Ever wondered how brands can get away with claiming their products do something they can’t?
The devil’s in the details. Take Mary Kay Timewise Repair Volu-Firm Lifting Serum, for example. It proudly boasts “to firm and lift the look of sagging skin while giving it a tighter appearance.”
You’d be forgiven for thinking it can firm your skin. That’s what THEY want YOU to think. But nope, what they’re really saying is that the serum will make your skin LOOK like it’s firmer.
That’s a huge difference, my smart friend.
Lesson learned: beware of claims with words like “look” and “appearance.” More often than not, they’re there to fool you.
So, how does Mary Kay Timewise Repair Volu-Firm Lifting Serum tricks you into thinking your skin is lifted?
- What’s In Mary Kay Timewise Repair Volu-Firm Lifting Serum?
- Texture
- Fragrance
- How To Use It
- Performance & Personal Opinion
- Who Is This For?
- Who Is This NOT For?
- Packaging
- Does Mary Kay Timewise Repair Volu-Firm Lifting Serum Live Up To Its Claims?
- Price & Availability
- Do You Need It?
- Dupes & Alternatives
What’s In Mary Kay Timewise Repair Volu-Firm Lifting Serum?
SILICONES TO FILL IN WRINKLES
I don’t hate on silicones.
For one, they don’t suffocate skin. They have a particular molecular structure with wide holes between each molecule, creating a protective barrier that still allows skin to perspire.
Plus, they do a lot of jobs: they make the serum easier to spread, give your skin a silky soft feel and fill in fine lines and wrinkles so they look smaller.
But they can’t lift, reduce wrinkles or anything of the sort. They don’t make your skin younger. They make it look younger.
That’s why I don’t mind silicones in serums with retinol, vitamin C and all that good antiaging stuff. But when a serum is high in silicones and low on antiaging goodies? Not a fan.
Related: Are Silicones Bad For Skin?
STEM CELLS TO… REJUVENATE SKIN?
Stem cells are really cool. They’re mother cells that can turn into any type of cell of the organism they belong too. They can then reproduce more of those cells.
An example? An apple stem cell can turn into an apple leaf or the branch of an apple tree. A human stem cell can turn into a liver or a kindney.
But an apple (or centella asiatica, in this case) stem cell can’t turn into human skin and erase your wrinkles, like skincare brands want you to think. This is science fiction.
That doesn’t mean they’re totally useless. Stem cells are antioxidants. Simple as that. Together with the other antioxidants in here (green tea and vitamin E, to name a few), they help prevent premature wrinkles.
That’s ok and all but you don’t want to pay extra for a glorified antioxidant.
Related: Why Stem Cells In Skincare Don’t Work
TRIPEPTIDE-1 TO FIRM SKIN
Tripeptide-1 is the most exciting ingredient here. It’s a signal peptide that works with copper in your skin.
Collagen is the protein that keeps skin firm so it makes sense that using copper peptides can keep your skin firm. Keep’s the key word here: once your skin has sagged, there’s not much this peptide can do for you.
What it can do is make your skin heal faster, make its texture softer and smoother and prevent further damage.
Related: Are Copper Peptides A Good Alternative To Retinoids?
IRRITANTS TO MAKE IT SMELL GOOD
My other problem with Mary Kay Timewise Repair Volu-Firm Lifting Serum? It’s loaded with irritants.
Menthol, lavender, citrus extracts... That’s all stuff that smells good but… it’s also irritating.
Let’s be clear: this serum didn’t irritate my skin. But then, almost nothing does. My skin is resistant like that.
But if you experience any tingling while you use it, stop. That’s not a sign the serum’s working. It’s a cue it’s irritating your skin.
Related: 7 Natural Ingredients That Can Irritate Skin
Struggling to put together a skincare routine that minimises wrinkles, prevents premature aging, and gives your complexion a youthful glow? Download your FREE “Best Anti-Aging Skincare Routine” to get started (it features product recommendations + right application order):
Texture
Mary Kay Timewise Repair Volu-Firm Lifting Serum has a thick texture that spreads easily on the skin without suffocating or leaving a greasy residue behind.
Fragrance
Technically, it’s fragrance-free. But it has plant extracts that give it a subtle, bright herbal scent.
How To Use It
Morning and/or night, after cleansing.
