11:21 AM CST on Thursday, February 23, 2006

ABC's Dancing with the Stars continues to inspire the dancer in all of us. In fact, it's inspired a very important event in North Texas this weekend. Day of Dance for Heart Health, hosted by Methodist Health System in Dallas, takes place Saturday Feb. 25, and is aimed at educating women about becoming heart healthy. Cardiologist Dr. Roberto Wayhs and some of the performers offered a preview. Call 214-947-0000 for more information.

Most of us are still haunted by the images we saw when Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast. Many photographers who covered the event will never forget their experiences in the field. We talked this morning with Melanie Burford and Michael Ainsworth, two Dallas Morning News photographers who have contributed to a new book: Eyes of the Storm: Hurricanes Katrina and Rita: The Story in Pictures of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita (Taylor Trade Publishing, ISBN 1589793595). You can meet Burford, Ainsworth and other Dallas Morning News photographers tonight, Thursday Feb. 23, for a special panel discussion about the book and a book signing. The event takes place at The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth beginning at 6:30 pm. Reservations are required; call 817-840-2154 for more information.

Cold, damp air outside; dry, heated air inside. Winter can be rough all skin types. Some of the most common skin care complaints include losing that glow, redness, and stubborn breakouts. Skin care expert Renee Rouleau offered some tips on how to face problem skin.

What can I do about my cystic acne? Those hard, sore, underground bumps that seem to linger forever?
Most often this type of breakout is found on the chin, neck and jaw line area, and is related to too much dairy in your diet. Your skin acts as an excretory system and since dairy is very difficult for the body to digest, what cannot be digested comes out in the form of hard bumps in the lower area of the face. Try cutting back on ice cream, yogurt, milk and cheese and watch your skin clear up! For fast relief, try Renee Rouleau Anti-Cyst Treatment. It’s a miracle for dissolving the bacteria that’s deep within the skin for a quicker recovery.

My skin looks dull and it no longer has a glow. What can I do?
As we age, everything tends to slow down in the body, including blood circulation. The result can be sluggish, dull skin. You want to incorporate products containing vaso dilators. This includes ingredients such as peppermint and ginseng which work to give the skin a pick-me-up! When applied topically to the skin, these ingredients work to dilate the blood vessels, therefore, allowing the skin to accommodate more nutrient-rich blood. With continued use, you can get skin that glows! Also, avoid cigarettes, caffeine and alcohol, which can impair circulation. When applying your moisturizer, massage into the skin using firm circular motions to help increase blood flow. Try Renee Rouleau Ginseng Mineral Toner. It will get your skin glowing in no time!

I travel a lot for business and am constantly on airplanes. My skin gets so dry, what can I do?
The cabins of airplanes have extremely low humidity, which take a huge toll on your skin. The worst thing you can do is spray those misters on the skin. Why? Because since the air is so dry, it looks for water wherever it can get it. And since water attracts water, when you mist the skin it grabs all the water from the deep layers in the skin and gets evaporated into the dry air! The result is even drier skin. Your best bet is the application of a rich oil-based moisturizer prior to flight to act as a protective sealant to retain the water in your skin. After the flight, treat your skin to a moisturizing mask. Try Renee Rouleau Blue Azulene Gel Mask.

I have constant breakout and clogged pores. Help!
The first thing you need to do is identify the area on your face that you break out most often. As a general rule, chin and jaw line breakout indicate too much dairy in your diet. Breakouts around the mouth can mean you are eating too many berries; blueberries, strawberries, raspberries etc... Flare-ups on the cheeks and along the cheekbones indicate too much citrus; grapefruit, tomatoes (sauces, salsas), oranges or orange juice. The forehead area can breakout as a result of too much sugar, caffeine and an ingredient in hair conditioner called Panthenol. (It is a Vitamin B-5 which can do wonders for your hair, but can cause acne along the hairline and back.) Avoid bar soaps or drying acne washes and alcohol-based toners. These drying agents create excessive dry skin cell buildup which will trap and clog oil in the pores leading to more breakouts! Increase your exfoliation with mild AHA's or gentle scrubs which will free up the bacteria clogged in the pores reducing breakout. Or Renee Rouleau Purity Peel (in-salon service) or Tea Tree Blemish Lotion (home care product) which helps to disinfect while keeping the surface of the skin hydrated and balanced. Also, try drinking hot lemon water first thing in the morning to flush out bacteria in the small intestine-where acne is formed.

What causes the redness on my face and how can I minimize it?
The redness is caused from an over circulation of the blood, resulting in visible dilated capillaries close to the surface of the skin. This is genetic, but is made more prominent by sun exposure, spicy foods, extreme temperatures, caffeine, cigarettes, hot showers and alcohol. Taking Vitamin C supplements with Bioflavonoid is helpful and topical use of chamomile-based products will help to constrict blood vessels resulting in less redness. But do you think you are making your skin more sensitive? A lot of people are on glycolic overload. This is when they use acids in every product that touches their skin. All of this exfoliation will strip the skin leaving it more vulnerable to sensitivity. Also, avoid the use of harsh facial scrubs containing natural grains such as almond and apricot bits which can lacerate the skin and lead to excessive redness. Try gentle scrubs like Renee Rouleau Refining Beads. Look for products that are not only for sensitive skin, but ones that help to soothe on contact and rebuild the skins lipid barrier. Try Renee Rouleau Anti-Redness Treatment and Phytolipid Comfort Cream. Or when in Plano, come in for a Correcting Treatment. We have technology that will remove dilated capillaries.

I have discoloration and brown spots, what can I do to fade them?
Starting at the age of 30, these brown spots that come from age, pregnancy, hormonal changes in the body, and genetics will slowly start to show up on the skin. And if untreated, these “spots” or “patches” tend to become more apparent and darker as the skin ages. Not to worry, if you start addressing this skin problem now, with the right skin care routine and a little patience, you’ll be on your way to lighter, more even-toned skin.

What your skin needs:

Studies show by combining exfoliation, skin lighteners and daily use of an SPF, the pigmented cells will slowly start break down and fade their color. Exfoliation is beneficial for breaking up the pigmented cells while a skin lightening agent like Vitamin C or Hydroquinone will suppress the melanin cells and accelerate the fading process. For those with discoloration, it will always come back if ignored, so it’s important to be ready to commit to proper care for keeping it under control.

I’m in my 40’s and am experiencing clogged pores, break outs AND wrinkles? What can I do?
Wrinkles and breakouts? When an adult person is breaking out, they automatically turn to harsh acne products to help with their breakout, but an adult skin also needs to cater to their skin that is showing the signs of aging. There is a way to address both the breakout problems as well as keeping the skin nourished and healthy with anti-aging ingredients. Renée Rouleau can help take the confusion out of your confused skin.

What your skin needs:

Exfoliation and hydration. By aggressively exfoliating your skin (using both chemical and physical exfoliators) you will be helping to untrap the clogged pores underneath the dry skin cell build up while also helping to stimulate new, healthy and fresher skin cells to the surface of the skin. To hydrate the skin, use lightweight, non-pore clogging products to plump up the skin cells giving your skin a smoother, softer appearance.

For more information about the services and products offered at the Renee Rouleau Skin Care Salon in Plano, call 972-378-6655.