Mario Badescu • Drying Cream • Treatments

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alyssian on 5/15/2013 3:04:00 AM more reviews by alyssian

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Black, Straight   Eyes: Brown    

If you are blessed with skin that rarely breaks out, this makes pretty good cover-up for those small pimples. It does its job as a drying agent whereby a huge red "juicy" zit gets shrunken into a smaller flesh-colored papule, but then again, you'll have to apply something that really covers the rest of the underlying mechanisms behind acne so don't rely on this alone.

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*TOP REVIEWER* ColdFire on 5/5/2013 2:45:00 AM more reviews by ColdFire

Age: 19-24   Skin: Oily, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

I'm really on the fence with this treatment. It's just not very effective, no matter what kind of pimples I use it on. Whiteheads, pustules, cystic pimples, popped pimples. Barely any effect for me. The only thing that makes this a positive review is that I have seen some effect on pimples that are already healing, it seems to reduce the mark that's leftover when the pimple is gone. For something sold as an acne treatment, that's pretty weak.
The concealing aspect isn't non-existent, but it's also weak. You barely need any product, and when you blend it out, it dulls some of the redness in a healing pimple, but the texture is odd. I apply it after toner and before moisturizer, and have no problems applying makeup afterward.
So, this isn't a complete dud for me, but I wouldn't recommend it or buy it again. There are better fade products out there and this is too expensive for just the healing aspect. It's a $14 "meh" for me.

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*TOP REVIEWER* Quilley on 4/22/2013 5:33:00 AM more reviews by Quilley

Age: Unknown   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

Oh my goodness, this is a YES. I don't know how it works, I don't know what's in it, all I know it I applied it yesterday and today a pimple has gone down and is drying up. I was so excited to review this I did not want to wait until I could post it was GONE, but I cannot help it - it's that good.

Heavy duty paste consistency, smells a little medicinal. I apply it with a q-tip, just dot it on. I slept in it last night and plan on doing the same thing again tonight. I read the reviews here that said 3-4 days. I'm saying that this pimple (big and hurty) has deflated 100% has almost dried up. Another 24 hours should do it.

24 hours later (+) Wow. Everything dried up. Another day and I should be able to wash the remaining dead skin away. I'm in awe. It also cut down on the hyperpigmentation left behind - from what I can see thus far. I'm super impressed.

INGREDIENTS: Deionized Water, Zinc Oxide,Aloe, Beeswax,Cetyl Alcohol,Lemon Extract, Colloidal Sulfur,Ervol,Octyl Palmitate,Ichthammol,Polysorbate 80, Titanium Dioxide,Polyglycerylmethacrylate (and) Propylene Glycol

The "light concealing quality" is not accurate at all. I consider this to be a medication for acne and pimples, period. Concealers have come a long way since. I can see wearing a tiny dab of this under a foundation, but has any sort of cover up. No way.

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beautyjunkie2012 on 4/19/2013 2:43:00 AM more reviews by beautyjunkie2012

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Dark   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

I received a sample of this at ULTA and loved it after first use. I applied this before using my bb cream and afterwards I couldn't even see it. By the end of the day my problem zit had gone down in size and when I followed up with the MB Drying Lotion at night that zit was gone by morning. I'm definitely happy with the results of using this product. A little goes a long way so I can't imagine running out of it very soon.

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dotgirl101 on 2/11/2013 12:35:00 PM more reviews by dotgirl101

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair   Hair: Other, Medium   Eyes: Other    

I bought this at Ulta three or four months ago for around $15, which is exceptionally pricey for me. However, after reading the many glowing reviews on MakeupAlley, I decided to splurge in hopes it would be the "miracle" spot treatment I was hoping for. Unfortunately, it was not.


When I first applied this to a pimple, I was a little overwhelmed by the scent: it smelled strongly of sulfur and--aloe? I'm usually not sensitive to fragrance (I've been suffering with acne for six years now and have therefore used dozens of different products), but this drying cream had a relatively powerful scent to it that I was unused to. It somewhat dissipated after ten or fifteen minutes, though, so it wasn't a big problem.


My second reaction to this spot treatment was the color and consistency when applied to my face. It claims that it conceals the pimple while on, but instead the cream is a very unnatural color that I'm sure would only match very, very few people's skin. It was VERY noticeable when I had it on. I wasn't looking for something to conceal my pimples, though, so this wasn't a big downfall for me.
However, the consistency of this cream is what DID bother me. It's creamy when first applied, but never seems to truly "dry". Instead, I feel it simply sits on top of the pimple without sinking in. And the worst part? I can't wear this to bed because it instantly rubs off on my pillow case, and thus becomes ineffective. Consequently, I can only wear this spot treatment when I'm staying home for the entire day.


