skin? Check out our nine skin types.

For daily skin care tips, read our Beautiful Skin Blog, follow Renée on Twitter and like our Facebook page.

Contents copyright 2012, Renée Rouleau, Inc. All rights reserved. May not be reproduced in whole or part without permission.