OUR TOP SKINCARE PICKS
Rank Brand Link
1 Carrot & Stick Review
2 Formulyst Review
3 Skinceuticals Review
- Mary Kay
Tiffany Blue. Coca-Cola Red. Hermès orange. A few brands are closely associated with one color and in the cosmetics world, Mary Kay has cornered the market on pink.
This iconic brand has been around since 1963, the year that Mary Kay Ash launched the company with just nine products — five skin care items and four makeup products. What set her strategy apart was that she also launched with nine independent beauty consultants to help spread the word about the brand.
Today, Mary Kay has an estimated 3.5 million independent beauty consultants in more than 35 markets worldwide, and global annual sales are estimated at $4 billion. Mary Kay is one of the pioneers of direct sales cosmetics, which is also the sales model for Rodan + Fields and Beautycounter.
Due to the nature of multi-level marketing (MLM) companies, it’s important to really evaluate both the product formulations and Mary Kay reviews from real customers. And that’s exactly what we’ll cover in this review, so keep scrolling to read all the details on the Mary Kay skin care line.
What Are The Top Mary Kay Skin Care Products?
The Mary Kay skin care collection includes products for a variety of skin concerns, everything from acne to anti-aging to sensitive skin and more. Here’s a breakdown of the top 10 best Mary Kay skin care products.
Mary Kay Timewise Repair Lifting Serum
You might think that the Mary Kay Timewise Repair Lifting Serum can lift sagging skin as the name suggests. However, if you read carefully, you’ll find that the product doesn’t claim to tighten sagging skin, it only claims to give the appearance of tighter skin.
One way this serum creates the appearance of tighter skin is with the high concentrations of silicones in the formula. Silicones give products a silky texture while improving spreadability. They also help to disguise lines and wrinkles by forming a thin invisible film on top of skin. However, this effect is temporary and will disappear once you wash off the product.
While this serum contains a peptide, an ingredient that can help boost your skin’s collagen production, it’s also packed with some unnecessary and potentially irritating ingredients, such as lavender, peppermint, and menthyl lactate.
Bottom Line: Mary Kay Timewise Repair Lifting Serum cannot lift sagging skin, although it may give the appearance of tighter skin due to the high concentrations of silicones in this formula.
BEST ALTERNATIVE: If you are concerned about aging skin and looking for professional grade products that are also clean, Carrot & Stick The Repair Serum. It contains a peptide complex to target multiple signs of aging.
Mary Kay Timewise Repair Day Cream Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 30
The Mary Kay Timewise Repair Day Cream is an oil-free moisturizer that provides broad spectrum SPF 30 thanks to a combination of chemical sunscreen ingredients.
While chemical sunscreen ingredients won’t leave a white cast, we don’t recommend these types of sunscreens due to
research that has shown they absorb through the skin and into the bloodstream. It’s still unclear if these chemicals are linked to health conditions, but it’s known that they do enter the body. In our opinion, mineral sunscreens are a safer choice.
We’re glad to see that the product contains decent amounts of some skin-loving ingredients like antioxidants, peptides, and other barrier-repairing ingredients. However, the claims made by Mary Kay about their Volu-Firm complex continue to remain dubious due to the lack of proper research about the ingredient’s efficacy in tightening sagging skin.
Bottom Line: Mary Kay Timewise Repair Day Cream combines antioxidants, peptides, and barrier-repairing ingredients with chemical sunscreen ingredients, but keep in mind that these ingredients are absorbed into the body.
ALTERNATIVES: Carrot & Stick The Moisturizer. It’s overflowing with potent plant proteins, vitamins, peptides and amino-collagen.
Mary Kay Timewise Repair Night Treatment With Retinol
At first, the Timewise Repair Night Treatment with Retinol had us pleasantly surprised. Unlike most retinol products, this product is not likely to cause skin dryness. Packed with antioxidants, peptides, and soothing plant extracts, this lush and emollient cream feels great on the skin and provides an ample amount of moisture.
We’re also happy to see that the product is packaged in an airless jar in order to ensure the stability of the ingredients, which is especially important for retinol.
As for the anti-aging benefits of retinol, you can expect to see fewer lines and wrinkles, a more even skin tone, increased firmness, and less noticeable pores.
However, we can’t help but notice the presence of cinnamon bark extract, a potential skin irritant. Additionally, this product relies on Mary Kay’s Volu-Firm technology, which is not backed by appropriate research to support the brand’s claims.
Bottom Line: Mary Kay Timewise Repair Night Treatment With Retinol has a rich, creamy texture and provides several anti-aging benefits thanks to retinol, antioxidants, and peptides, although the presence of cinnamon bark extract could cause irritation.
The only downside of retinol is that it can often lead to side effects like skin dryness, peeling, and irritation.
Use retinol at night. We recommend Carrot & Stick The Retinol Serum. This formula contains a next-generation retinol complex and potent antioxidants to help reduce visible signs of aging.
Mary Kay Timewise Repair Eye Renewal Cream
The brand claims that the Mary Kay Timewise Repair Eye Renewal Cream can reduce the appearance of deep lines and wrinkles. However, the ingredients in this eye cream aren’t much different from a regular moisturizer.
The majority of the formula consists of the humectant glycerin, petrolatum (aka Vaseline), and mineral oil. The combination of these ingredients creates a thick, creamy texture that will likely feel very soothing to those with dry skin around the eyes.
Giving credit where it’s due, Mary Kay does a good job with the packing of this product. The opaque tube ensures that light and air-sensitive ingredients remain stable.
