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The first time I tried Mary Kay was when I was working as a sales representative for a knife company. I was 18, and I was showing these products to a woman who lived next door to one of my friends. She wasn’t interested in what I was showing her, but she noticed that my face was breaking out really bad (I had a big zit in the middle of my forehead and my cheek, how embarrassing!) That’s when she showed me one of Mary Kay’s lines, and I decided to try it out. I kid you not: my acne cleared up within three days.
Flash-forward to two years later, and my acne is still gone for the most part, and people compliment my skin routinely. I know that Mary Kay has a LOT of products; make-up and skincare being their biggest sellers. When I heard about Mary Kay Naturally, it was the first line that forayed into using natural products. Especially since sustainability is a big thing, and everyone wants the best product that’s friendly to the environment, I was intrigued and decided to try it out, and compare it to the product that I use now.
Now, Mary Kay Clear-Proof is the product I use. I have really oily skin, and it was so bad that the zits I had on my face were border-line painful. But these four products in the Clear-Proof line really brought down my acne. The Clarifying Cleansing Gel is really smooth on my face. The Blemish Control Toner is when I realized that toner was a thing. It helps remove dead clogged pores. The acne treatment gel is a cream that didn’t feel creamy that I would apply to the spots where I break out the most (my cheeks and forehead). Then I would finish with the oil-free moisturizer. I was not used to having something that wasn’t creamy on my face, but I really liked it. It just felt like it was blended into my face. The formula works so well, it actually dried out my face at one point, so I currently use it once a day or every other day.
As far as the Mary Kay Naturally, the first thing that I noticed was that the formula was designed for normal to dry skin. The difference between oily and dry skin is the amount of oil being produced on your face. In my case, there’s an overabundance of oil being produced by the sebaceous glands, so salicylic acid and water-based products is needed to control it. On the other hand, dry skin doesn’t produce enough oil, so oil-based products are needed to enhance it. I was a little disappointed, because adding oil to my face doesn’t really help me. But I tried it anyway.
The Purifying Cleanser was smooth and creamy on my face. I added a couple of drops of the Nourishing Oil to the Exfoliating Powder and added them to my damp face. Personally, I think it’s because it’s not made for my skin type, but I didn’t care for it. However, the Moisturizing Stick is an AMAZING Chapstick/lip balm. It’s a great lip balm, but you can use it for any dry part of your skin.
For the most part, for my acne-prone skin, I’ll stick to my Acne-Proof. BUUUUT if you have Normal/Dry skin, and want something more natural, I would genuinely recommend Mary Kay Naturally. Seriously, go on the website and read the reviews. People love it.