The Esthetician's Take on Clean Beauty
Renee Rouleau has been in the beauty business for 30 years and thinks clean beauty is here to stay. "I have seen many trends come and stay or come and go throughout these years. Vitamin C and exfoliating acids were trends when they began and are both now a mainstay," she said. "I can confidently say that soon, we won't be attaching the word 'trend' when referring to clean beauty, which is a great thing. All skincare products should be focussed on safety — both for the body and for the skin."
Rouleau defines "clean beauty" as the avoidance of ingredients that studies have declared harmful. "Clean beauty could also mean avoiding synthetic ingredients that are added for the sake of vanity, like an artificial dye or perfume to make it look or smell a certain way," she said.
If anyone knows about product formulation, it's Rouleau. She's been concocting different formulas for her namesake beauty brand for 20 years. "I would consider myself a clean brand, based on my personal definition of offering a line of solution-focussed products based on nine skin types that tap into the best of what nature offers, yet the best of science," she said. Rouleau explained that she doesn't use mineral oil, petrolatum, synthetic fragrances, synthetic perfumes, or sulfates based on her own research.
She also relies on her team of chemists to help her determine whether an ingredient is safe. "They are experts on ingredients and their related studies, and if new studies become available on either cosmetic ingredients' safety or performance that we're considering using and/or currently use, they promptly inform us," Rouleau said. "Furthermore, I study ingredients closely and make this part of my continuing education and take cosmetic chemistry courses at UCLA to stay up-to-date on the latest advancements and findings."