A Candid Mario Badescu Drying Lotion Review & Honest Results

I only recommend products I love and I think you will, too. If you click on links I provide, I may receive a little compensation. Learn more.

Acne SOS: We’ve put the Mario Badescu Drying Lotion to the test! Let’s see the results!

For anyone who knows the struggles of acne and them popping up on all the bad days, they’ll surely jump up to any treatment that can promise them an overnight result!

One such award-winning, one-of-a-kind spot treatment is the beloved Mario Badescu drying lotion. They say it’s a game-changer! But is it really?

Let’s put it to the test and find out where it lives up to the hype and where it falls short in this full-fledged Mario Badescu drying lotion review. Get ready for the verdict!

9.5

Expert Score

Drying Lotion

Mario Badescu

This little bottle of magic has been my savior against those pesky breakouts. I’m not even exaggerating, I don’t know how I survived without it.

The formula is like a triple threat against acne with sulfur, calamine, and salicylic acid – so you can wake up in the morning to a seriously smaller, if not totally gone, zit.

Overall, I would highly recommend this product – it’s worth the investment for the results you’ll see.

Application9.5

Formula10

Ease of Use8

Results10

What’s The Hype Around Mario Badescu Drying Lotion?

When it comes to Mario Badescu Drying Lotion, there’s definitely something special in the air. This iconic spot treatment has been around since 1967 and has remained a cult favorite ever since!

It’s a secret weapon for many people who suffer from breakouts because it has the POWER to transform your skin OVERNIGHT. Specifically, this miracle worker helps dry out pesky pimples quickly thanks to its unique blend of sulfur, salicylic acid, zinc oxide and calamine.

The best part? It’s safe for sensitive skin types as well! Talk about winning in all departments?

Fast Facts

Mario Badescu Drying Lotion

Best For:

All skin types, including sensitive skin

Uses:

Diminishing surface acne of any kind – whiteheads, blind pimples, red, inflamed ones

Potential Allergens:

None to be found.

Active Ingredients:

Salicylic Acid, Sulfur, Calamine

Price:

$17.00

About The Brand:

With a wide range of products that cater to all skin types and concerns, Mario Badescu has become a go-to for those seeking a personalized approach to their skincare routine.

What is Mario Badescu Drying Lotion good for?

Mario Badescu drying lotion is a POTENT formula that zaps away any pimples, whiteheads, acne, blind pimples, or even cystic acne overnight. In short, it is not just good, but great for any type of active acne or blemishes!

What does it claim & what actually is true?

Fast-acting spot treatment ✅ YES, it literally starts working as soon as you put in.
Lightweight Liquid ✅ Yep, even when it dries out, you don’t even feel that there’s something on your face.
Completely zaps away the pimples, giving an acne-free skin 🙄 Kind of but it doesn’t make your pimples vanish 100%. Just reduces the appearance of it considerably.
Works for all skin types 😍 Yessss!! I have oily/combination AND sensitive skin type with a weak skin barrier, and it worked awesomely. My mom has dry skin, and it didn’t make it any drier. My best friend has super sensitive skin, and it didn’t create any havoc there as well! (I tried it on every skin just for you, my friend!) 😉

What Does It smell Or feel Like?

It has a VERY strong sulfur smell that is just too much to handle, especially when you apply it near the nose. If you are highly smell sensitive, you may or may not be able to use it.

And yes, I’m a little smell sensitive too. But would I stop using this product just cause of that? Absolutely No! I think my acne would kill me if I started ditching products cause of the smell.

As for the feel, the pink sediment at the bottom looks like something out of a science experiment. And when you pick it up, it seems like a lotion, but it quickly dries down to a beautiful pink clay mask-like texture.

Oh, it doesn’t leave any residue on your pillowcase, either! And the smell also goes away within seconds after applying it. So that’s a YES!

How to use Mario Badescu drying lotion?

1. Wash your face with your regular cleanser.

No matter whether it is hydrating or exfoliating. I usually shuffle between Cetaphil foaming face wash and CeraVe Salicylic acid cleanser, and both of them seem to work just fine, without any reactions.

2. Tone your face, if you do

If you use a toner, go ahead and complete that step. Now I won’t recommend you go in with an exfoliating toner, like a glycolic acid one, right before applying this treatment, just to be on the safer side.

But you can surely use any hydrating toner and be safe from any unpredictable reactions.

2. See if the lotion is in the correct shape

Check whether the pink lotion has completely separated from the clear solution and has settled at the bottom. You don’t want it any other way, especially mixed in.

3. Take a clean cotton swab and dip it in

Now, take a clean Q-tip and dip it in the pink sediment kindly, you do not need to touch the bottom of the bottle. The pink lotion automatically sticks to the Q-tip.

4. Apply it all over your acne

Apply it on all your acne and blemishes – blind pimples, cystic acne, inflamed acne, whatever! Dab directly on the surface blemish; do not rub in. If your whole face is breaking out right now, you must take time and apply it all over.