Bottom Line: Mary Kay Timewise Repair Eye Renewal Cream is a basic moisturizer that will help to soften and soothe skin around the eyes, but the formula lacks anti-aging ingredients with proven benefits.
BEST ALTERNATIVES: If you are concerned about aging around the eyes including bags, one product we recommend is Carrot & Stick The Eye Cream.
Mary Kay Botanical Effects Moisturizing Gel
This oil-free moisturizing gel has a lightweight texture that glides onto skin effortlessly and helps skin instantly feel more hydrated. That’s because there’s plenty of moisture-binding ingredients in the formula, such as glycerin and aloe vera.
However, it’s important to note that the formula contains its fair share of potentially concerning ingredients, like triethanolamine and iodopropynyl butylcarbamate. These ingredients can cause irritation and lead to acne (despite the product being branded as non comedogenic).
Additionally, Mary Kay Botanical Effects Moisturizing Gel contains quite a few fragrance ingredients, which could lead to skin sensitivity.
Bottom Line: Mary Kay Botanical Effects Moisturizing Gel contains hydrating ingredients like aloe vera and glycerin, but there’s quite a few problematic ingredients in this formula.
What Are The Key Ingredients in Mary Kay Skin Care Products?
Most of the ingredients in Mary Kay skin care products are pretty common, for example, the brand uses humectants like glycerin and propylene glycol, silicones like dimethicone and cyclopentasiloxane, and emollients like shea butter and petrolatum.
There also appears to be an emphasis on plant extracts in certain products. For example, we were surprised to find out that the Mary Kay Hydrogel Eye Patches contain over 30 plant extracts.
Unfortunately, quite a few Mary Kay skin care products contain plant extracts that have the potential to cause skin irritation, such as lavender, cinnamon, and peppermint.
While most of the Mary Kay skin care products contain pretty standard ingredients, the brand attempts to create innovative formulations in their Timewise Repair line. Every product in the Timewise Repair collection consists of the patented Volu-Firm Complex.
The Volu-Firm Complex is made of two peptides and two plant extracts. Together, these ingredients are said to improve the appearance of sagging and wrinkles while helping skin maintain the look of youthful firmness, elasticity, and volume.
We recommend taking a look at Carrot & Stick The Repair Serum as it contains 7 peptides that target multiple signs of aging.
The only problem? There’s no independent research to back up these claims. On the brand’s website, you can see that the claims made for these ingredients are based on in-vitro testing, which means the tests were performed in a test tube — not on humans.
How Much Do Mary Kay Skin Care Products Cost?
Mary Kay skin care products are in the mid to high range in terms of cost. For example, Mary Kay Timewise Repair Lifting Serum costs $70 USD for 1 fl oz, while Mary Kay Satin Hands Shea Cream costs just $12 USD for 3 oz.
Where to Buy Mary Kay Skin Care Products?
Mary Kay skin care products can be purchased directly from the company’s website, on third party online retailers like Amazon, or from an independent Mary Kay consultant. We recommend taking a look at the Mary Kay reviews before talking to a consultant because at the end of the day their job is to make a sale.
What is The Mary Kay Return Policy?
The Mary Kay return policy states, “If for any reason you are not completely satisfied with any Mary Kay product purchased from an authorized Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant, it will be replaced without charge, exchanged or the full purchase price refunded following its return to your authorized Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant or, if she is no longer active, to the Company with proof of purchase.”
Is Mary Kay Cruelty Free?
Mary Kay is not cruelty free. While Mary Kay does not conduct animal testing on their products or ingredients, they do test on animals when required to do so by law (such as in China).
Our Top Skincare Picks
Rank Brand Link
1 Carrot & Stick Review
2 Formulyst Review
3 Skinceuticals Review
- Mary Kay
Is Mary Kay Vegan?
Mary Kay may offer some products that are suitable for vegans, but this is not a 100% vegan brand.
Our Verdict
Overall, we think that some Mary Kay skin care products are better than others, and we would recommend avoiding the products with fragrance and other potential irritants.
Pros
- Products contain beneficial ingredients like emollients, antioxidants, peptides, and retinol
- Many positive Mary Kay reviews
Cons
- Mary Kay is not cruelty free
- No independent research to back up the claims about Volu-Firm Complex
- Many products contain fragrance and potential irritants
What Are Some Alternatives to Mary Kay Skin Care Products?
If you’re looking for skincare products to address the signs of aging, we recommend Carrot & Stick. Carrot & Stick maximizes the use of powerful ingredients and minimizes the use of superficial ones, resulting in advanced skincare solutions that help promote healthy, more youthful-looking skin.
Mary Jackson Original review: Jan 29, 2023.
I was a skin care & cosmetic Consultant for Fashion Two-Twenty at the age of 16! That eventually led me to a career with Christian Dior but not before becoming a Mary Kay Consultant.
What I want to know is where that fabulous greasy cold cream is! It was called makeup Remover but I used it for perfect skin (in every way). we are animals. We are designed with one stomach; to eat mears as well as fruits, tubers, and vegetables.
Common Sense: Have you ever seen a tree growing out of your forehead or greens growing out of your lips? NO. And you’re not going to! We are humans & at the very top of the Animal Kingdom. If you want to soften the skin of any animal, what do you use? Grease. Some kinds are better than others. That is how Mary Kay got her start. She asked a Taxi-Dermist how to soften skins. Grease was the answer! I want my perfectly greasy cold cream, in the original pink jar, (the best seller) that liquified on your face within 10 minutes. Then you take what doesn’t sink in off with a warm washcloth….Baby Butt Skin!
Yes. I do look 20 years younger than I am!