Not long ago, I got the opportunity to test out the new natural skin care line by Mary Kay, suitably called “Naturally” and provided to us as part of our HC sponsorship. I had no previous knowledge of the brand or what the line was about until I had the products in my hands and did a quick Google search. It turns out, Mary Kay is an established, reputable makeup/ skin care brand that has been here for more than 50 years and has worked hard for the empire it has today. Their mission is to “enrich the lives of women and their families around the world”. Upon further research, I saw that the company isn’t cruelty free, so if that’s an issue, unfortunately, this line isn’t for you. The company tests on animals where it is required by law, and they do sell in China, where the law is practiced, so that means they test on animals, sadly.
The line is free of parabens, phthalates, synthetic fragrances, synthetic dyes and sls/sles making it perfect for sensitive skin. From firsthand experience I can tell you how annoying having sensitive skin really is. It makes me fearful of trying any new products because if I use anything remotely new, harsh or strongly scented, my skin will do this cute thing where it enters a sort of panic mode in which it goes red and decides to break out. How fun! All sarcasm aside, it’s really hard to find products that work with my skin and this line delivers exactly that. As I review this collection, I’ll mention the products in it (in order of application), prices, and how they worked so you can decide if it’s worth it and if you want to invest in it since the prices are a little high.
The first product in this 4-product collection is the face cleanser . At $26.00 for 4.5 oz, it stands as the cheapest product in the collection. On the website, it claims it “helps remove dirt to leave skin feeling refreshed, hydrated and comforted. After use, skin looks healthy and feels nourished and soothed” and let me tell you, it does! I don’t know if my mind is playing tricks on me, but I’ve seen significant improvement in the softness of my skin and it always feels really nice after every wash; for a change, because all the face cleansers I’ve used in the past stripped my skin from all nutrients and left my skin dry and taught, which creates wrinkles. Not to mention, the dryness makes your skin produce more oil to try to balance itself out.. not a cute look. I can assure you that this is the best face cleanser I’ve had the chance to try and I’m loving it. The price is high, specially for us college students, but you must consider that this is a higher quality product that actually works, and it’s made with non-genetically modified ingredients. This is definitely a cleanser I don’t want to run out of. It’s amazing!
The second product is the exfoliating powder, and yes, you read that right; exfoliating powder. I had never heard about this type of product until now. All I’ve ever used were exfoliating masks, exfoliating scrubs and even exfoliating soap bars, but never a powder. The powder claims to exfoliate and leave skin feeling smooth without over scrubbing. To make it work, you have to mix some of the powder with water and then apply like any other facial scrub. It also suggests you add a few drops of the oil in this collection for added softness. This product costs $34.00 for 2.64 oz, but again, it does what it claims to do and it’s full of natural ingredients. As far as scrubs go, I think this one is pretty standard for its price and I enjoyed it, but unless I have the money, I’ll be sticking to my usual scrubs.
The third product in the line is the most expensive. Costing $48.00 for 1 fl oz, comes their nourishing facial oil. It hurts me to say that I love this oil because I don’t have the budget for it, but seeing as you only need 2-3 drops per use, it’ll last a really long time. The oil claims to hydrate skin and leave it feeling “revitalized” and it does, but my favorite part? It makes my face smell like almonds! It smells so nice. The cleanser and the powder don’t have any added fragrance, so they just smell like packaging and, well, nothing really, but this oil smells delicious and my face absorbs every drop. After use, my face felt soft and looked a lot plumper; it doesn’t say it’s antiaging or helps with any acne scars or dark spots, which is what I tend to look for in facial oils and serums, but it does have Vitamin E in it, which helps to repair your skin. There’s just something about this oil that I love and highly recommend if the price fits your budget.
Last but certainly not least, the collection has a moisturizing stick with a price tag of $28.00. At only .38 oz, it’s a very little product for almost thirty dollars. The product has a faint honey smell because it has beeswax , and feels a little weird and heavy to apply, but that quickly goes away after rubbing the product unto your skin. The website suggests you use the stick to target any specific dry spots on your face; I usually apply it on my chin and the sides of my nose, where my skin tends to be dryer. It’s a good moisturizer, but it doesn’t do any special tricks. It’s a regular moisturizer, in the shape of a stick. It’s not my favorite, but it does moisturize, and the natural ingredients make me feel good about what I’m applying to my face.
In the end, the whole collection comes to about $136.00. Is that price worth it? I hate to admit it, but yes. I adore the collection, the packaging is cute and minimalistic, the colors are calming, and the ingredients just make everything worth it. As someone who tries to fuel their body with clean ingredients, this line just fits my lifestyle and that’s what it all comes down to. Whether it fits your lifestyle or not, this line caters to my sensitive skin and my need to put in (and on) my body naturally derived products, not heavy synthetic products that’ll create more damage in the long run. The price is a little up there and after I run out of everything, I’ll have to pause this routine and go back to my cheaper alternatives, but I do see myself coming back and purchasing the collection again. If you have the money, I encourage you to try this line; if not, I still encourage you to have some sort of skin care routine as this will be the key to aging gracefully. We’re young now, which means this is the time to slow down the aging process. Once we’re there, it’s harder to come back.
All prices and descriptions are taken from the official Mary Kay online website: https://www.marykay.com/en-us