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Guest blog by Renée Rouleau

Blackheads. We all have them and we all hate them.

What is a blackhead?
These are large pores that contain oil that has oxidized with the air causing it to turn black.

There have been countless products sold through the years that claimed to remove them, but nothing seems to be effective. (Remember the pore-cleansing strips that were sold years ago for blackhead removal? All they did was remove hairs on the nose.) Some estheticians will use a suction device that claims to "vacuum" them out of the pores, but all it does is cause redness and potentially damage capillaries.

What you can do?
Although there is no way to permanently get rid of blackheads, your best bet is regular monthly deep pore cleansing facials where the blackheads are manually extracted from the skin. Go to an experienced, trusted esthetician who will properly soften up the skin and gently remove them without injuring the skin. I recommend post-facial to use an Alpha Hydroxy Acid or Beta Hydroxy Acid product (try Renée Rouleau Glycolic Serum) to keep the pores cleaned out. Long term use of Retin-A can also help but it has to be used regularly and for years before you can really see a difference. Avoid the ingredients Isopropyl Myristate and Isopropyl Palmitate in your skin care products as these can contribute to the formation of blackheads.

Bottom line: Don't get fooled by anyone selling you products that claim to remove blackheads. Trust me, if there was a cure, we would all know about it and I'd be the first to bring it to you. I've been squeezing out blackheads out of my client's skin for over 20 years and my hands are getting tired!

Renee Rouleau Skin Care

Getting married in June? Renée Rouleau shares skin tips for the bride.

6 MONTHS BEFORE THE WEDDING

Find a reputable skin care professional. Six months is the perfect amount of time to ensure that your skin is clear, smooth and glowing for the big day. It's important to find a skin care spa or clinic that offers a wide range of skin care services to give your skin everything it needs.

Schedule a consultation. What may be fabulous for your friend may not be right for you. Be sure to ask a lot of questions; particularly the cost of treatments, side-effects and the results they can guarantee.

Fit it in the budget. Generally, a good skin care plan (both professional and home-care products) can range from $1000-$2000. Tip: If the budget is tight, let your maid of honor know that getting your skin in good condition for your wedding day is a priority and she may plan a shower where everyone pitches in to give your skin care services as a gift. 

Guest Blog by Renee Rouleau

What is a chemical peel?
A chemical peel involves applying a chemical solution (acid) to skin of the face to remove and exfoliate the outer layers of skin so that a clearer, more evenly pigmented, glowing layer of skin can appear. The new, regenerated skin is usually smoother, smaller-pores and less wrinkled than the old skin. Depending on the type of peel, they are often repeated every 2-8 weeks to achieve the desired results.

What are the different types of peels?
Light peels: Often called "lunch-time peels", Alpha-hydroxy acids (AHA's such as glycolic), Beta Hydroxy acids (BHA's such as lactic) in 10%-30% formulas, enzymes and Vitamin C peels provide smoother, brighter-looking skin for people who can't spare the time to recover from deeper peels. They are commonly used in conjunction with a facial. Medium peels: Often called "weekend peels", TCA (trichloroacetic acid), 30%-70% glycolic peels and Vitamin A peels provide a deeper and more aggressive peeling. Some people will take a few days off from life/work to let the skin heal. Deep peels: Phenol peels are the strongest of the chemical solutions and can cause a second-degree burn of the skin giving the skin long-lasting and a dramatic result in the reduction of facial wrinkles and acne scarring. Recovery may be slow and complete healing of the skin may take 1-2 months. (Jump for more!)

Guest blog: Renee Rouleau

In my 20+ years of working with skin in my Texas skin care spas and developing skin care products, I've come up with five of my favorite skin care ingredients...and these should be your favorites, too!

Salicylic Acid- It's a keratolytic beta hydroxy acid (BHA) famous for its ability to smooth the skin without causing irritation, reduce acne-causing bacteria and oil to prevent blemishes, all while penetrating the pores to help clear out impurities (making it also excellent for reducing blackheads). You'll usually find Salicylic Acid in cleansers and moisturizers formulated for skins prone to break outs, as well as in acne spot treatments. It's a fabulous ingredient with proven results in reducing blemishes.

Vitamin C (Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate)-One of the most powerful age-fighting ingredients on the market today is Vitamin C proven to act as a body guard for your skins collagen to prevent free radicals from increasing skin aging. However, not all Vitamin C is equal. Most Vitamin C products use the acid forms of Vitamin C (like Ascorbic Acid or Alpha Lipoic Acid) which is why you can feel a stinging sensation on the skin. My research on skin aging indicates that daily use of skin irritating acids actually encourage free radical formation, which counteracts the reason why you are using Vitamin C in the first place! Plus, the problem with these Vitamin C acids is that they are highly unstable and break down every time you open the bottle and oxygen gets to the product. If your Vitamin C product starts to turn brown half way through the bottle, that's a sign that it is oxidizing and is losing its effectiveness. (Think of an apple that turns brown 20 minutes after taking a bite.) Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, which is believed to be one of the most beneficial types of Vitamin C is the one that I use in my products because it doesn't cause skin irritation and won't lose its ability to fight free radicals.

