“Oil Control Lotion”. What is that?!? Isn’t it a complete oxymoron? How can something moisturize and control oil at the same time? Does. Not. Compute. At least it didn’t before I was introduced to Mary Kay Oil Control Lotion Formula 3. Apparently, I’m just behind the times and Mary Kay is going to show me just how much of a skin care products dinosaur I really am. Bring it on, Mary Kay!

So let’s get the technical stuff out of the way first. Here’s what the bottle says about this product. It’s for oily skin and is ”safe for sensitive skin, 100% fragrance free, clinically tested for skin irritancy and allergy, non-comedogenic”. Well, there you go. Sounds good, even though it doesn’t say what those clinical tests for skin irritancy and allergy revealed. I suppose one is to assume they had good results or they would not be mentioned in such big print on the bottle. The bottle also reveals the secret to a lotion for oily skin – apparently it’s all about “advanced oil-absorbing polymer hydrates”. I have no idea whatsoever what those are. But if you do and are allergic to them, I suspect you were not part of the irritancy and allergy testing and should leave this product with your Mary Kay representative. Even if she offers you a free set of brushes with purchase.

Now, for the rest of us who have either never heard of those polymer hydrates or know we are not allergic to them, how could this stuff possibly work? I have no idea, but I’m telling you, it does. I know, I couldn’t believe it either.

So this is my skincare routine thus far: Neutrogena Anti-Wrinkle Anti-Blemish Face Wash in the morning and Olay Foaming Face Was for Sensitive Skin at night. Those two products take care of most of my combination skincare needs, but because I live in a place where they actually close the schools because it’s too cold for the children to stand at the bus stop, dry skin can be an issue. Because I still have plenty of oil in my T zone, it’s my cheeks that bear the brunt of that unsightly dry skin – and my rosy rosacea makes them even prettier.

Clearly, something needs to be done. Most moisturizers lead to one thing – zits. Yes, I thought those would stop after adolescence too, but that appears to be a myth propagated by those attempting to help adolescents keep their sanity. I was doomed to live with dry cheeks until Mary Kay showed me the light – there is an oil control lotion! It comes in a plain-Jane white bottle with a pink cap (it’s Mary Kay, there has to be pink somewhere) and has a small hole to help control the amount of product that ends up in your hand. Mary Kay Oil Control Lotion Formula 3 is fairly runny and you don’t need much – I use perhaps a 1/8 inch drop on a fingertip for each cheek, more on super-dry days. There is no discernable scent (I use so little I can’t imagine it would make a difference if there were) and it goes on with decent ease. It does soak in quickly, so best to cover your desired area swiftly.

What you end up with after application is a little weird. You get a matte finish. That’s right, a matte finish moisturizer. I don’t get it either, but those polymer hydrates must be quite the quirky little dudes. My skin is visibly less dry, feels less tight and yet has no “moisturizer shine”. I have not experienced breakouts from this product, even when I’ve used it on occasion in that zit prone T-zone.

Two drawbacks. One, this isn’t a good choice if you need serious moisturizing. On a couple of occasions (after sledding in particular) I’ve had extra dry patches that didn’t respond as well to this lotion as my more routine dryness. It just doesn’t have enough moisture to take care of a really flaky dry spot in one go. After a day or so, it does the trick, but not with the first application. This product also has, for me, the funky tendency to make dry spots flaky if I apply foundation right after applying the lotion. Now, this could be something that only happens to me. My skin is weird enough that I wouldn’t be surprised if that were the case. But it has happened on several occasions when I use it on mild dry spots and then attempt to apply foundation. And the result is not pretty. Not pretty at all. If I need to use a moisturizer right before applying foundation, I use something else and deal with the inevitable zits later.

But I don’t wear foundation regularly, so that problem isn’t a deal breaker for me. I suspect if I used Mary Kay Oil Control Lotion Formula 3 regularly to prevent dry patches rather than in response to them, the foundation issue would cease. But I don’t plan ahead that well. I tend to be a reactive make-up user, not a proactive one. Overall, this is a weird and wonderful product that supplies light moisturizing as well as a matte finish and no extra zit causing oil. It won’t be for you if you have all-around dry skin or somehow know you are averse to polymer hydrates, but for combination skin it’s wonderful.





Part One: Neutrogena Anti-Blemish Anti-Wrinkle Face Wash

Part Two: Olay Foaming Face Wash for Sensitive Skin


Recommended: Yes