SHOP MY FAVE ANTIAGING PRODUCTS
Performance & Personal Opinion
Straight after applying Mary Kay Timewise Repair Volu-Firm Lifting Serum, my skin’s softer and smoother.
The fine lines around my eyes look less noticeable too (thanks, silicones!). Instead, I didn’t notice any improvement in the firmness of my skin.
I’m not sure what else to say. This serum left me kinda meh. I guess it’s good if you only want to mask the signs of aging. But I demand more from my serums than that.
Who Is This For?
Someone looking for a quick fix for their wrinkles.
Who Is This NOT For?
- If you want something that reducing wrinkles (not just their appearance), this isn’t for you.
- Sensitive skin.
Packaging
A greyish lilac tube with a pump applicator. Sleek and practical.
Does Mary Kay Timewise Repair Volu-Firm Lifting Serum Live Up To Its Claims?
| CLAIM | TRUE? |
|---|---|
| The next generation of advanced age-defying skin care is here: TimeWise Repair® Volu-Firm® Advanced Lifting Serum, our most precise and powerful serum ever. | A bunch of nonsense that means nothing. It may be their most powerful serum, but how good were the others? |
| Suitable for sensitive skin. | Nope, it has too many irritants. |
| Precise, because of its innovative, targeted defense of your triangle of youth. | Triangle of youth? Can you speak English please? Brands use jargon like this when they know their product isn’t as impressive as they claim. |
| Powerful, because of the unique ingredient synergy designed to enhance the serums visible lifting benefits. | Emphasis on “visible lifting benefits”. It’s their way of saying the serum makes skin look firmer, not makes it firmer. There’s a big difference here. |
Price & Availability
£58.00 at Mary Kay
Do You Need It?
Not really.
Dupes & Alternatives
- Rodial Pink Diamond Instant Lifting Serum (£250.00)
Ingredients
Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Polysilicone-11, Silica, HDI/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Pentylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Myciaria Cauliflora Pulp, Secale Cereale (Rye) Seed Extract, Centella Asiatica Meristem Cell Culture, Pisum Sativum (Pea) Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Alteromonas Ferment Filtrate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Prunus Persica (Peach) Fruit Extract, Tocopherol, Tripeptide-1, Sorbitol, Butylene Glycol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, Polysorbate 40, Menthyl Lactate, Rose Extract, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Aniba Rosaeodora (Rosewood) Wood Extract, Jasminum Officinale (Jasmine) Extract, Fucus Vesiculosus Extract, Passiflora Incarnata Fruit Extract, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Fruit Extract, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Leaf Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract, Santalum Album (Sandalwood) Wood Extract, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Extract, Cananga Odorata Flower Extract, Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Fruit Extract, Coriandrum Sativum (Coriander) Seed Extract, Cupressus Sempervirens Seed Extract, Cucumis Melo Cantalupensis Fruit Extract, Sodium Chloride, Cyclohexasiloxane, Disodium EDTA, Spilanthes Acmella Flower Extract, Triethanolamine, Dihydroxy Methylchromone, Sodium Citrate, Xanthan Gum, Tetradecyl Aminobutyroylvalylaminobutyric Urea Trifluoroacetate, Maltodextrin, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Alcohol , Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Chlorphenesin, Mica, Tin Oxide, Titanium Dioxide
I wish I was wrong, but nothing defeats sagging, right? Even with good genes and good skincare, it’s doomed to happen sooner or later… I worry with my neck eventually sagging far too much, lol! If only these so-called miracles worked, or at least some sort of exercises worked in favor of keeping the muscles on point ha!
Mariana, I wish you were wrong too… Some skincare ingredients like collagen peptides and retinol can boost collagen production so your skin sags more slowly than it naturally would. But they can’t stop sagging completely and once that happens, skincare alone isn’t effective anymore. You need to look into cosmetic procedures, if that’s something you’re comfortable with.
I love this Mary Kay lifting serum! It does help to activate collagen, and when you have more collagen…guess what? you have lifting of sagging skin! It works, but it works better when you use the whole regimen, because they work together synergistically! After using for a couple months I saw a friend who swears I had “something done”, I hadn’t seen him for a year! When I told him it was Mary Kay, he bought it himself! I and friends I’ve told have been using it for a couple of years now since it came out, and we all look better than ever! I am 61, and get mistaken for under 50 all the time! Wont live without it!
Curvy Kate, that’s wonderful! So glad it’s working so well for you.