You can dip the Q-tip again and again, no need to change it every time! Also, do NOT use on broken skin.

6. Leave it overnight

It’s a wonderful treatment that has to be kept overnight, away from the sun. Now, I’ve used it in the morning a few times when I had to get rid of that pesky pimple bullet train fast, and I knew I’d be in my room all day. So if you try that, just know that you must not use this spot treatment twice a day. It should be used either at night or in the morning.

I would advise night only, though! But just in case 😉

My personal experience in using Mario Badescu drying lotion

What’s my skin type? I have oily/combination skin that acne loves to visit once in a while. But when they do, they love to be red and juicy and, most of the time, puss-filled. Not a very great sight, tbh!

So I always heard about this drying lotion, but this time when I was shopping (I refuse to say hoarding) skincare from the Sephora sale, I actually deeply read about this product. And when I read “overnight,” I didn’t even think twice before ordering it.

I mean, if you can name one person with acne struggles who wouldn’t jump to an overnight treatment, I would stop shopping!! (Please don’t name one even if you know, I beg you!)😩

Anyhow, it arrived all mixed up. It was a pretty pink solution in a glass bottle (which btw is biodegradable; thanks MB!) So I let it sit for 1-2 hours, I suppose, or until the pink sediment settled down in the bottom and the clear liquid separated completely.

Fortunately, I had a few pimples pop up just yet to try it. I applied it as I mentioned and left it. Approximately 12 hours later, when I cleaned my face in the morning, I was surprised to see that the puss had completely gone and the inflammation had reduced considerably.

But I was of the opinion that the pimple would 100% vanish into thin air. That didn’t happen! And that’s because it was not supposed to. It was only supposed to shrink it in the first application. It may take a few days of continuous use to fully diminish the breakout, which is acceptable!

I mean, do I have any other products that do the same job? Yes, Differin gel and benzoyl peroxide treatments also work the same.
Are they as pretty as this pink solution? Not really, but that doesn’t even matter, lol.
Did this solution work for what it does and the price we pay? Absolutely! No doubt about that!

How long does it take Mario Badescu Drying Lotion to work?

Mario Badescu drying lotion takes no longer than overnight or 7-8 hours to start working. So that’s how long you should keep it, at least.

How often should I use the Mario Badescu Drying Lotion?

You can safely use this drying lotion once every day if you are struggling with serious acne. Slowly, start once every other day when the acne starts to diminish.

Does Mario Badescu Drying Lotion remove scars?

Not really, Mario Badescu drying lotion can only make the surface breakouts appear smaller and diminished. It doesn’t work for acne scars or help prevent any future acne.

And it hasn’t been useful in that way either. I’ve tried it on my acne marks but nada, it’s useless!

Do I put Drying Lotion after moisturizer?

No, apply your drying lotion after cleansing and toning. DO NOT put any other product over this spot treatment. You sure can apply moisturizer around it, but please DON’T APPLY ANYTHING OVER IT.

Can you put water in Mario Badescu Drying Lotion?

Your liquid might run off or spill down. So when that happens, I strongly advise against refilling it with any liquid or mixture, not even water. Nope, not a good idea! Once the liquid has vanished, it’s time to grab yourself a fresh new bottle.

Mario Badescu drying lotion ingredients –

These are all the ingredients this drying lotion comprises of – Isopropyl Alcohol, Water, Calamine, Zinc Oxide, Titanium Dioxide, Sulfur, Camphor, Talc, Glycerin, and Salicylic Acid.

Calamine – Used to relieve the itching, pain, and discomfort of minor skin irritations
Zinc Oxide – It basically is a sunscreen that protects from causing any sun reactions or making your skin hyper-sensitive
Titanium Dioxide – The reason why this lotion has a pretty pink hue
Sulfur – An amazing anti-acne, anti-bacterial, anti-microbial and also the major reason why this product smells
Glycerine – Skin identical ingredient that protects & hydrates the skin
Salicylic Acid – Anti-acne, gentle yet effective exfoliant, soothing as well

Final verdict: Will I repurchase it? 100%, without a doubt.

To sum things up, if you’re looking for an intensive zit-zapping solution that’s reasonably priced and doesn’t require a long list of ingredients to make it work, Mario Badescu drying lotion is a great choice.

Not only does this miracle spot treatment work quickly and effectively, but the application process is also incredibly simple. I’ve used this product several times now and can confidently say that my skin has never felt better.

Plus, with its conveniently small bottle form, which makes it perfect for travel, you don’t have to worry about bringing along anything else to battle those pesky breakouts.

So if you’ve been struggling with acne or are in search of a beauty-rescuing ‘holy grail’; give this drying lotion a try!

And who knows, maybe it will permanently change your skincare ritual for the better.

A Candid Mario Badescu Drying Lotion Review & True Results