As an Expert Esthetician for nearly four decades, I believe the best way to get results is being part of my clients’ journey, both with hands-on professional treatments and a focused skincare routine for their skin type (what I like to call an “Action Plan”) to continue the results at home.
I’m kicking off a new series called “How I Did This,” where I am spotlighting a client who had tried it all, but was only left confused with no real results. She had a fire that nobody had helped her put out…until she put her skin in my hands.
Hormonal hyperpigmentation is one of the most challenging concerns to treat, so let’s dive into how I achieved these incredible results for her.
Meet Natalie!
Natalie first came to see me in 2013 (we worked out at the same gym), after multiple pregnancies left her with years of hyperpigmentation including blotchy brown patches (also known as “melasma”) all over her face. By the time she sat down in my treatment chair, she was exhausted and honestly, defeated.
Assessing Natalie’s Skin
I start each consultation with what I call “fingertip forensics.” I’ve always thought of myself as a detective. Through touching, feeling, and asking her many questions, I’m determined to get to the bottom of it.
Her pigmentation was deep. Her skin barrier was dry and compromised. And her skin looked dull, feeling like she had lost her glow. She had gotten a few facials and light peels here and there, but still wasn’t seeing any results.
The Action Plan for Natalie: “Put the Fire Out”
What I know about hyperpigmentation is that the more aggressive you are with treating it, sometimes it only keeps pigment cells awake. It’s like the more you do to control it, the worse it can get. These pigment cells are very active and sensitive to heat, aggression, and any kind of trauma. So the approach I always use is to “put the fire out.”
The goal was to get the skin barrier in a really healthy state so we could be a bit “aggressive” with our treatments, since that is what’s needed to remove the stubborn pigment. Once I could feel her barrier rebuilding, we introduced brightening actives very carefully.
At home, as a skin type #6, her job was to follow the Action Plan I created for her with a focus on keeping things calm, staying consistent, and of course wearing vitamin C, sunscreen, and foundation makeup every single day. This puts her skin on “lockdown” to prevent UV rays from disrupting our progress.
What I Did in the Treatment Room (2013)
As I mentioned, Natalie came to me back in 2013. So keep in mind these are the tools and techniques that were available at the time. We’ll get into how I would treat her if she came to see me today, but let’s start with her exact treatment back then.
Every two weeks we used a 20% salicylic acid skin peel, followed by Bio Brasion (a modern form of microdermabrasion for physical exfoliation), ending with a leave-on vitamin A/retinol peeling cream.
This accomplished three things:
- The acid peel dissolved and digested surface pigment cells (gentle but powerful enough to avoid inflammation or burning).
- The physical exfoliation of the Bio Brasion worked to give a lifting action to help pull off some of those stained cells.
- Finishing with a leave-on retinol cream would give her skin shedding/peeling for the next 2-3 days.
Results from the Bio Brasion Treatment will vary for each client because every person’s skin is different. While Natalie has had exceptional results, there is no guarantee that your skin will respond in the same way with the exact same treatments she had.
What I Had Natalie Do at Home
She followed the exact plan for skin type #6.
IN THE MORNING: Cleansing your skin in the morning, along with using additional treatments, is essential to get glowing and healthy-looking skin.
Step 1: Cleanse with Mint Renewal Cleanser
Step 2: Energy Boosting Toner
Step 3: Vitamin C&E Treatment
Step 4: Apply Weightless Protection SPF 30 generously to both the face and neck (as two separate applications)
IN THE EVENING: It’s important to wash your face and apply a lightweight lotion at night to remove a day’s worth of oil, dirt, and makeup. This will prepare your skin for optimal repair while you sleep.
Step 1: Vitamin-Infused Cleansing Emulsion directly to dry skin.
Step 2: Energy Boosting Toner
Step 3: Serum (she alternated between Advanced Resurfacing Serum, Pore + Wrinkle Perfecting Serum, and Firm + Repair Overnight Serum)
Step 4: Hydraboost Rescue Creme
Step 5: Hydrabounce Firming Eye Creme
I also had Natalie follow my signature at-home facial, which she did twice a week.
- Triple Berry Smoothing Peel (rinse)
- Triple Berry Smoothing Scrub (rinse)
- A soothing gel mask (which is no longer in the line, remember: this was back in 2013!)
This treatment mimicked what we were doing in the treatment room.
How I Would Treat Her Today in 2026
While my approach hasn’t changed much, the tools absolutely have. So if Natalie walked into my treatment room today, here’s what I would do.
I’d still build her plan around the same core professional treatments:
- Chemical peels
- Bio Brasion
- Vitamin A/retinol peeling cream
But I’d also add in dermaplaning, alternating with Bio Brasion. This is something I didn’t use back then, and it makes such a difference. Similar to Bio Brasion, this helps physically lift off the pigment cells after dissolving them.
Laser treatments could also be a viable option, but we got such incredible results without them that they weren’t necessary. Not only are they expensive, they’re not suitable for all skin tones. Especially deeper skin tones.
Now For The At-Home Action Plan (2026)
Since seeing Natalie back in 2013, I’ve developed more advanced formulas for targeting hyperpigmentation to work alongside the same core products in the Skin Type #6 Action Plan.
If I were guiding Natalie today, her routine would also include:
- HyperFix Fading Toner: Helps visibly fade discoloration without damaging the delicate skin barrier.
- Bright Now Oil Serum: Gives a beautiful instant glow and targets pigmentation at the source to reduce the look of discoloration over time.
I actually put both of these formulas in my new Dark Spot fade Hyperpigmentation Toolkit to accelerate and enhance results. So if you’re someone who has melasma or discoloration, at the very least you should get your hands on this.
What I Want You to Take From This
If you’re dealing with hyperpigmentation, here’s the deal. You don’t need the most aggressive treatments. You don’t need lasers. And you definitely don’t need to feel stuck or alone.
What actually works is following an at-home Action Plan for your skin type along with professional treatments from an esthetician or licensed skincare provider. Natalie’s results prove that this worked even 13 years ago. And today we just have better tools to make the process that much smoother, and faster.
And if you only take one thing away, let it be this: fading hyperpigmentation takes time, but putting your skin in the hands of someone who knows how to support you is the most important step towards seeing results.
Find a Renée Rouleau PRO Partner near you at
https://www.reneerouleau.com/pages/customer-care-where-to-buy
Celebrity Esthetician & Skincare Expert
As an esthetician trained in cosmetic chemistry, Renée Rouleau has spent 35 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.”
