Mary Kay Inc., a global entrepreneurship development company and advocate for corporate social responsibility and sustainability, today released its year-end highlights. In 2021, Mary Kay Inc. continued its decades-long commitment to enriching the lives of women around the globe and building healthier, more sustainable communities.

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Mary Kay was named a Silver Globee® Winner in 3 categories at the 13th Annual 2021 Golden Bridge Business and Innovation Awards. (Photo: Mary Kay Inc.)

Learn more about Mary Kay’s 2021 accomplishments in this report.

2021 YEAR-END HIGHLIGHTS

Business Excellence

• Mary Kay received 58 awards and recognition honors in 2021, including: COVID Response (22 awards), recognition from partners in social impact/annual reports (4), Mary Kay management recognized for leadership (7), business excellence (10) and an award-winning documentary (4 awards; 5 screening selections). Additionally, Mary Kay and/or its iconic founder, Mary Kay Ash, were featured in two Harvard Business Case Studies, three textbooks, and one research paper.
• Announced the appointment of Wendy Wang as President of its Asia Pacific Region. 54% of Mary Kay’s global executive team is female.
• Mary Kay markets celebrated anniversaries: Mary Kay Lithuania (10 years) and Mary Kay Germany (35 years).
• Named one of America's Best Mid-Sized Employers 2021 by Forbes.

Mary Kay Global Design Studio & Digital Innovation to Enhance the Customer Experience

• Mary Kay Global Design Studio and Glamhive announced the first-ever global TikTok reality show based on style, Step & Repeat. The contest showcased talent in wardrobe, makeup & hair from TikTok users worldwide. Participants showcased their talents from more than 30 countries, and the ground-breaking campaign was featured in the UK Daily Mail, The Daily Front Row, and Vogue Business highlighting its innovative approach to using the relatively new social media platform.
• Launched Suite 13, a beauty experience that uses virtual reality to digitize the company's first virtual pop-up showroom; Mary Kay MirrorMe™ for augmented-reality makeovers and Mary Kay® Skin Analyzer App to scan your face for a customized skin care routine.
• Celebrated 25 years partnering with Global Beauty Ambassador, Luis Casco.

Science Behind the Beauty

• Clinical Solutions™ skincare launched, which consists of Mary Kay Clinical Solutions™ Retinol 0.5 and Mary Kay Clinical Solutions™ Calm + Restore Facial Milk and received the Dermatologists’ Council Seal.
• Dr. Michelle Hines, Ph.D., Mary Kay Director of Product Formulation, was announced as president-elect for the Society of Cosmetic Chemists (SCC).
• In collaboration with Society for Investigative Dermatology (SID), announced Skin Health/Skin Disease Grants. Grants will be awarded to researchers conducting groundbreaking, innovative studies in skin health and skin diseases to uncover new perspectives and intervention strategies.
• Announced recipients of multiple science educational grants including: the Society of Cosmetic Chemists and Mary Kay Inc. - Madam C.J. Walker Scholarships, in support of under-represented minority students pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree in chemical, physical, medical, pharmaceutical, biological, or related sciences and technology; and provided five Girls in STEAM grants to young women currently engaged in innovative research. The 2021 recipients included: Mylana Brodovska, Ukraine; Selin Alara Ornek, Turkey; Jordan Reeves, U.S.; Ivanna Hernandez, Colombia; and Allie Weber, U.S.
• Unveiled research at multiple virtual science conferences. The research included: sharing research on a gradual retinization process that significantly improves tolerance to higher concentrated pure retinol, while still delivering retinol’s key skin benefits; presented the findings for topical application of pure retinol improving hyperpigmentation in an Asian population; and Modulating mechanisms associated with skin barrier function effectively alleviates 2 common concerns associated with sensitive skin.