All of the above would be completely and utterly fine with me if this actually worked. I have tried this on whiteheads, the kind of pimples that never reach the surface (I like to call these my "Mount St. Helens"), and popped pimples. This drying cream never helped on any of the aformentioned pimples, though. Like I said before, it literally just sat on top of the blemishes and did nothing.


One of the only positive things I can say about this cream is that a tub will last the average person six months to a year (maybe even more!), so if it actually worked, that would be fantastic.


Overall, I was expecting a lot more for $15. I've honestly had drugstore products that were $5-$7 work much better than this. It was a huge disappointment, especially after I had read so many good reviews. Oh well. Everybody's skin is different, so I would recommend trying this anyways (especially at Ulta; they have a great return policy if you don't like it!). I seem to be in the minority here; I'm glad to read that this works for others!

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CynicalCind on 2/2/2013 7:52:00 PM more reviews by CynicalCind

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair-Medium   Hair: Black, Curly, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

I got this as a free sample and it worked really well. I applied this on several huge whiteheads at night, washed my face the next morning and all that gunk came right out! Only thing I did not like (which is why i removed one lippie) is that the product states to remove "under the skin" breakouts and it didnt do that for me.

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*TOP REVIEWER* Miaoudeminou on 1/27/2013 2:04:00 AM more reviews by Miaoudeminou

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair-Medium, Cool   Hair: Black, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Hazel    

I had filled out the questionnaire online and went about with the samples. This was one of them I received (I was also supposed to get the lotion but it never came). Anyways so I started using all of my samples and my skin just looks amazing right now. When I had a pimple I'd put this cream on it and it'd almost disappear! I love this stuff so much. The fun part is that I barely use a pinhead size dot of this and it works. The little sample jar will last me months as my skin has cleared up with the use of their other products. So I did put "yes" for re-buying but it'll be months before I'll have to do so. Completely worth it. Mario Badescu is worth the money for what you get!

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crissy333 on 1/22/2013 11:10:00 AM more reviews by crissy333

Age: 30-35   Skin: Oily, Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

I personally did not have any luck with this. Actually, I just threw it in the trash this morning. It is not the worst smelling stuff I have used, but I do not think it smells good. For that reason, I used it only at night. I did not try it on blemishes without a head, so it may definitely work for that. However, I did use it on open and red blemishes. Never did it do anything for me: Not dry out, reduce redness or heal. Used several times to try and be fair and to not waste product, but just not cutting it.
Packaging: Not great. I did not mind the jar itself, which made it easy to get product out. I kept lid on tight and it still turned a brownish color, which just kept making me wonder if it was still any good (or was I using a product with no more juice left?). Also, I had been not wanting to waste product, but when I used it for the final time last night, I noticed I had hit the bottom of jar. What the...? It must have a raised bottom or something. There may be a reason for it, if so, cool, if not...kinda wasteful and deceiving. But, oh well, I won't need to worry about that because I will not be buying it again. I am now going to focus more on the Bandescu Healing Powder. Will write a review when finished. Hope this helps someone as this is my #1 place to go for reviews. Thanks to you all :)

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Faeriegrotto on 11/8/2012 11:08:00 PM more reviews by Faeriegrotto

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Grey    

I use this drying cream as a concealer. I take the lightest shade in most foundations, and lucky for me, this cream matches up just right. I've had great results with sulfur on my pimples, and this was no exception. However, this will not help with concealing scarring or discoloration--if I don't apply directly to an active pimple, it will over-dry my skin and my skin will start to flake. I will continue to use on pimples, though!

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*TOP REVIEWER* Lomelindi on 10/17/2012 3:03:00 PM more reviews by Lomelindi

Age: 25-29   Skin: Oily, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Black, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Black    

I am prone to hormonal acne and clogged pores / minor acne due to some makeup products, so I wanted to try this to counteract breakouts when they happen. First, this is NOT an overnight miracle cream because your pimple will still be there in the morning. However, using this a few days in a row on any pimple or breakout area will make them manageable and prevent them from getting huge / red. It will also dry them out (again, slowly over the course of a few days) to the point where they will just scab or peel off.


To use this cream, I tap a TINY TINY TINY amount on a pimple and its surrounding area, enough to thoroughly cover the pimple but not enough to cover it from view. I don't usually blend until the cream "disappears" because I feel like that spreads the product too thin and covers skin that doesn't really need any treatment. Also, the product is thick, so it doesn't blend all that well. I do NOT recommend using it under makeup!


It also has a strong sulfer smell due to all the sulfer in it, so I usually just use this at night when I go to sleep so I don't worry if other people smell or see the product.


