Mario Badescu Drying Lotion

This is going to be a long review since I love this product so my apologies in advance. I hope it helps someone. Advance Warning - Both of these products have isopropyl alcohol which is *extremely* drying. It works but its possible to end up with irritation like I did. After about 4 days I ended up with a slightly itchy rash. There was no redness but a bunch of tiny bumps. It reminded of contact dermatitis. Fortunately my breakout was done by then. If it happens, don't freak out. Stop using the product for now. It will go away and it can be covered up by makeup without irritating the skin (be sure to use non-irritating makeup.) It can take up to 2 weeks ago. Mine did. The skin may have a slightly rougher texture for a couple more weeks after that. Exfolation can help. You will be able to use the product again in the future but use it sparingly and only on the areas needed. I think what caused it for me was putting it over the whole area of blemishes and being lazy instead of exactly where the spots were. It might seem like an unpleasant side effect but I really needed to get rid of the breakout that just kept multiplying. It was worth it to me as I think it was my fault for not being more careful. It isn't guaranteed to happen to you but if it does I wanted to share my experience. It will be ok I promise. I bought and use this in conjuction with the Mario Badescu Drying Lotion so I left the same review on both. I use them together based on another reviewer's suggestion so I can't rate them separately. That being said, oh my god this totally works. I was seriously blown away. I got a very unpleasant hormonal breakout of papules (blind pimples) on my chin during lady time and whenever I get them they take forever to go away because the infection is so far below the surface. To make matters worse anytime one went away another would show up. I had about 4 in the same spot and they were very painful. I really didn't want to spend that much on a product but the breakout had been there for weeks with no improvement from anything else I used and I was getting desperate. Below is a product description and how I used them. Buffering lotion - This product you can shake before application. Its a very thin, white liquid that's rated by Badescu as being better for Cystic Acne Drying lotion - DO NOT SHAKE. A lot of people have been making comments about how the product settles. Its supposed to and the directions clearly say do not shake it and to use a cotton swab to dip it in the "pink sediment" then apply. This product is rated as being better for whiteheads. For my routine I waited until the evening and cleaned my face then applied the buffering lotion to the blemishes with my fingers as the instructions said to do. I waited about a minute until that dried and then used a cotton swab to apply a bit of the drying lotion. I used the products for 5 days just to be sure but I could have stopped at 4. I now have NO blemishes anymore and I'm just working on getting rid of the pigmentation marks. Those I can deal with. I'm extremely happy with this products performance and I highly, highly recommend it. Here is a bit on the different types of blemishes because it can be confusing trying to figure out what you have (Correct me if I'm wrong. Its based on my own personal research.) Whitehead - Standard, unremarkable. Not inflamed. Just looks like a small spot of pus. Goes away quickly Blackhead - Open pore with oxidation causing it to look dark. Not inflamed. (These two products aren't designed for blackheads so I don't think it'd work on those.) Pustule - Inflamed whitehead. Infection at the surface but there's a lot of angry redness around the blemish Papule - Inflamed whitehead. Infection deep below the surface. Aka blind pimple. Its a closed comedone where the infection can't reach the surface. These can last weeks. They are hard to the touch and painful. Cystic Acne - Large, inflamed acne. It is one of the more severe types. It will feel soft the touch and be large in size. Rupture can cause spreading of the infection and lead to more outbreaks. Nodular Cystic Acne - The same as cystic acne but the infection is deeper under the skin and will be hard and painful the touch. Will not rupture but will not go away as Papules eventually do. The two types of Cystic Acne will likely need to be treated by a professional if severe. I'm not sure how these two products would work on small, minor Cystic Acne but its worth a try. Based on some of the other reviews this does work if its not very severe and all over the face. Note - Before you panic like I did and think your Papules are Nodular Cystic Acne, there is a difference and its size. Physically they feel the same but Papules are 1cm or less where as the Nodular acne is 1-5cm. Hope this helps!