Social Impact/CSR

• In 2021, Mary Kay’s global Pink Changing Lives^SM cause empowerment program supported over 15 NGOs around the world. Since 2008, the program has impacted more than six million women and their families by partnering with over 3,000 organizations, donating over $16 million.
• Mary Kay China: China's Henan province was affected by severe flooding. Due to the floods, at least 33 people were killed, 8 others went missing, 200,000 people were evacuated, 3 million people were affected, and the direct economic loss was about $1.22 billion yuan. Mary Kay China donated 1-million-yuan worth of products to Henan Charity Federation.
• Mary Kay Germany: European floods impacted Germany, Austria, Belgium and the Netherlands and ranked as the most destructive natural hazard in Northern Europe. Mary Kay Germany pledged up to $100,000 euros to support those affected.
• Mary Kay Spain: In 2020-21, partnered with the Fundación Vicente Ferrer to provide health care access to children and their families in India. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic (in 2018), Mary Kay Spain financed the construction of a school for children in Pagadalavaripalli village, located in the Kadiri (Anantapur) region of India.

Women’s Empowerment

• Announced commitment to advancing gender parity by releasing a position paper welcoming the European Commission’s Gender Equality Strategy for 2020 – 2025 and by joining the Generation Equality Forum in Paris and five Global Action Coalitions to accelerate gender equality by 2026.
• In collaboration with UN Women, ILO & WE Empower, re-released, “Strengthening Support for Women Entrepreneurs in COVID-19 Response and Recovery” at the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW65).
• Mary Kay and the Mary Kay Ash Foundation^SM were recognized in the Report of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women on the activities of the United Nations trust fund in support of actions to eliminate violence against women to the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW65) and Human Rights Council.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI)

• Announced 100% of U.S.-based Directors and above completed mandatory Unconscious Bias training.
• Released Gender Diversity in the Workplace Data: 54% of Mary Kay’s global executive team is female; 61% of Mary Kay’s global workforce is female; and 54% of Global Vice Presidents and above are female; 59% of Directors and above are female.
• In collaboration with global partner Equal Rights Trust, announced the launch of innovative research on gender inequality in algorithms and artificial intelligence aimed at addressing equality and gender impacts of algorithmic systems, presented by Mary Kay.

Sustainability

• Announced global sustainability strategy: Enriching Lives Today for a Sustainable Tomorrow. Our holistic approach encompasses three pillars of sustainability—economic, environmental and social—through five pillars, activated by 15 commitments to deliver a decade of sustainable action.
• Became a signatory to two crucial causes in protecting our world’s waterways: the CEO Water Mandate and the United Nations Global Compact’s Sustainable Ocean Principles.
• Joined the Ellen MacArthur Foundation as a member of its Network, as part of its commitment to becoming a more sustainable, circular business.
• Mary Kay released its second documentary, Forest of Hope, in October during the 2021 UN Climate Change Conference (COP26). The documentary highlights the work of Angelica, a 70-year eco-warrior and leader of a group of women entrepreneurs committed to saving the forests of Monterrey.
• Through its partnership with Arbor Day Foundation, the Time for Trees® initiative, announced achieving the commitment to planting 100 million trees and inspiring 5 million new tree planters by April of 2022, was achieved one year ahead of schedule.
• Mary Kay has partnered with the Nature Conservancy since 1991. In 2021, Mary Kay supported seven projects in the Solomon Islands, Northern Australia, New Zealand, rural China, Mexico, the United States, and Canada.

About Mary Kay

One of the original glass ceiling breakers, Mary Kay Ash founded her beauty company nearly 60 years ago with three goals: develop rewarding opportunities for women, offer irresistible products, and make the world a better place. That dream has blossomed into a multibillion-dollar company with millions of independent sales force members in nearly 40 countries. Mary Kay is dedicated to investing in the science behind beauty and manufacturing cutting-edge skin care, color cosmetics, and fragrances. Mary Kay is committed to empowering women and their families by partnering with organizations from around the world, focusing on supporting cancer research, protecting survivors from domestic abuse, beautifying our communities, and encouraging children to follow their dreams. Mary Kay Ash’s original vision continues to shine—one lipstick at a time. Learn more at www.MaryKayGlobal.com.

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