Career diaries: the famous cosmetologist Rene Roulo

The first time I met René Roulot, she gave me the best facial of my life, complete with some extracts, her signature. Triple Berry Smoothing Peel and another soothing mask that made me look like a green-faced alien (in the best way). I also left with a skin type diagnosis, which if you've tried the Renée product line before, you know it's very important. Instead of your traditional classifications of skin types (oily, dry, sensitive, etc.), she developed her own system that works wonders for both celebrities and regular people who have serious skin problems (cystic acne, off). She is a professional beautician for Demi Lovato, Bella Thorne, Emmy Rossum and many more.

Ahead, learn more about Rulo's skin types, how she got into skincare, and what products skincare newbies should choose, stat.

How did you get started in skin care?

For the first time I got acquainted with the beauty industry as a very young girl. My grandmother was a hairdresser and owned a Powder Puff Beauty Shoppe. It was truly inspiring to grow up watching my grandmother, a single mom-turned-entrepreneur, run a business that makes others feel good and look good. It had a profound effect on me and helped me on my path in the beauty industry.

At what point did you realize that you wanted to start your own business? Did you encounter any difficulties in this process?

I worked in a salon and got close to one of my colleagues who was a beautician about 13 years older than me; she was my mentor. When I first started in the skincare industry, my mentor had long wanted to start her own business, but she had two small children so she didn't want to do it alone. She took a chance and asked me to be her business partner. She saw how enthusiastic and passionate I am about skin care, how I always help others and that I have a business savvy. When I was 21, we opened a skincare salon together and ran it successfully for five years until I sold my half of the business. I moved to Dallas and started my own company. I'm sure I would have ended up starting my own business if she hadn't asked me, but she pulled me into a loop at a young age. She and I are still great friends and I am very grateful to have had a mentor as well as a great business partner. As for the challenges I faced in the process, I think the advantage of starting a business at 21 is that you are fearless. Any obstacle that came in my way, I calculated and continued to move forward. It didn't necessarily have to be any major challenge other than just trying to learn both the business and skin care so that I could continually learn and grow in the industry.

Can you give us some insight into your skin type guide?

When I first became a beautician, I quickly realized that the standard types of dry, normal, and oily skin that I learned about didn't work. Fitzpatrick's famous skin classification system, which breaks down skin into different skin types, provided some insight but did not target the specific problems people experience with their skin. When I created my skin care line, I realized that one size or those three sizes don't fit all and I wanted to provide personalized and personalized skin care. About seven years after I became a beautician, I realized that there are nine types of skin. I have worked with thousands of clients over the years as a beautician and can match just about every one of these nine skin types. Ultimately, people are really into the skin types I provided. You can see the skin type quiz I created. here. People appreciate being able to identify with this process and find a skin type regimen that suits all of their skin's needs because dry, normal or oily only recognizes how much or how little oil your skin is producing. This is an important factor, but it does not address other skin problems you may have such as aging, brown spots, acne, sensitivity, etc.  

If you only had to recommend one of your skin care products, which would it be?

I will most likely choose my Rapid Response Detox Mask because it can be used on many skin types. At some point, everyone faces clogged pores and stubborn breakouts that show up from time to time. The Rapid Response Detox Mask provides a complete skin reset. This is especially helpful after an airplane flight as it can disrupt the skin's ecosystem.

Can you share your daily skincare and makeup routine? 

My morning routine and evening routine have similar steps. I start by cleansing, using toner, serum, and then moisturizer. In the morning I use a cleansing gel, and in the evening I usually use cleansing lotions, because they remove makeup better. I always use toner to remove tap water residue and also to moisturize my skin. During the day I use my vitamin C serum and at night mine Vitamin C&E treatment. I alternate nights between a retinol serum, a peptide serum, and an acidic exfoliating serum, followed by a moisturizer and an eye cream. 

I treat my skin with masks and peels about once a week. You can read more on my blog » Renee's 10 Skin Care Rules She Follows." Not a day goes by that my skin doesn't have makeup on. I think of makeup as skincare because it provides extra protection from the sun. You can find titanium dioxide in many facial cosmetics and this ingredient is also used in sunscreens. On days when I'm not in the office or out in public, I still put some mineral powder or something on my skin to protect it. If I'm not dating anyone, I usually just put makeup on my face and that's it. However, if I'm going to meet people, I always wear eyeliner, mascara, some cream eyeshadow, foundation, blush, and a light lip gloss or lipstick. After all, I live in the south and makeup is a big part of our culture.

What advice would you give to aspiring women entrepreneurs?

We are all wired in a certain way. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses. It is very important to seek advice about your weaknesses. I believe that people should spend time making their strengths even stronger, but not waste time trying to improve their weaknesses. Look for the best people you know to make recommendations in areas where you are not so strong.

What is a typical day for you? 

A typical day for me is to do what I love with the people I love. I work in the office three days a week, so while I'm there, I usually have a lot of meetings, talk to every person on my team, check on them. My meetings are about our product development, operations, inventory, problem solving, communication with my marketing team, new blog posts I'm working on, etc. Then two days a week I work from home and then here I have spent a lot of time writing content for my blog and continuing to research skin. 

If you weren't a beautician, what would you be doing?

I would probably be in PR or marketing. I am the best promoter and love to share my passions by shouting from the rooftops.

What's next for you?

Although we are a fast growing company, I am much more focused on building a great company than a big company. This means hiring amazing talent and developing them. My goal is to be recognized as one of the best companies or places to work; it would be a great honor to receive such recognition. On top of that, I continue to hire more and delegate more so that I can be exclusively in the visionary chair of our company and continue to lead the brand on the path I envisioned.