Sabrina Carpenter's Esthetician Shares the Singer’s Guide to Clear Skin

TQE: Tell us a little bit about your journey to becoming an esthetician and brand founder.

RR: “My journey to becoming an esthetician was inspired by my grandmother, who was a hairstylist. At The Powder Puff Beauty Shoppe, she made people feel beautiful, and I knew I wanted to follow in her footsteps. College was not my path, but the beauty profession was. I became an esthetician at age 19, and at age 21, I would embark on my first entrepreneurial journey and opened my first skincare salon outside of Boston. 

In 1996, I moved to Dallas and started Renee Rouleau Skin Care, opened skin care spas, created a skincare line based on my philosophy that, "If you don't know your skin type, are you even getting results?” I believe there are nine types of skin and created a skincare line catering to these skin types. We just celebrated 29 years in business. I became a brand founder because I had a vision and wanted to do it my way. To this day, I still own 100% of my company.” 

TQE: How would you describe your work?

RR: “For many years, I was a hands-on esthetician working in the treatment room six days a week, as well as juggling the responsibility of being a business owner and having employees. I slowly transitioned myself out of the treatment room so I could work on building the company. 

What I love most about what I do now is I have my hands in a lot of things. I still get hands-on experience with my celebrity clients, but I am also a product developer, a CEO, managing my team, a content creator, and overseeing every aspect of my company. I wear a lot of hats, but I love the variety. It keeps it fun and interesting. There are no two days alike, and I love it that way.”  

TQE: What would you say was the pivotal moment in your career that launched your career as a celebrity esthetician?

RR: “When I had my spas in Dallas, we were the go-to for skincare, and Demi Lovato was living there and became my client. She eventually would move out to LA, and her career really took off. She shouted me out from the rooftops, and things fast-tracked after that.” 

TQE: You've worked with some incredible celebrity clients over the years, like Sabrina Carpenter, Demi Lovato, Lili Reinhart, and more. Is there one cardinal skincare rule that you recommend to all your clients?

RR: “The cardinal sin is not wearing some sort of foundation makeup every single day. (Of course, you want to use one for your skin type.) Yes, my job as an esthetician is to keep people's skin clear so they don't feel like they need to hide under makeup, but we need to rethink foundation makeup and realize it’s an extension of your skincare routine because it gives additional UV protection. 

Since UV light sees the skin (even when indoors through windows), it is the #1 cause of premature aging, we need to protect the skin at all costs. And of course, proper makeup removal is essential. (I hate cleansing balms, so I created something better. Meet my award-winning Better Than Balm.)”

TQE: Fans can't get enough of your work with Sabrina Carpenter. What are some key treatments you recommend to get Sabrina's glowing skin?

RR: “What Sabrina relies on me for is keeping her skin clear, smooth, and bump-free. I am all about the absolute smoothest texture and what we know as ‘glass skin.’ Every clogged pore is a future breakout waiting to happen, so keeping her pores really clean not only gives that smooth texture but prevents breakouts, too. 

I love doing light salicylic peels on her skin to accomplish this, along with extractions. I’ll add in bells and whistles with some ultrasound and give her skin super, water-based hydration to keep her skin barrier intact, as her skin can be sensitive. It’s all about clean pores and hydrated, plump, dewy skin, and her skin loves it. (She’s a skin type 4, take my Skin Type Quiz.)”

TQE: What are some key products you use during Sabrina's treatments that you recommend? 

RR: “She is super religious about wearing sunscreen faithfully every single day (thanks to me encouraging this to her at a young age) and Weightless Protection SPF 30 works really well for her skin because it doesn't clog her pores like a lot of sunscreens do. Vitamin C&E Treatment is a staple. It's a no-sting, no-burn, high-performance vitamin C serum that works really well with our sensitive skin.”

TQE: If someone is overwhelmed with the skincare space, what are the essentials you recommend starting with to have healthy skin?  

RR: “It's very easy to get overwhelmed because there's so much information out there and it's so confusing to the consumer. I encourage everyone to see an esthetician. This is someone who knows skin and can offer expert advice to take the confusion out of all the things that we are fed online. 

And speaking of online, we all hear about all the trends, but skincare always goes back to the basics. Keeping the skin clean with a gentle cleanser for your skin type, a vitamin C serum, sunscreen, a moisturizer at night for your skin type, and regular exfoliation to keep the skin's texture smooth. And if appropriate, adding in a retinol to slow down the signs of aging. These are the fundamentals. And of course, if time allows, treating your skin to a mask, an at-home peel, and an eye cream will only deliver better results.” 

TQE: What are 3 beauty products you can't live without? (Doesn't have to be skincare!)

RR: “Well, speaking of foundation makeup, I do love Orcé foundation and wear it from sun up to sun down. My hair is pink and I use Overtone Color Depositing Hair Conditioner every time I shampoo to keep it that way. And just as much as I love my skin being super smooth on my face, I also am obsessed with having the smoothest texture on my body. I created this Back & Body Buffing Towel because I was tired of messy scrubs and wanted something easy.” 

TQE: Any skincare trend you're currently completely over?

RR: “The skincare trend that I'm over is... trends. In the 37 years that I've been an esthetician, I have seen so many trends come and go, but sometimes trends do stay, but it's only a small percentage of them. This is because it takes time to really see how things play out, to see if something has longevity. And beef tallow ain’t it.” 

TQE: What's the one thing you wish people would stop doing when it comes to skincare?

RR: “The one thing I wish people would stop doing is chasing what appears to be the latest and greatest thing in hopes of a miracle. Skincare can absolutely move the needle and change the appearance of the skin, but it's slow, steady, and consistent over time. There is no one miracle product that can cure acne, or wrinkles or hyperpigmentation. Just like there's no one exercise that can help you achieve all of your goals for your body. With skincare, you need to hit it from different angles with different types of products, ingredients, and professional treatments. You need a lot of things in the toolkit. It doesn't have to be complicated, but it has to be really focused, and an esthetician can help you find your way.” 

You can shop Renee’s products and https://www.reneerouleau.com/