THE TWO LUCKY WINNERS OF TODAY’S SCAVENGER HUNT ARE ASHLEY DUTTA AND JESSICA BARNA. CONGRATULATIONS! THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED.

What is Skin Source? It’s my 600+ blog posts that I’ve written throughout the years all compiled on one easy-to-navigate page, and listed by area of concern. From wrinkles to adult acne and chemical peels to skin care myths, I’ve truly covered it all. I’ve heard it called “The WebMD of skin care” by many top beauty editors who refer to it regularly as the go-to source for all things skin.

Where can I find it? You can click here and it can be found on the Tips & Videos page on the top of my website.

If you have already been browsing the many different skin care categories on Skin Source, then good for you! You’ve already got a head start because now we’re holding a scavenger hunt contest giving away our most popular skin care products!

Get ready for the Renée Rouleau Skin Source Scavenger Hunt!…

Here is how to play:

Every day this week with the last day being this Friday, January 20, 2012, you will be eligible to be entered in a daily drawing. To qualify for this drawing, you must answer the questions listed below correctly by submitting your answers via email to Contest@ReneeRouleau.com by 4:00 PM CST. The daily winner and correct answers will be posted at the bottom of this blog post at 5:00 PM CST. The daily winner will not only be announced in the bottom of the blog post but we will also contact the winner via email to get your address to send the product.

TWO lucky winners will receive a bottle of our popular eye cream, Synergy valued at $59.50! Synergy is a high performance eye care treatment to promote younger-looking skin by plumping lines, relaxing wrinkle expressions to instantly smooth and soften. See the collection of Renée Rouleau eye care treatments.

Today’s Questions: (all answers can be found on Skin Source.)

Question #1 Name three different types of blemishes.

Question #2 What’s the next step after cleansing?

Question #3 How many layers of skin do you grow in a lifetime?

Email Contest@ReneeRouleau with the following information. (Only one entry per person)

Full Name:

Your Email Address:

Your Phone Number:

Answer to Question 1:

Answer to Question 2:

Answer to Question 3:

Again, if you have answered the three questions above correctly and have emailed us with your answers and contact information, you will be entered into a drawing. If you are chosen, you will be contacted via email. If you don’t get an email from us saying that you have won, you can still play every day this week! Try again tomorrow.

*Contest open to U.S. residents only.

Thanks for playing day three of our Scavenger Hunt contest!

Sign up here for our skin tip e-newsletter, follow Renée Rouleau on Twitter and like our Facebook page. You’ll be your own skin care expert in no time!

Which products are right for your skin? See our nine skin types and get products recommended.

Introducing our newest product–Soothing Eye Makeup Remover formulated to provide maximum comfort for extremely sensitive and delicate eyes. I’ve been testing this product for months now with our clients in our skin care spas and this formula is a great one, for sure!

WHAT IT IS:
A powerful oil-free, fragrance-free, paraben-free and best of all, sting-free liquid eye makeup remover that is formulated to have a similar pH (7.2) of your own natural tears to prevent irritation and sensitivity.

WHAT IT DOES:
Gently dissolves eyeliner, mascara and shadow and even stubborn eye makeup, while providing soothing relief for sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers.

THE FORMULA:
Uses mild cleansing agents and is fragrance-free, sulfate-free, paraben-free and oil-free…

KEY INGREDIENTS:
Polysorbate 20 (coconut-derived cleansing agent), Cocamidopropyl Betaine (gentle cleansing agent), Benzalkonium Chloride (antimicrobial preservative).

HOW IT FEELS / SMELLS / LOOKS:
Clear, water-like liquid that doesn’t leave any residue. Since it’s fragrance-free, the scent is invisible.

WHY YOU’LL LIKE IT:
Aside from not making your eyes sting, makeup comes off easily, without tugging. Since it’s oil-free, it won’t blur your vision or leave your contact lenses cloudy.

WHAT TO USE WITH IT:
Instead of using bulky, highly-absorbent cotton pads or cotton balls, we suggest using this eye makeup remover with our money-saving Toning Cloths.

WHERE TO BUY IT: Shop here!