One huge pro is how much product you get for your money! One tub has MORE than enough for a long, long time, especially since you can spread a tiny (i.e. quarter of a pea-size!) amount over a big patch of skin if need be. I don't really like that it's in a tub (taking off another lippie for that) but you can use a spatula to bring out tiny amounts of product if you'd like.

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gandangnatural on 8/27/2012 4:52:00 AM more reviews by gandangnatural

Age: 25-29   Skin: Oily, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brown, Straight   Eyes: Black    

it dries out the pimple overnight but leaves an ugly scab.. I'm not impressed.. i just use this if i need a fast treatment.. i use it once then use my honey cinnamon treatment until the pimple heals.

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geideja on 8/21/2012 5:33:00 PM more reviews by geideja

Age: 25-29   Skin: Oily, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Grey    

It does work very well with erupted pimples or whenever I have a tiny rash on my face, I'd just apply and it will go away overnight. It has a soothing/calming effect for my rash issue. As for pimples, it doesn't go away overnight. It takes 2 to 3 days- that is the reason why I take one star off. I definitely will buy this again.

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*TOP REVIEWER* adara260 on 8/15/2012 12:33:00 AM more reviews by adara260

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Medium, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

I am willing to try anything to help my acne that developed in my twenties. I wanted to try a sulfur product after trying BP and salicylic acid etc. I've tried everything from OTC to prescription to homeopathic stuff. Different regimes have worked for me for different parts of my life so I guess one has to keep hammering at it to manage acne.

I can't tell if this product works or not. I've had this jar for several months now. It definitely doesn't work for clogged pores or blackheads. For whiteheads I've tried this over a non popped whitehead and a popped one, this definitely doesn't squelch the whitehead nor does it dry out the whitehead... I don't know if this works on my underneath cystic breakouts. I can easily attribute it to my Clarisonic etc.

So overall I won't be repurchasing because I don't know if this works or not. I'm very confused by this acne product, LOL. I'm giving it one last shot on a few whitehead breakouts and this emerging one and then I'm giving up on this product.

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*TOP REVIEWER* shopaholic14 on 8/14/2012 9:00:00 AM more reviews by shopaholic14

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Tan, Warm   Hair: Black, Wavy, Coarse   Eyes: Black    

This is in no way an overnight miracle product...but it does work slow miracles on acne.

My skin was behaving so bad, breaking out all over for no reason so during my trip to Singapore, I picked this up from Sephora. I balked at the price but then, the SA said this would really help my skin. I trusted her and am glad I bought this. Slowly but surely, it dried up all my pimples and when I would apply it to an emerging bump, it ensured that the pimple didn't become a huge red cystic one.

It can't be called concealing coz the colour is quite chalky and difficult to blend into my tan skin. So I only used it at night. And anyway, you just need a really tiny amount.

The price is quite high, but when you see how much product you get and how little you require per application, it is quite good value for money. The only thing I really dislike is that it comes in a jar. Not very hygenic especially for an acne treatment. Wish it came in a tube! I would certainly repurchase if I needed to. But I doubt it coz the jar is still almost full.

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csquared14 on 7/25/2012 9:24:00 AM more reviews by csquared14

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Medium, Warm   Hair: Black, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

I've been using this for three weeks, and I can honestly say that I have never in my life encountered a more effective acne treatment. I have literally been unable to do anything about the breakouts on my cheeks for a solid year now (and when I say unable, I mean that I have used everything, from drug store brands straight up to the fancy stuff from Dermalogica and the Clarisonic), and this cleared them up--and I swear that I am not exaggerating here--in less than three weeks. Three. Weeks. I am hugely skeptical of the so-called "overnight cure," and am well aware that skin has a seven week regeneration cycle. However, when I say that this stuff works, I mean that it seriously, honest-to-goodness, works. When I woke up this morning, I basically stood in front of my mirror and stared at my skin, because I literally have not seen it this smooth in YEARS. Yes it smells a little funny, yes the consistency is a little weird, and yes the website/celebrity endorsements everywhere are kind of cheesy, but I could not care less. This stuff is giving me back my skin. Mario, I don't know who you are, but I think that I love you.


The basics: this appears like it's in a small little jar, but you just need the tiniest bit of product, so it's actually a very good deal. Mario Badescu in general seems to make products that are different from the typical acne treatments that every single other skincare brand markets (I didn't see the typical tube of BP on the display case), and this stuff seemed different from every other treatment I've used. The consistency is sort of like that of a clay mask (as is the smell). I have heard some people say that it is concealing, and I think that if you are quite pale, it could be, but if you have medium skin, it takes some serious blending to make it disappear. I usually just put it on at night, since the thick consistency can make it a bit difficult to layer with makeup. You're supposed to use it very sparingly, and I can see it seriously drying out your skin if you pile a lot on. The packaging isn't beautiful (and you might want to use a spatula, as it is in a jar), but it's solid and the product inside is great, so I'm not about to worry about that. As long as you work, I don't care if you look pretty on my shelf.


