We've never known more about skincare, so why is everyone's barrier wrecked?
Isabelle Villeneuve has spent 36 years developing skincare from inside the lab. She's currently VP of Strategy, Quality and Innovation at Crescita Therapeutics, and has led innovation for Laboratoire Dr Renaud, Proderm and Aquafolia, plus served as R&D Director for Valeant Pharmaceuticals International's Center of Excellence in Skin Care.
Her verdict on modern routines is blunt: yes, we are damaging our skin, more often than we think. Not because actives are bad, but because we've forgotten the skin has a tolerance threshold, its own repair mechanisms, and its own intelligence.
In this episode she breaks down why a 20% vitamin C isn't automatically better than a 10%, why that squeaky-clean feeling after cleansing is a red flag, what the skin microbiome actually is (and why 200 grams of it lives on you right now), and what exosomes and NAD+ can — and can't — realistically do. She also gives the four non-negotiables of any routine, and three questions that will tell you exactly which products to keep and which to bin.
If you've been layering ten actives hoping for faster results, this one is going to rearrange your bathroom shelf.
🎙️ Guests:
Isabelle Villeneuve: https://www.linkedin.com/in/isabelle-villeneuve-a141525/
💻 Book a virtual consultation with Boutique Skin Envie: https://bskinenvie.ca/
🛍️ Use code SKINTALKS15 for 15% off your first order
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Hosts:
Beate Instagram → @beatevonhuene
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Our Website:
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00:00 Intro
02:19 46 years in a lab: what everyone gets wrong
07:08 "Yes, we are damaging our skin"
09:34 Why 20% vitamin C isn't better than 10%
10:54 When your routine IS the problem
17:31 Your microbiome and the squeaky-clean trap
26:23 What your skin already knows how to do
37:51 Exosomes and NAD+: hype vs. real science
51:27 The 4 non-negotiables + the 3-question shelf test
58:06 Rapid fire: the habit she wants you to quit