Also, check out our popular high-performance eye creams like Synergy, Firming Eye Therapy and Vitamin C Eye Serum.

Read: Does Eye Cream Make Your Eyes Sting?

Read: Glasses or Contacts: What’s Best for Preventing Wrinkles?

For more expert skin advice, check out Skin Source–the A-Z guide on all things skin. Also sign up here for our skin tip e-newsletter, follow Renée Rouleau on Twitter and like our Facebook page. You’ll be your own skin care expert in no time!

Which products are right for your skin? See our nine skin types and get products recommended.

While eye cream can definitely help plump up lines and soften the appearance of wrinkles, if you are using one that is too heavy and has too many oils, it can actually interfere with eye makeup, such as eyeliner and mascara, causing it to run more quickly than normal. Even with using the lightest-weight formulas, this still can occur. So while it is important to keep the area protected, if you do have a problem with makeup running, try avoiding eye cream during the day or using a very lightweight eye cream (or even an eye gel), and making sure to not apply it too close to your bottom eyelashes, as the cream can travel into the makeup areas of your eyes, causing irritation and interference.

Read: Where Exactly Should I Apply Eye Cream?

See the collection of Renée Rouleau eye care treatments.

I personally use eye cream morning and night during the winter, but come summer when the oil in my skin increases, I only use eye cream at night, not so much because of my makeup running, but rather as a person with oily skin, I really like to have the least amount of products on my skin as possible to avoid extra hydration when the air is humid…

Bottom line: Yes, use eye cream both morning and night, but at the very least, use it at night.

Do you use eye cream twice a day? Leave your comments below.

Read: Could Your Eye Cream Actually Be Causing You Wrinkles?

Have a skin care concern? See our Skin Care Tips and Videos for solutions.

It leads me to the conclusion that people associate wrinkles with dryness, as if keeping the skin moist will make them have no lines or wrinkles at all. Unfortunately, this is just not the case.

The skin under the eyes has little to no oil glands, so it really is important to use eye cream (see our Firming Eye Therapy and Synergy Eye Cream) to keep the skin moist. These creams are essential for keeping the eye area plump. But do know that the eye area is not only the thinnest skin of the face, and therefore the most fragile, but also gets a lot of repetitive or continuous movement from squinting and smiling, so this area inevitably will show lines and wrinkles.

The best way to reverse the appearance of lines and wrinkles is Botox (used in moderation), chemical peels and laser procedures.

The best way to prevent the appearance of lines and wrinkles is with daily use of eye cream, sunscreen, sunblock, and sunglasses (to avoid squinting)…

Read: Which Finger is Best for Applying Eye Cream?

So the next time you purchase yet another eye cream in an effort to alleviate the perceived dryness, if it’s not flaking, it might just be the natural aging of your skin.

Read: Are You Exfoliating Around Your Eyes? If Not, You Should Be

Questions about your skin? Be sure to email us. We’re here to assist!

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

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If you were to take a piece of wood and hit it with a hammer, you would make an indentation in the wood. To smooth out the dent, a little sandpaper would make the dent less noticeable. The same rules apply with the skin. Wrinkles and lines are considered indentations in the skin, so by “sanding” down the skin with super exfoliators, the lines and wrinkles will appear less deep, and therefore, less noticeable. It’s truly that simple! Once the skin is exfoliated, you should then focus on giving the skin intensive hydration to fill the cells with moisture and collagen-protecting ingredients so the lines appear plumped up.

How do you safely exfoliate around the eyes?

For those of you who follow my skin care routine, you more than likely are using one of our glycolic acid serums on the face before moisturizing at night. People often avoid around the eye area thinking that it will cause irritation. While of course you want to be careful around the eye area, you want to make sure that you’re only applying the serum in the outer eye area where lines and wrinkles (crow’s feet) are visible. Eye cream (Firming Eye Therapy or Synergy) should always be applied over the glycolic serum to seal it into the skin and provide extra moisture…

Generally, because the skin is thin around the eyes, facial scrubs may be too aggressive for the eye area, but an acid serum can really do the trick at managing the signs of aging around the eyes.

Read: What Are These Bumps on My Skin?

