Hey friends! Hard to believe 2021 is about to wrap up and that we’re already headed into 2022. Is it just me, or have these past couple of years felt like a bit of a blur? Crazy times!
As some of you already know, I own 100% of my company and have chosen to remain directly direct-to-consumer instead of selling through other retailers. One reason for this is that I want to be able to oversee the production and distribution of our products to maintain quality control. Another reason is that it makes me feel closer to our amazing customers! I love being able to give you all candid insights. So, without further ado, a recap of 2021 (and a sneak peek into 2022).
2021—Where We’ve Been
Renée Rouleau Skin Care Celebrates 25 Years of Business
This past August, my team and I kicked off the celebration of Renée Rouleau Skin Care’s 25th anniversary with another great annual sale. Twenty-five years in business—I literally can hardly believe it! It’s difficult to put into words how much this milestone means to me. I am truly grateful.
In 1996, I took a chance and moved to Texas where I didn’t know a single soul. I opened my first spa and started developing my skincare line, along with my proprietary 9 Skin Types. It was scary starting a business in a new place, but looking back on the friends I’ve made, the wonderful clients I’ve met, and the memories I now cherish, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
My team put together this amazing video to show the history of our company and how I got where I am today.
Continuing to Expand Our Company’s Philanthropic Branch
Giving back has always been important to me, and there was a lot of need in our community after “Icepocalypse 2021.” For those who don’t know, Texas was hit with record-low temperatures that left many without water or electricity for weeks. During the cold front, there was an urgent need to get people warm and fed. Afterward, many faced expensive home repairs thanks to burst pipes and flooding.
Renée Rouleau Skin Care made donations during and after the storm in an effort to help our community get back on its feet. Donations were made to Casa Marianella, Austin Area Urban League, Central Texas Food Bank, and Austin EMS Relief. In addition, I personally made donations to a few families in my East Austin community who were particularly affected by the storm and needed help with very costly home repairs.
In addition to disaster relief, we proudly continued our philanthropic outreach with Tankproof, an organization that teaches underserved children who have limited or no access to a pool how to swim.
We also donated to Asian Americans Advancing Justice in response to the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes.
Finally, I’m so proud to say that we partnered with Beauty Changes Lives to launch the Renée Rouleau Esthetics Scholarship! Two esthetics students were awarded $2,500 each toward their education. The first round of applications is closed, but keep an eye on our Instagram for round two to be announced!
Completing Our Third Successful “Flovember”
After Florian—my late husband and our former COO—beat prostate cancer, he and I started something called the “Burpee Challenge.” We did this as part of Movember to raise awareness for men’s health. Our entire team started training for the burpee challenge at the beginning of November, and at the end, we had a friendly competition to see how many we could do. For each burpee completed, the company donated a dollar to the Movember Foundation.
After Florian passed away from bile duct cancer five years later, I decided to keep the tradition going and rename it “Flovember” in his honor. COVID forced us to adapt, so instead of doing burpees together everyone on our team chose a way in which to challenge themselves for the month of November. Some walked a certain distance each day, some chose to eat healthier, and I personally decided to work on stretching regularly to keep my muscles and joints strong. I’m so proud of everyone pushing themselves to be just a little healthier! I know Florian is very proud.
Continuing to Grow Our Team
I’m so grateful for my amazing team, and I’m even more grateful that we’re in a position to continue to hire amazing employees who help us become an even better company! This past year we were fortunate to welcome three new team members:
- Kaylee, in-house videographer
- Kaitlyn, content editor
- Lexi, in-house esthetician and customer service rep
We’re now at 17 employees, and I love having a small team because it means we all get to know each other and collaborate.
Renée Rouleau Joins TikTok
That’s right, we’re finally on TikTok! In fact, the very first TikTok I filmed debuted on the jumbotron in Times Square—a real pinch-me moment. They say if you can make it in New York, you can make it anywhere!
Continuing to Have Award-Winning Products in Our Line
I created each product in my line to solve certain problems and help people achieve skin that makes them feel confident. When I see reviews or get messages from customers telling me how much our products have changed their skin, I remember why I do what I do and feel truly grateful. To have those products recognized with an award is just the cherry on top!