Omgosh I bought this a year or two ago and had to come back and write a review! I have always used this for a pimple or a blemish but the other night I got attacked by a no-see-um or mosquito and got seven bites on my legs. As I was dang near gouging my skin off from the itch and had nothing specific to use, I pulled this out. Within LITERAL seconds, the itch and burn of the bite was gone! I only put one drop on each bite and it was MAGIC! Not only that, I don’t know if you know about a good mosquito bite, how swollen and inflamed that they get, but the next day between the sulfur and the salicylic acid in this drying lotion, the inflammation and swelling was minuscule! This is definitely a 3-1 attack on bug bites! The sulfur pulled out the Poison, the calamine lotion stopped the itch, and the salicylic acid dried out the blemish, all within 24 hours! I am now a user of this for life!!! Beyond grateful for this product!

A must for my household full of teenagers and a perimenopausal mom. Soon a cystic pimple appears--- soak a q-tip with the lotion and dab it right on the pimple for 20 seconds. Yes it burns but that's how you now it's working. The next day, you will notice that the swelling is noticeably reduced. Keep doing it every night and before you know it, it's gone. This definitely a must for the house.

I've found Mario Badescu Drying Lotion to be an effective overnight spot treatment for reducing the appearance of blemishes. For first-time users, it's important to follow the instructions carefully: do not shake the bottle. The product is designed with two separate layers. The pink sediment at the bottom contains the active ingredients—salicylic acid, sulfur, zinc oxide, and calamine—that help dry out blemishes. The clear liquid on top serves as the carrier layer. To use it properly, you dip a cotton swab straight down into the pink color sediment and then apply it directly to the blemish. If the bottle is shaken, the layers mix together and the product will not perform as intended. You'll need to let it sit undisturbed on a flat surface until the layers separate again. My main complaint is the packaging design. The pink sediment settles at the bottom of a bottle, making it difficult to retrieve the product with a cotton swab. Once the swab reaches the bottom, it can be surprisingly hard to take it out from the bottle. I also think the bottle opening could be redesigned to imitate the function of a typical nail polish bottle, with a built-in wiper that removes excess product from the applicator. As it is, a standard cotton swab picks up far more product than needed for a single blemish, resulting in unnecessary waste. I often find myself trimming away some of the cotton from the swab before use to reduce product absorption. I like the product, there is no skin irritation for me. One bottle last a long time. Overall, the formula works well, but the packaging could be much more user-friendly and efficient.

I’ve been using the Mario Badescu Drying Lotion on and off for a couple years now, and honestly, it’s one of the few skincare products that consistently works for me. Anytime I feel a pimple forming or see one starting to surface, I dab a little on before bed, and more often than not, it’s either gone or significantly reduced by morning. It’s not some miracle overnight fix for every kind of breakout, but it works best on whiteheads or those little surface-level pimples. You definitely have to follow the instructions don’t shake the bottle! Just dip a cotton swab straight into the pink sediment at the bottom and dab it on. It dries quickly and smells a bit like rubbing alcohol, but I don’t mind it. I will say it can be drying if you use it too often or on the same spot repeatedly, so I usually pair it with a good moisturizer the next day. Overall, it’s just a great spot treatment to have on hand. Would definitely repurchase. Value for money: Last a long time, although it does seem small Why did you pick this product vs others?: It had more positive reviews, and had proof of it working online. Lightweight: feels like nothing on your skin once it dries, but works like magic! Effectiveness: awesome, my pimples deflate over night!

