Skin Care Ingredient Glossary

Ingredients Explained

Learn more with these
skin care definitions.

Understanding Your Ingredients

Every Mary Kay^®skin care product is the result of innovative technology combined with proven-effective ingredients. That’s why you can trust the products you use to deliver the real results you want. But understanding the specific benefits each ingredient provides can be confusing. Here’s a helpful glossary of ingredients in some of our favorite products.

“Every ingredient in a product serves a purpose, and we carefully select the ingredients that go into our products to ensure that they are safe.”

– David Gan, Mary Kay Senior Principal Scientist

ACTIVATED CHARCOAL

Activated charcoal can act like a magnet to withdraw dirt and debris from pores.

Clear Proof^® Deep-Cleansing Charcoal Mask

BIO-CELLULOSE MASK TECHNOLOGY

Bio-cellulose is a plant-based material derived from coconut water. Its interlocking fibers create a highly absorbent “fabric”, allowing the mask to be generously infused with a complex of beneficial ingredients for the skin.

TimeWise Repair^®Lifting Bio-Cellulose Mask

BOTANICAL EXTRACTS

Botanical extracts are derived from plants, flowers or fruits that are rich in elements like vitamins and minerals that are good for your skin. Dragon fruit contains fatty acids and several B-complex vitamins, including the often-called “anti-stress vitamin” B1 (thiamin), plus B2 (riboflavin) and B3 (niacin). It’s also full of minerals like iron, calcium and phosphorus. Aloe vera is shown to help maintain the skin’s moisture barrier and has a high vitamin E content, a popular antioxidant in skin care. It’s also shown to promote healthy skin and cell turnover.

Botanical Effects^®

GLYCOLIC ACID

A highly effective exfoliant and the most widely recognized alpha hydroxy acid (AHA), the power of glycolic acid enhances skin’s own renewal process.

TimeWise Repair^® Revealing Radiance^® Facial Peel

HYALURONIC ACID

Hyaluronic acid (HA) occurs naturally in the skin, but its amount decreases with age. HA provides essential cushioning, holding onto moisture that can actually plump skin from within.

TimeWise Repair^® Volu-Fill^® Deep Wrinkle Filler

PEPTIDES

Peptides help support natural processes important for keeping skin looking healthy and youthful.

TimeWise^® products
TimeWise Repair^® products

PLANT STEM CELLS

Plant stem cells, which come from a very specific portion of a plant, have the remarkable ability to make other plant stem cells while maintaining their original form. Utilizing advanced technology, plant stem cells are cultivated and used in skin care formulas to deliver advanced age-fighting benefits.

TimeWise Repair^® Volu-Firm^® Set

RETINOL

Retinol is an age-fighting superstar, known to encourage cell turnover and renewal. It’s also known to support collagen and elastin that can help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

Mary Kay Clinical Solutions™ Retinol 0.5 Set
Mary Kay Clinical Solutions™ Retinol 0.5
TimeWise Repair^® Volu-Firm^® Night Treatment With Retinol
TimeWise Repair^® Volu-Fill^® Deep Wrinkle Filler

SALICYLIC ACID

Salicylic acid acts like an exfoliant to promote the easy removal of dead skin cells, helping keep pores unclogged.

ClearProof^® Pore-Purifying Serum
Clear Proof^® Clarifying Cleansing Gel
Clear Proof^® Blemish Control Toner

SHEA BUTTER

Extracted from the nut of the African Shea tree, shea butter has been used for centuries to protect, enrich, soften and hydrate skin. Shea butter is also known to contain omega-3s, recognized to help maintain skin's natural moisture barrier.

Satin Hands^® Pampering Sets
Satin Lips^®Set
Satin Body^®Collection

SUNSCREEN

Two types of ultraviolet radiation, UVA and UVB, damage the skin and can lead to premature skin aging. Broad spectrum sunscreens help protect from both UVA and UVB damage.

TimeWise^®Age Minimize 3D^® Day Cream SPF 30 Broad Spectrum Sunscreen**
TimeWise Repair^® Volu-Firm^® Day Cream Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 30*

Mary Kay^® Exclusives

Age Minimize 3D^® Complex

Age-Defying Peptide
Supports skin’s natural collagen and elastin* for a more youthful, resilient look

Encapsulated Resveratrol
Provides triple antioxidant benefits, plus helps promote more even-looking skin tone* and supports skin’s natural collagen.*

Vitamin B3
A well-known brightening superpower that works double-duty as an antioxidant

Volu-Firm^® Complex

A Biomimetic Peptide
Helps support skin’s natural processes* to help improve the appearance of sagging and wrinkles.

A Skin Volume-Supporting Peptide
Helps maintain natural hyaluronic acid,* a vital component of skin that plays a role in helping maintain youthful-looking volume and lift.

Plant Stem Cells
Derived from gotu kola to help support the natural framework of the skin.*