Read: Six Skin Habits You Should Unlearn

Which products are right for you? See our nine skin types and get products recommended.

For expert skin advice, check out Skin Source–the A-Z guide on all things skin. Also sign up here for our skin tip e-newsletter, follow Renée Rouleau on Twitter and like our Facebook page. You’ll be your own skin care expert in no time!

However, I’ve gained some insight into this common occurrence through my own experience. A few years back, I decided to start showering at night before I went to bed in an effort to save some time getting ready in the morning. Shortly after, I started to notice that my morning under eye puffiness (that normally would be gone well before lunch time) wasn’t going away as quickly. Basically, my under eye puffiness was getting worse and I didn’t know why…

Well I soon discovered that the cause of this was that I was no longer showering in the morning, but instead at night. Here’s why.

Taking a shower in the morning offers two benefits for reducing under eye puffiness.

-Heat from the water dilates (relaxes and opens) lymphatic vessels to help assist with drainage of fluids (wastes and toxins) that build up in vessels. When you wash your face in the shower and the water is directly hitting you with force, this helps to stimulate excess fluids to move out of the eye area.

-In addition to the heat helping with the circulation, your vertical position in the shower helps drainage move out of the face area.

Note: Particularly for skin with redness and rosacea, it’s important to not use hot water (use lukewarm) when washing your face, as it can damage your capillaries (long-term) and make matters worse.

Interesting, huh? Needless to say, I do not shower at night anymore!

Read: Do You Have Under Eye Bags?

Read: Can Eating Pickles Cause Under Eye Puffiness?

Read: Yawning Can Cause Under Eye Puffiness
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Watch our skin care tip videos!

Of the five fingers one can use to apply eye cream, the ring finger is the weakest finger so therefore should be the one used.

Where should eye cream be applied?

Eye cream should be applied only to the oribital bone around the eyes. Where is the orbital bone? With clean hands, gently press the skin under the eyes until you find the bone just at the top of the cheek bone. Follow it around the eyes with your fingers so you can actually feel the entire circular bone. This is the area where eye cream is formulated to treat.

How should eye cream be applied?

Eye cream should be applied in gentle patting motions making sure to avoid avoid rubbing and tugging. It’s important to avoid applying eye cream too close to the lash line as the product will actually end up in your eyes, picked up by your eyelashes. Every time you blink the hairs will lift microscopic amounts of product and it can eventually deposit into your eyes.  Anything that enters the eyes can be an obvious irritant and cause unnecessary puffiness…

See the collection of our eye care treatments.

Read: A Simple Trick for Reducing Under Eye Puffiness

Sign up here to receive daily blog posts via email!

New Beauty Magazine: “The Firming Fix: Synergy Eye Cream. Peptides have the ability to signal the skin to produce more collagen, making it an essential in anti-aging skin care. This treatment harnesses its power in an eye-specific solution that claims to tackle puffiness, fine lines, darkness, and decreased elasticity. $59.50 www.ReneeRouleau.com“

Read: Are You Using an Eye Cream? If Not, You Should Be

Lucky Magazine: “Do Facials Cause Breakouts?” Renée recently met with Maura Lynch, Senior Beauty Editor at Lucky Magazine to answer this commonly asked question!  “The short answer: No. The long answer: Facials are not supposed to cause breakouts. If someone is telling you that facials bring all that congestion to the surface and that’s why your face freaks out after a treatment–they’re lying.” Read full answer here.

Read: 10 Reasons to Get a Facial

PinkMemo: “Best Face Forward: The year has been rough on our skin, so, we ran to facial fave Renée Rouleau for a rejuvenating fix. Popular in Europe, her Bio Visage Lifting Facial is like an insta-facelift, minus the under-the-knife part. In fact, it’s just what it’s called–a facial–but the low-level electrical current impulses seem to magically lift skin, tighten, soften wrinkles, and get rid of that ruddy look we seem to achieve from too much sun, secondhand smoke, and, now that winter’s here, too much skin-drying time near the heater. Plus: You’ll see major improvements in your skin after just one facial. Must be magic.” See the feature here.