Effectiveness: This Mario Badescu Drying Lotion has been an absolute game-changer for dealing with occasional breakouts and stubborn blemishes. The overnight spot treatment works incredibly fast - I often wake up to find that angry, inflamed pimples have significantly reduced in size and redness after just one application. The zinc oxide and sulfur formula is powerful yet gentle enough that it doesn't over-dry or irritate my skin like some harsh acne treatments do. I love how it targets specific spots without affecting the surrounding healthy skin. The pink sediment at the bottom contains the active ingredients, so shaking it up and applying with a cotton swab gives precise application exactly where needed. Quality: Mario Badescu has built an excellent reputation in skincare, and this drying lotion maintains their high standards for effective, gentle formulations. The 1 fl oz bottle contains a surprisingly long-lasting amount of product since you only need tiny dabs for spot treatment. The consistency allows for precise application without waste, and the formula stays effective throughout the life of the product. The ingredients are well-balanced to provide acne-fighting benefits without the harsh side effects of more aggressive treatments. The packaging protects the formula integrity, and the dropper-style application method ensures hygiene and prevents contamination. Value for Money: This drying lotion provides incredible value when you consider how effectively it treats breakouts and prevents them from becoming larger, more inflamed problems. The small bottle lasts for months of regular use since you only apply it to specific spots, making the cost per treatment very reasonable. When I compare this to dermatologist visits or expensive acne systems, getting professional-quality spot treatment at this price is remarkable. The peace of mind knowing I have an effective solution for unexpected breakouts makes this worth far more than the modest cost. This has become my go-to emergency treatment for breakouts and consistently delivers fast, effective results. Highly recommend for anyone dealing with occasional acne or needing reliable spot treatment!

My daughter has hormonal acne and I've tried everything to help her and nothing worked. I've even tried Tretinoin and it didn't work either. I finally gave this product a chance and am in shock how much her acne has gone down after just 2 days of using it. I thank God that I finally found something that actually works. It does burn a bit when you put it on, but it only lasts for a few seconds. It is a little pricey for such a little bottle, but after spending a TON of money on everything else, $20 is a drop in the bucket for something that actually works.

I’ve used this for years. It helps dry out pimple spots

Since I turned 40 years old three years ago I have suffered with really bad cystic acne. So bad I couldn't leave the house. I tried EVERYTHING. I had been on Vyvanse for ADHD for several years. I looked like I belonged on The Faces of Meth. I quit the med cold turkey. 6 weeks later I had my face back. I am still off meds, but my good luck only lasted 3 months. Last week I woke up and my entire face was COVERED in red bumps. My forehead alone made me cry. I had nothing left to try. I got on to Amazon and found this product. I have used 90% isopropyl on my face & calamine lotion as well, so I wasn't sure if this would work. But I was desperate. It arrived the following day. The first few times I applied with a q-tip. I pulled half of the cotton off cuz I didn't want to waste it. I wasn't getting the coverage I wanted, and I had A LOT to cover. So I took an eyedropper and sucked up the sediment and gently squeezed the bulb of the eyedropper over my entire face. I rubbed it into my face each time with clean fingers. I went to bed. When I woke up I couldn't believe it. The bumps had all gone down and the redness was GONE. I still have tiny little scabs, but they aren't swollen, they no longer hurt and you can't really see them with the redness gone. I am SO grateful I stumbled on this. I read tons of reviews and as always there were lots of negative reviews. There always is. Not every product works for everyone. Lucky for me it did an incredible job!!! It's well worth the $20 to try it. I highly recommend giving it a chance.

It is worth the every penny. I am reorder it ......it is costly but it's amazing.jinko bhi sach me acne issue hai wo ek baar plz use kare ise .....jitna wakt ham dete hai acne kam karne keliye home remedies ho yar fir other koi bhi cream .....utne time me to ye product apna pimple dry bhi kar deta hai ...rahi price ki baat to costly hai but ye socho aap jitna sasta lagane ka sochte ho us product se pimple dhire dhire baithega ....ye product 2-3 me dry kar deta hai....must try girls plz

Para la gente con granitos esporádicos es una maravilla. Los seca, y no deja marcas♥️

I thought it wasn’t authentic at first since the packaging differed a little from the one I bought from Mecca but it works the same + the consistency and formula seems to work really well for my skin. I recommend!

To put it simply, this is the best product I've tried for spots. It beats all the face washes, creams, scrubs I have ever wasted money on, and is better than the stuff i got on prescription from the doctor. Finally found something that actually works! I've used it for only about 2 nights, and there is already improvement. The drying lotion manages to dry up the spot, but without drying up the skin around it. It reduces breakouts and a little bit of redness too. It looks VERY weird compared to other stuff, and you end up with pink smears on your face, but if your going to bed it doesn't really matter does it? The only bad point (but not enough to lose a star) is the smell. When you first put it on your skin there is a very sulfuric smell, but this goes when it dries. I am definately going to buy more Mario Badescu products.