Guest Blog By Renee Rouleau:

We're all busy, our time is limited, yet we want our skin to look fabulous! Here are a few of my simple, fast skin care tips to get your skin glowing in no time!

Wear a ponytail- Pulling your hair back in a ponytail is a guaranteed way to instantly smooth lines and wrinkles. When the scalp is stretched back, it pulls the face back creating tighter and younger-looking, skin.

Use a non-injectable filler- Hyaluronic Acid has long been a popular ingredient in skin care products for its deeply hydrating properties. This amazing ingredient has now been re-formulated (known as Hyaluronic Acid filling spheres) to resemble tiny micro sponges that when applied to the skin, expand as it reacts with the skin's own moisture to plump up wrinkled areas. After application, the results last for 10-12 hours. It's a great alternative to expensive injections and fillers and gives immediate results. (Jump for more!)

Neck and hands used to be the tell tale signs of aging no matter how flawless the face but thankfully we have many products and procedures to tend to those areas now.  So that just leaves the... elbows!?!?  Who woulda thought they'd be such tattle tales of our age?  Sagging, aging elbows show rings (like a tree!) and must not be neglected! 

I'm staring at Posh and I am actually frightened for her and her entire family.  She is literally disappearing before our eyes, raise your hand if you think Posh is too skinny.  Yup, I knew all of you would agree.  I'm even thinking the saggy elbows are due to emaciation, not age.  No matter, one must not neglect the elbows.  Here are a few tips to keep the skin there taut and supple:

1. Exfoliate, exfoliate, exfoliate!  See how her elbow looks really dry?  A good chemical exfoliant like glycolic acid would do the trick.  Unlike the face, the elbows are not sensitive and can stand higher percentage of acid.  (Try biting someone's elbow, I swear they won't feel a thing!)  If you lack the resources to buy glycolic acid-- cut a lemon in half, rub on to elbows, leave the juice and rind on there for 5 minutes, rinse.  I don't recommend physically scrubbing the elbows too hard as you'll just pull at the skin.  The acids are best in this case.

2. Moisturize!  Again, people forget to moisturize the elbows.  If yours are as dry as your heels, I'd turn to my trusty solution for extreme dry skin-- AQUAPHOR!  Eye cream is good too if you can afford to buy box loads of La Mer eyecream to rub on your elbows like Kimora Lee Simmons does. Get Aquaphor $5.99 here

3. Sunscreen!  Yes, the elbows suffer from sun damage everytime you drive, walk outside or play tennis.  We put sunscreen all over our face and body but most of us neglect to protect our elbows!

There that should do it.  Take a photo of your elbows, follow my instructions above and see if you notice a difference in a month.  

Guest blog by Renee Rouleau

In my 20+ years as an esthetician and working with skin, I've heard it all and have seen it all. Here is my list of the worst things you can do to your skin--that you'll definitely later regret. So please follow my expert skin advice!

1. A pierced nose is a large pore for life!  Don't do it! Many teens and 20-somethings love this trend, but at some point, you'll get tired of it or your career won't allow it. And now you're left with an extra large pore that's impossible to close. It's bad enough we all have large pores anyways, so intentionally making yourself one?

2. Picking at your skin--the wrong way. I do believe there is a right way and a wrong way to "pick" at a blemish, although most skin care professionals will say you should never touch your skin. But let's face it. Who wants to be walking around with a whitehead on their skin? Gross! But you need to know the right way to handle a blemish once you get one. Here's my advice to heal acne blemishes fast! (jump for more!) 

What's more annoying? Dark circles under the eyes or crow's feet wrinkles at the corners of the eyes? I say both but it's a tricky balance to take care of at the same time. Women make the mistake of putting concealer on the entire under eye area, which is great for the circles but will only make the outer wrinkles/ lines more pronounced.

The solution? Use concealer only on the inner half under the eyes and use an illuminating product on the outer half under the eyes. I swear by Bobbi Brown's creamy concealer (it is the one product I need daily, even if I don't use foundation!), it is moisturizing to boot so you can reapply often throughout the day. With 14 shades, you are sure find one that is perfect for you!

For the illuminating cream, I like Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20 - Illuminating Natural Radiance.  Dab on the outer half of under eye and even on the temple, you'll glow and no one will notice the crow's feet :) 

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!)