Mary&May | Less is More - The Secret to Clean Beauty
Mary&May has been around in various capacities since the 2010s, floating as an experimental idea by its CEO Kyutae Cho. He was looking into creating a cosmetic brand that heralded health and simplicity, with formulas that created good effects with very minimal flaws or irritation. This experiment went live as a global skincare brand in 2020.
This minimalism starts with each of their products individually, with focus on a single core ingredient that contributes to skin health. Compared to other skincare brands which have undergone rapid changes or revision, Mary&May had a clear vision from the onset and majority of their products have been successful. Their best quality is the ease in which products slip into a routine, creating hydration and radiance without interrupting or interacting with other products.
Starting With Serums
Mary&May started their skincare line with core serums to test the concept of their original vision. If the original serum sold well, they created supportive products (i.e. face masks, moisturizers, cleansers) to give individuals more options to try. The original Mary&May serums are still iconic, typically cater to a single skincare concern and have a minimalist ingredient list to provide pure benefit.
Houttuynia Cordata + Tea Tree
One of Mary&May’s most successful skincare lines – this gentle and light serum provides a nourishing boost to acne care and balance to oily skin. With 85% heartleaf extract, 10% tea tree and a few background stabilizers – this serum only contains two active ingredients, delivering the pure benefits of both in a watery, fast-absorbing serum. Expanding this success, Mary&May released the Heartleaf Calming Mask, the Cleansing Foam, AHA PHA toner and moisturizer.
Each formula is delicately designed to deliver the benefits of Heartleaf and Tea tree, with minimal interruption or complex molecules – to ensure safety for sensitive and acne-prone skin. The stand-out product of this line, however, is still their soothing serum. Great for any skincare routine, it helps provide light moisture and calm red spots.
Idebenone + Blackberry
Although the heartleaf line was the first to take off, the blackberry line is iconic. This line is perfect for mature and slightly dry skin, where you’re looking to enhance brightness and restore moisture. Their luscious serum was the first in the line, enriched with antioxidant-rich blackberry extract, restoring idebenone and background notes of blueberry and acai. Rich, gentle and brightening – this serum kicked off their famous skincare line including their indulgent face mask pack, wash-off pack, whisper-soft moisturizer and creamy toner.
The best product in this line is their deeply plumping Idebenone + Blackberry Complex Intensive Total Care Cream. With 63% blackberry extract blended with 5 different ceramides, panthenol, niacinamide and healing adenosine – this luscious cream is perfect for dry skin and fine lines for a deep, gentle moisture.
Collagen + Peptide
Starting with their famous Marine Collagen serum, infused with 95% low molecular weight collagen and refreshing hyaluronic acid – this line is designed to boost fine lines and moisture with the power of various weights of collagen and peptides. This rich level of collagen provides a refreshing and hydrating formula for firmer, shining skin. Expanded, this line includes their White Collagen Cleanser, Face Mask pack and moisturizing Collagen Lotion.
The top product in this skincare line is their nourishing Collagen Booster Lotion, infused with both hydrolyzed and soluble collagen, Hexapeptide-8 to smooth facial muscles for reduced fine lines. With background notes of adenosines and vitamin E, this light lotion provides smoother and firmer skin.
Best K-Beauty Products by Mary&May
Over the years, Mary&May has released products outside their main line – which were carefully formulated for a tailored purpose. These products have been outstanding sellers and long-term favourites in South Korea.
Tranexamic Acid + Glutathione Eye Cream
This deeply brightening eye cream is one of the best products by Mary&May and genuinely their top selling. The combination of TXA and glutathione helps dramatically reduce dark circles in the under-eye and is enriched with a variety of moisturizing agents, niacinamide and hippophae rhamnoides. This brightening eye cream is perfect to reduce dull or dark eyes.
Retinol 0.1% Bakuchiol Cica Serum
The newest serum in Mary&May’s line, this enriching serum infuses 0.1% retinol with bakuchiol and a triple peptide complex to refine fine lines. Not only that, it’s balanced with centella asciatica and plant-based PDRN to cool irritation and moisturize. This serum is perfect for any fine lines, suitable for sensitive skin and free from common allergens.
Calendula Peptide Ageless Sleeping Mask
Ever dreamed of drifting off to sleep with a face mask infused with flower petals and rich antioxidants? That dream is reality with this famous Calendula-infused face mask that cools irritation, infuses peptides to smooth fine lines and delivers lasting hydration all in a lightweight gel mask.
New Releases
It’s been a few years since Mary&May has released new products. They’d created a variety of big hits that they were happily supplying to the world and had been sitting watching for some time. But now, they’ve burst onto the scene with two new fine line boosting creams.
Spicule Retinol PDRN Cream
Inspired by the new technologies around both spicules and PDRN, Mary&May has combined both into a cream with liposome-encased retinol for deep, deep absorption. Balanced with panthenol, hyaluronic acid and ceramides; this cream provides an immediate boost to fine lines and enhances natural radiance. It has spicules you can feel but provides a deep boost (especially in areas of fine lines).
Collagen 1000 PDRN Cream
If PDRN+retinol wasn’t enough, they’ve also released a spicule cream that allows the absorption of French marine collagen deep into the dermis. For immediate firming and lifting of skin, this cream enhances natural glow and vanishes fine lines in a few uses.
Both of these new creams are a departure from Mary&May’s traditional “Less is More”, but we’re waiting on new releases to see if this is a turning point for the company. If you’ve come to love the simplicity and genuine activity of Mary&May’s original formulas, these new creams may not be as exciting for you. They’ve held to their clean beauty promise – but with over 50 ingredients in each cream, they can’t claim the same minimalist identity. Purists may be worried about what this means for their beloved Mary&May – but we’re here for the journey.
Skincare values grow and change over the years and we’ve seen an unprecedented level of growth in Korean beauty. But, regardless, all of Mary&May’s old formulas are still here (with some beautiful and shiny new packaging) for enjoyable, sensitive and minimalist care.
All these products and more are available on Arktastic! Bringing you exciting, new formulas and skincare lines directly from South Korea. Check us out!
Excited to learn more about skincare history? Check out the story of Cosrx and how they began. Or check out our review of Tocobo and their Cica-infused sunstick.
