Mary Kay Cosmetics is an international company that sells beauty products .
One woman started the business in the 1960s with an investment of $5,000 .
Mary Kathlyn Wagner was born in the state of Texas in 1918 .
For much of her childhood , she cared for her sick father while her mother worked long hours at a restaurant .
Mary Kay married Ben Rogers when she was 17 years old .
They had three children before he left home to serve in World War Two .
When he returned , their marriage ended .
Mary Kay looked for a job so she could support her children .
She began selling different kinds of products .
One night , Mary Kay was showing products at the home of Ova Heath Spoonemore .
Ms . Spoonemore began giving her guests some homemade skin care products .
The products were developed by her father , J.W .
Heath , in Arkansas .
Mary Kay tried the skin care products and liked them .
She bought the rights to Heath's skin care products and started her own company .
She paid $500 for the legal rights to the products .
And in 1963 , The Mary Kay Cosmetics company began operating in Dallas , Texas .
The idea was to sell skin care products through demonstrations in homes and offices .
Independent sales representatives bought beauty products from the company and sold them at higher prices .
Mary Kay decided that each representative who brought other saleswomen into the company would receive part of the new person's earnings .
That way , experienced sales representatives would be willing to train new ones .
Mary Kay Cosmetics became one of the most successful direct sellers of skin care products in America .
It continues to have sales offices and representatives in many different countries .
Mary Kay aimed to grow sales based on the idea that it is best to compete against yourself .
That means every individual is trying to beat their own sales records .
Prizes for high sales marks included special paid holidays and jewelry .
Until a few years ago , a pink Cadillac was a top prize .
After her third husband , Mel Ash , died of cancer in 1980 , she wanted to help find a cure for the disease .
At first , she helped organizations raise money for research .
Later , she started the Mary Kay Ash Charitable Foundation , a nonprofit group that provides money to support research on cancers affecting women .
In 2001 , the company and foundation expanded their goals to help prevent violence against women .
Mary Kay Ash also wrote three books .
She worked in her business until she suffered a stroke in 1996 .
She died in 2001 .
Sales representatives say Mary Kay developed a way for women to earn money and still spend time with their families .