Click here for before and after pictures of our amazing Bio Visage Lifting Treatment…

Read: Skin Firming Tips for Those in Need of a Lift

Get products recommended for your skin type by choosing one of our nine skin types.

Questions about your skin? Be sure to email us. We’re here to assist!

It’s so important to treat the eye area gently because this is an area where not only the skin is thin but the area is subjected to a lot of wear and tear from smiling, squinting and rubbing of the eyes. This translates into wrinkles and fine lines. Since many people use eye makeup and have to remove it nightly, it’s important to do this gently.

I always suggest using a liquid, oil-free, fragrance-free, no-sting eye makeup remover like our Soothing Eye Makeup Remover as these don’t contain irritants and oils that can seep into the eyes and cause unnecessary under eye puffiness. Apply eye makeup remover to a toning cloth or cotton pad and gently press down on the eye, holding for 20 seconds. This gives your eye make up a chance to dissolve to avoid unnecessary rubbing and touching. Then after 20 seconds in downward motions wipe away eye make up and mascara. Flip over pad or cloth and move in an upward direction to get underneath the top lashes. Voila!

See our best-selling Toning Cloths. They are fuzz-free, economical and will make you never want to go back to cotton balls again!

See our high-performance eye creams like Synergy Eye Cream, Firming Eye Therapy and Vitamin C Eye Serum.

Note: I don’t recommend wearing waterproof mascara on a daily basis (or not when needed) because it makes for a difficult removal–and more rubbing and tugging of the eye area.

Read: Where Exactly Should I Apply Eye Cream?

Read: Could Your Eye Cream Actually Be Causing You Wrinkles?…

Which products are right for you? See our nine skin types and get products recommended.

For expert skin advice, check out Skin Source–the A-Z guide on all things skin. Also sign up here for our skin tip e-newsletter, follow Renée Rouleau on Twitter and like our Facebook page. You’ll be your own skin care expert in no time!

What to do to relieve tight, dry, dehydrated skin?

Most people think they need to over-moisturize, but really the focus needs to be about putting water in the skin not oil, since alcohol depleted only the water.

Also, drinking depletes vitamins out of the skin and body, so it’s important to load topically and internally with antioxidants vitamins.

Here’s a skin recovery treatment to get your skin feeling better in no time.

Step 1: Cleanse the skin with a mild sulfate-free cleanser like Renée Rouleau Gentle Gel Cleanser…

Step 2: Apply an alcohol-free toner like Renée Rouleau Moisture Infusion Toner which contains hydrating Hyaluronic Acid. Make sure to leave it damp on the skin before applying moisturizer to seal in all of the hydrating properties.

Step 3: Apply a few drops of a water-based skin serum like Renée Rouleau Skin Drink to infuse hydrating Sodium PCA and Hyaluronic Acid, and healing Aloe Vera deep within the layers of the skin where water is needed most…

Step 4: Apply a gel-based mask like Azulene Gel Mask to deliver cooling, anti-redness ingredients deep within the skin for the ultimate in skin repair and hydration. Leave on 15 minutes and rinse well. Tip: Leave gel masks in the refrigerator for one hour before using to lower the temperature of the skin to help in the recovery of alcohol-induced skin redness.

Step 5: Apply moisturizer like Renée Rouleau Multi Vitamin Cream to not only deliver water deep into the skin, but time-released antioxidants. Look for moisturizers containing stabilized vitamin C and vitamins A and E to aid in collagen and skin repair.

How can you hydrate your body from the inside?

It’s so important to replace water and antioxidants from the inside to aid in recovering your body.

Eat fruits like strawberries, blueberries and raspberries since they contain a good amount of water that the body can retain. Raw and steamed vegetables like broccoli and green beans not only provide water to the skin and body but also good antioxidants that your body craves. Salmon, avocado and olive oil are also beneficial to the skin’s moisture content.

Which products are right for you? See our nine skin types and get products recommended.

For expert skin advice, check out Skin Source–the A-Z guide on all things skin. Also sign up here for our skin tip e-newsletter, follow Renée Rouleau on Twitter and like our Facebook page. You’ll be your own skin care expert in no time!

Read: Which Skin Care Products Should I Take When I Travel?