Here are some of the awards I’m proud to say Renée Rouleau Skin Care won this year:
- Mint Renewal Cleanser (Shape Beauty Awards; best cleanser for a deep clean)
- Moisture Infusion Toner (Women’s Magazine Best of Skincare Awards; best for mature skin)
- Rapid Response Maskne Spray (Popsugar Acne Beauty Awards)
- AHA/BHA Blemish Control Cleanser (InStyle Best Beauty Buys)
- Rapid Response Detox Masque (NewBeauty; best mask for acne-prone skin)
- Post-Breakout Fading Gel (Cosmopolitan Holy Grail Acne Awards)
- Anti Bump Solution (Real Simple 2021 Smart Beauty Awards)
Putting Out 44 New Blog Posts
I’ve always been about education, so my blog is very near and dear to me. I never want to just sell products to people, I also want to share what I’ve learned so they can better understand how to care for their skin. I think this is so important, especially considering how many options there are when it comes to skincare these days. It’s all about being a more informed consumer!
To get you started, here were the five most popular posts I published this year:
- How to treat and prevent tech neck
- How to use a high-frequency device to zap a blemish fast
- How to get your armpits smooth and summer-ready
- The best age to start using retinol
- What you need to know before washing your face with bar soap
I Was Invited to the Marie Claire Power Trip
The Marie Claire Power Trip is an all-female networking event that’s held once a year, and I was honored to be invited this year. I got to meet so many amazing women including CEOs, executives, founders, and celebrities. It was two days of honest conversation and inspiring speakers that left me feeling re-energized and very excited for what’s to come.
Our Warehouse Kept Things Running With 99.9% Accuracy
Anyone who’s ordered a package in the past year knows things have been…rocky, to say the least. Our warehouse team worked closely with our carriers to keep things running smoothly and continued to delight our customers with unparalleled speed and accuracy when it came to shipping their orders.
We Launched a New SKU—the Barrier Restoring Kit
After the success of our Rapid Response Detox Kit for breakout control, I wanted to put together a kit for those who experience dryness, redness, or irritation, especially during these winter months. The Barrier Restoring Kit includes three products that give deep hydration and build up your skin’s natural moisture barrier.
2022—Where We’re Going
New Products in the Works
Product development is one of the most exciting parts of my job, and I can’t wait to share everything we’ll be working on in 2022! For now though, here’s a sneak peek.
Right now, I have two products in the final stages of consumer testing and packaging design, and they’ll be launching in 2022. One is a brand new type of cleanser, and the other is a gentle polishing scrub that includes a small amount of exfoliating acids.
In addition, we’ll be reformulating two of our existing products. Like most businesses, we encountered supply chain issues this past year. We’re making some changes based on this and since I’m always looking for ways to improve, I thought this transitional period would be a good chance to re-evaluate and see if we wanted to update any of our formulas. After weighing all the options, I decided both Total Eye Repair Creme and Triple Berry Smoothing Peel could benefit from a little “facelift.” As many of you know, our triple berry peel has unfortunately been out of stock for a while now because our supplier no longer had access to one of the key ingredients. We’ve been working hard to get it back for you, and you can look forward to a new and improved formula in 2022.
Launched Text Messaging
It hasn’t officially been announced yet, but we now offer exclusive content via text message! We’ll be ramping this program up throughout the year, but you’ll want to be sure to sign up to receive helpful skin tips directly from me. You’ll also be the first to hear about new product launches and sales.
To sign up, text GLOW to +1 (866) 848-0284.
Subscriptions Launching Soon
You asked, and we listened. We’ll be launching a subscription program on our site this year. This means it’ll be even easier to restock your favorite products before you run out, plus you’ll save a little money!
So that’s some of the things going on with me and my company. I want to thank each and every one of you for another great year. I love being able to share these updates with you and appreciate you being along for the ride. Cheers to what was, what is, and what will be!
Celebrity Esthetician & Skincare Expert
As an esthetician trained in cosmetic chemistry, Renée Rouleau has spent 30 years researching skin, educating her audience, and building an award-winning line of products. Her hands-on experience as an esthetician and trusted skin care expert has created a real-world solution — products that are formulated for nine different types of skin so your face will get exactly what it needs to look and feel its best. Trusted by celebrities, editors, bloggers, and skincare obsessives around the globe, her vast real-world knowledge and constant research are why Marie Claire calls her “the most passionate skin practitioner we know.”
Comments:
Hi Renée, it will be a great help to have something like quad pay! It will be so helpful for my budget 🙂
Posted By: Fabi |