Mary Who? (or, How I Finally Got Clear, Healthy Skin)

Acne.  Blackheads. Scarring.  Dark spots.  Oily T-Zone.  After years of shame, I had to finally admit it: I had bad skin.

It was weird, because in high school, my skin looked great.  Sure, I’d popped a few zits here and there.  But for the most part, my skin stayed pretty clear.  Then I went to college in the South, with the humidity and four actual seasons, and this California girl’s face exploded.  My forehead was covered in painful pimples, my nose riddled with visible blackheads, and my cheeks and chin covered in dark blotches, reminders of all the blemishes I’d popped and picked.

I searched frantically for an explanation for these embarrassing breakouts.  I must have had an allergic reaction to something in my shampoo, so changed it.  Oh, my bangs were touching my forehead, so I grew them out.  I switched to a satin pillowcase, because I heard cotton was bad for your skin.  I drank more water.  I cut out soda and greasy foods (though, admittedly, by just a little).  I tried every acne product from the beauty aisle in the drugstore.  I saw dermatologists.  I got prescriptions.  I ordered the stuff from the infomercial. It seemed that every thing I tried would work for about 4-6 months, but then I’d break out again, each time worse than before.  As much as I knew looks shouldn’t matter, it really bothered me to have bad skin.  And I was all out of ideas.

Then one day I met a friend for lunch, and I noticed her previously pimple-ridden face was clear and smooth.  I grabbed her arm dramatically and asked what she used on her skin, and she said matter-of-factly, “Mary Kay!”

Mary… who?

For those of you who are as unfamiliar with Mary Kay as I was, here’s the company in a nutshell: Mary Kay, Inc. was founded in 1963 by Mary Kay Ash, and it is one of the largest direct sellers of quality skin care and color cosmetics in the world.

But I had never heard of it, so I looked at my friend as if she had two heads.  With a casual waves of her hand she explains that it’s “skin care stuff” and I should really try it because it worked for her.  In fact, she was having a Mary Kay party and she wanted to invite me, but she wasn’t sure I’d be open to trying something new.

Open?  Girl, please.  I didn’t care what it was called, I just wanted clear skin like hers.  So I went to her party and tried the skin care stuff.  I loved it immediately, but I didn’t buy any.  Why?  Well, I didn’t want to be “that girl”, you know, the one who spends hours in the mirror in the morning primping and preening.  I wanted clear skin to come as easy to me as the other women in my family, the “soap and water set” as I called them, but I also wanted clear skin.  A few days after the party, I called the consultant up and ordered a TimeWise Miracle Set.

After using the 4-step system for a few weeks, I started to notice slight improvements in my skin.  My pimples dried up.  My dark spots began to fade.  Two months in, friends and family started commenting about how much my skin had improved.  I was flattered… and astounded.  How could something I’d never heard of that isn’t in a fancy store that some perky lady at a friend’s house sold me really be any good?

After a year using the skin care products, my skin had been clear for many months, it looked younger, and was as smooth as silk.  I figured, if I like it, maybe some other people will like it, too.  I was a 3rd grade teacher with way more month than money, and I saw an opportunity to make some extra cash.   In March of 2003, I became a Skin Care and Beauty Consultant with Mary Kay, Inc. with a goal to sell it part-time while I finished my MS in Educational Administration.

In my many years with the company, I’ve learned that there are five essential steps that should be part of any skin care regimen: 1. Cleanse, to remove dirt, make-up, excess oil, and other impurities; 2. Exfoliate, to remove dead surface cells that can make your skin look dull; 3. Freshen, to tone the skin and refine pores; 4. Moisturize, to hydrate for soft, smooth skin; and 5. Protect, to shield the skin from sun and environmental damage.  TimeWise Miracle Set delivers all that, plus it helps smooth, firm, soften, energize, and rebuild your skin, and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.  It comes in two formulas: one for Normal/Dry skin and one for Oily/Combination skin.

I know you are probably thinking, “I don’t have time to do all that!”  No need to worry, you get all 11 of those benefits in 4 simple steps.  It literally takes me less than 2 minutes in the morning and 2 in the evening to wash my face.  The 3-n-1 Cleanser cleanses, exfoliates, and freshens (steps 1, 2, and 3) all in one step.   I like to keep my cleanser in the shower to save time in the mornings.  (For those of you who like the lathery feeling of a bar soap on your skin, you might want to try the TimeWise Cleansing Bar.)

The next steps are the Day Solution and the Night Solution.  You would alternate the two products, using the Day Solution during the day, and the Night Solution at night.   The Day Solution, your protect step, has SPF 25 to protect the skin from UVA rays (which age the skin) and UVB rays (which burn the skin).  I believe everyone, no matter what their skin tone, should use some type of sun protection on their face because it is one of the most exposed areas on your body.  The Night Solution is filled with botanicals and peptides to deliver antioxidants to help renew the skin.

The last step is to add moisture to the skin.  (Side note: If you have oily skin like mine, you might be wary of using moisturizer.  I know I used to skip it altogether.  Neglecting to properly hydrate your oily skin can cause even more breakouts, because in the absence of proper moisture, the skin will work to produce more oil.  Our moisturizers add water moisture, not oil, to the skin.) The TimeWise Age-Fighting Moisturizer also hydrates the skin for up to 10 hours, plus it has powerful antioxidants to guard against free radicals.

If you’re looking for quality products that can help keep your skin clear while fighting the visible signs of aging, I’d suggest trying the TimeWise Miracle Set.  It is part of a premium collection for age-fighting products that can help keep your skin looking clear, healthy, and young.  I’m happy to send out samples, and if you order from my website, shipping to the 50 states is always free.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be here to help you understand which skin supplements do what, and how they can help improve your skin.  I’ll also be offering tips on how to choose the right foundation, as well as introducing simple make-up tips for different occasions.  Tell me, what things about your skin would you like to improve?  What kinds of skin care and/or make-up products would you like learn more about?  Let me know in the comments.