My Top Ten Mary Kay Skincare Products

You might wonder whether Mary Kay products are really worth it. Maybe all you know about the company is that the top people drive pink Cadillacs! That was the extent of my knowledge until my daughter became a Mary Kay Consultant. As part of her training she needed "faces" to practice on, and of course mine was kind of available! I wasn't at all interested in buying any of the products when she started. I don't think of myself as a person who spends much time on skincare and make up. But when I tried them I changed my mind! I'd been using the cheapo stuff from the local supermarket or drugstore, or whatever anyone gave me as a gift. Not the best way to choose what's right for your skin!

I soon found that Mary Kay products are really not very expensive, especially since most of them last for months, almost a year even, with normal usage. So I stocked up on a whole collection. 

After 5 years of using the products I became a Mary Kay consultant myself. Now I'm excited to be able to take good care of my skin all year round with all my old favorites and a chance to try any new products that I fancy. You can read more about how and why I became a Mary Kay consultant in the following article.

The Cleanser does the job of removing impurities and preparing the skin for the next step. It does all the cleansing, exfoliating, and freshening of your skin in one step. Mary Kay is all about being practical in how you take care of yourself - save time by combining several steps! It is part of the age-fighting collection, and being of that age when skin starts to look old even if I'm not really that old of course, I can relate to the concept! But for younger skin, like my daughter's, it's really great too. No reason to deny younger skin all the goodies it will really need in the future when it can start benefiting right away. I can say this products works for me. No harsh chemicals that cause allergic reactions, though I do avoid getting it in my eyes of course. And it definitely leaves the face with a good clean feel afterwards!

The Moisturizer really is the best moisturizer I've ever used! Since I have that awful combination skin - dry on the cheeks so it gets horribly tight if I don't put lotion on it after it gets wet, and greasy on the nose and around the edge - I have trouble finding good moisturizers. Too greasy and my nose feels like its dripping oil; too light and my cheeks feel like they're about to crack.This Mary Kay moisturizer, also part of the age-fighting collection, is perfect. I hate to feel a heavy moisturizer on my face so I love the smooth light feel of this one. I just put it on and my face feels happy all day!

The Day Cream provides and extra layer of protection for your nicely cleansed and moisturized skin. And it contains an SPF 30 sunscreen so it provides broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection. 

The Night Cream is the other half of the Day and Night Cream pair. Together they give your face that youthful unwrinkled and hydrated look. The night cream prepares your skin for the stressors of the next day with a boost of bedtime antioxidants. I love a product that works while I'm sleeping!  

Step 1 is called refine. It's a really really gritty exfoliator! Like rubbing fine sand on your face - doesn't hurt though, just a bit tingly! But make sure you wash it all off. There's nothing worse than finding the crystals making their way down to your mouth later. I use it in the shower and get a good rinse that way. The point of this exfoliation is to really get down to the lower layer of skin, getting rid of the dried dead cells and exposing healthy new skin for the next step.

Step 2 is the pore minimizer. This nourishing serum instantly helps calm and comfort skin, reducing the appearance of redness and soothe delicate skin. Perfect to follow the refine exfoliator, pore minimizer works immediately to reduce the appearance of those nice clean pores. And the results get better over time - your skin never looked so good!

The Satin Lips set consists of a Mask and a Balm.

The mask is used first to remove the dry, dead skin from the outer layer of the lips. Without doing this, the balm cannot penetrate sufficiently to provide a lasting effect. That's one reason all those Chapsticks need many applications every day! When you apply the Satin Lips mask it feels gritty and rather strange since lips are sensitive. But if you do it in the shower together with the cleanser it feels pretty good and washes off easily!

Applying the balm feels really good, like the lips are really soft. And the best part is they don't dry out for hours! I usually apply the Satin Lips Balm in the morning and I'm set for the day. That's a miracle!

First, is the Hand Softener, a really thick goopy cream, that you apply all over the hands. Just remember not to have any jewelry on when you do this!

Next, comes the deliciously scented (or fragrance free) Hand Scrub. This comes in a pump dispenser, called "convenient" but actually the top of mine is hard to turn. And it's impossible once that Softener is on, so I have to remember to twist the top to unlock it before putting that on! The scrub is really gritty and you just rub it all over your hands. Then, you wash it off and your hands feel oh so smooth.

The final step is to apply the Hand Lotion. This also smells of gently of white tea and citrus, so the delicious aroma lasts. The full Satin Hands treatment is necessary only once or twice a week, but I also use the Hand Lotion on its own on a daily basis to keep my hands soft and hydrated.