I don't really have a side on the whole "is purging real" debate, but I will say that for the first few days that I used this, my acne became inflamed and was more noticeable as a lot of those little hard bumps under my skin rose to the surface and came to a head. However, after a full week or so of this, I noticed that as they healed and went away, they weren't coming back (and, for the record, this was during my time of the month, so the fact that I did not experience new breakouts was MAJOR). No new pimples were forming, from cysts to those annoying clusters of little tiny bumps under the skin, and as the inflamed pimples came to a head and went away, they left smooth skin behind. After the initial inflammation, I haven't experienced any issues with break-outs or serious dryness. My skin looks so much healthier, I'm wearing less makeup, and I'm just all-around so much happier with my appearance.


I cannot tell you how happy I am with this product. Acne is such a demoralizing, self-esteem-killing issue for me, and this is the first thing I have tried that has really, truly worked and done exactly what it is supposed to do. I highly, highly recommend it, and as it isn't that expensive, I think that it's really worth a try. If it continues to be this effective, I really don't see myself looking for another acne treatment any time in the future.

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fleurage on 6/9/2012 10:44:00 PM more reviews by fleurage

Age: 36-43   Skin: Dry, Fair-Medium, Cool   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

Definitely worth to try, it works miracles on my face and I'm really happy to find something that does what it promises for a change. I also use the Silver powder to clean my pores and equally impressed by it.

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loveking on 5/13/2012 2:20:00 AM more reviews by loveking

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Dry, Tan, Warm   Hair: Black, Relaxed, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

This stuff is not supposed to be the number one quick fix, but it really does work over 2 or 3 nights. It works very well on erupted pimples although it doesn't dry as fast as I want it too, it doesn't dry out the applied area.

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iiidioteque on 5/11/2012 3:09:00 PM more reviews by iiidioteque

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair, Warm   Hair: Black, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

First, I have struggled with acne since I was in middle school, and I am now 24. I've tried many many products, including oral and topical, prescription and non-prescription, cheap and expensive. Through the years, my acne has gone from severe to mild, and back again. Bottom line: my skin is usually never happy.

I requested a sample pack from MB's website, and it included this drying cream. I had no idea what I would use it for, and left it in my medicine cabinet, while the other products worked wonders for my face (I bought full size of almost every sample, in addition to others.) One day, I got a HORRIBLE under-the-skin pimple (the cystic kind, ugh) which was absolutely painful. Usually, I just let these things ride out the two weeks that it takes to heal them, but instead I used the drying cream on it right before bed. When I woke up, the blemish was considerably smaller. So I repeated the process...and the next day it was GONE. Completely. Those of you who suffer from cystic acne and under the skin blemishes know how much of a pain (literally and figuratively) it is to deal with these skin issues, but this cream TRULY is a life saver. You can use it for other blemishes and what have you, but those are best left to MB's drying lotion or the buffering lotion.

The price is a little expensive, but really not bad at all for the amount you received and how little you need. If you suffer from bad cystic acne, this is for you. If not, trying the drying lotion instead!

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vcm87 on 4/11/2012 3:16:00 PM more reviews by vcm87

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Medium   Hair: Red   Eyes: Blue    

I've never written a review in my life, let's start off saying that.

Mario Badescu’s Drying Cream is the only product that has saved my skin entirely. I have been burdened with undersurface bumps, blackheads, and cystic acne for nearly four years due to moving back and forth from completely different climates. I highly recommend for people who suffer from undersurface bumps that feel there is no hope left for smooth skin.

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graci3 on 4/6/2012 8:37:00 AM more reviews by graci3

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Brown, Wavy, Coarse   Eyes: Black    

I'm on the fence about this product. You only need to use a tiny bit so the price isn't that bad for the amount you get. However, I really can't tell if it helps. Usually I put it on as a protective layer between my pimple and my makeup. That way I feel like I'm treating it but still able to cover it with makeup. At the end of the day though, my pimple isn't any smaller. I decided to try using it in a different way and I put a thick layer on overnight to see if that makes a difference, and it made my pimple come to a head and the area around it a bit pink. I'm not sure if that's good or bad but I guess it's easier to squeeze and get the gunk out. I was expecting the cream to dry out and flatten the pimple instead of making it come to a head though. I feel like pimples look worse when it comes to a head.

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