Mario Badescu • Control Moisturizer for Oily Skin • Skincare - Face

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eeeee on 11/12/2012 11:55:00 AM more reviews by eeeee

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

Love this! I was skeptical about trying yet another moisturizer because they all seem to break me out despite being marketed for acne-prone skin. This is the first moisturizer in years that I have been able to apply to my entire face (I use a separate moisturizer for my eye area) that moisturizes sufficiently and of course, doesn't break me out. The only other I can think of was by Clean & Clear that had SPF and always stung (used it years ago, might break me out today). This has stung just the tiniest bit when I've applied it, but it goes away within a minute or two. I honestly didn't buy it because I expected it to control my oiliness (I use another product for that), because I have extremely oily skin, but just as a basic moisturizer. I use products for acne that give me flaky skin and this takes care of that.

If you're looking for a basic moisturizer that doesn't break you out, I would suggest you give this a try.


UPDATE: 02/11/2013
I took 2 lippies off (if I could I would've taken 1.5) I stopped using this all over my face because I'm not 100% convinced it doesn't clog my pores at least a little bit. Also, this product dries out horribly in the bottle. It comes with a squirt type application and I found myself wasting product to remove what dried out in the opening. Now I unscrew the top to apply around my mouth and nose resulting in a bunch of product drying out around the top. Also, don't forget to shake to mix before each use as it tends to separate.

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yucareb on 5/22/2011 2:40:00 PM more reviews by yucareb

Age: 36-43   Skin: Very Oily, Olive   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

I've been searching for years for a moiturizer that didn't cause more acne and that actually moisturized my skin without creating that "oil slick" effect. I've used this under mineral foundation and full coverage liquid foundation. I like the way my skin felt when I used it under mineral foundation, but my scars still showed through. I switched to a full coverage liquid foundation and found that my skin did feel tacky, but at least it wasn't "shiny". I have used an entire bottle in about six months and I used it day and night. I didn't really notice a smell to it after I put it on my skin. The dispenser did get clogged, but I realized that I could simply unscrew the cap and dispence a nickel size amount on the palm of my hand. I have noticed that after not using anything as a moisturizer for the last two weeks, that my face is breaking out repeatedly with no end in sight. The redness has also returned from my eczema. Although it's not the perfect moisturizer, it's as close to what my skin needs that I can find and I will be purchasing another bottle.

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Daniizle on 5/16/2011 11:30:00 AM more reviews by Daniizle

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Acne-prone, Olive   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

I love this! After having a really bad experience with Proactiv Sheer Tint Moisturizer, I went to ULTA for something to save my skin from this really nasty dryness. I told the girl who was there that I had oily skin but I was going through this "dry skin" period. She recommended this Mario Badescu moisturizer (she said it was for combination skin, but the picture looks like the one I have). $18. Sounds reasonable. I LOVE IT! I definitely recommend. Not too greasy or oily. Love it. Would buy agian

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twilightfanatic on 9/5/2010 10:59:00 AM more reviews by twilightfanatic

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

I got this product as a sample with my Mario Badescu online purchase and I really like it! I do have very oily, acne-prone skin, so I don't use this everyday, but I use so many acne products that really dry out my skin and every once in a while I like to put this on my dry spots and it really helps. It's a thick creamy susbstance (pink in color) that takes some rubbing to get it to soak in, but if your skin is pretty dry, this is a great moisturizer to fix it! I wanted something a little thicker for when my skin looked bad and flakey from all of my acne treatments and this stuff gets the job done. (so if you're looking for a lite moisturizer this isn't for you) It hasn't broken me out at all, (which is amazing), and it doesn't have a strong smell to it which is also great! It is on the pricey side ($18 for a 2 oz. bottle), but the little sample size that I have now has lasted for over a month already. I would reccomend getting this if you are one of the people who has very dry flakey skin, or you use lots of acne treatments that dry out spots on your face. :)

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azunino228 on 8/23/2010 5:34:00 PM more reviews by azunino228

Age: 25-29   Skin: Oily, Olive, Cool   Hair: Brown, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

I have oily skin and wanted something light and breathable for under my foundation during the day, but that I could also wear at night without waking up to an oil-slick. This was NOT it. First off this is just about the thickest moisturizer I've ever used! How could it be for oily skin? It seemed to soak in quickly but when I applied my powder foundation my face felt tacky and the brush seemed to stick a bit - and yes I wait for it to soak in before I apply foundation. It was either this or Pur Minerals that started my latest break-out, I can't be sure... but I returned them both. Oh and the smell was HORRID... it smells like clothes from an OLD cedar dresser... yuck!

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SucreWho on 4/29/2010 7:57:00 PM more reviews by SucreWho

Age: 19-24   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

For months I have had a battle trying to find a moisturizer that works on my oily skin. Anything with SPF in it would break me out in little bumps, and others just left me with an oil slick on my face by 2pm.

While browsing through ULTA one day, I saw the selection of Mario B. products and decided to give it a try.

I am SO thrilled at the results I've gotten. I use the moisturizer under my makeup in the mornings, and also apply before bed to use under my AHA cream. It sinks in quickly, doesn't feel greasy at all, is easily applied w/ the squeeze bottle, and has a nice smell.

For $18 for a 2oz, it is a great price for this awesome product!

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ohsewdizzy on 9/18/2009 12:26:00 AM more reviews by ohsewdizzy

Age: 44-55   Skin: Normal, Olive   Hair: Black   Eyes: Black    

i have been looking for a moisturizer that did not make my skin sweat under it. if you know what i mean by that then this is for you. i like this a lot! and will use this from now on.. after washing, my face always gets tight, if i put nothing on it i just seeps oil, i can see it coming out of my ginormous pores! with this it doesnt happen at all. yay!! very happy with this one... the scent is ok ... pleasent and thats all, it feels a little greasy on my finger tips but not on my face, its not rich for my eye area though.. still searching for an eye cream

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buffysaki on 3/28/2009 5:13:00 PM more reviews by buffysaki

Age: 36-43   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Hazel    

Sigh, I really wanted to like this. Religiously used the sample they kindly sent me only to conclude that it aggravated my moderate cystic acne. My goal was to find a winter moisturizer that would combat the flakiness and redness caused by my nightly Tazorac. I didn't notice much help there, either. (I'm currently trying Olay Regenerist night cream for the flakiness. I've temporarily given up on combating the redness.)

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VegasGlossJunkie on 3/15/2009 8:41:00 AM more reviews by VegasGlossJunkie

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair-Medium   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Green    

This did what it claims to do, it calmed my acne irritated skin, moisturizing without clogging pores or breaking me out worse. However, I wouldn't repurchase for a couple reasons. First, almost annoying enough to be a reason on its own, is the dispensing cap. While it works great for other MB products like cleanser and toner, the lotion dried and clogged up the little spout everytime after I used it, no matter how much creative squeezing I did to try and get the leftover cream back in the bottle. So, the next time I went to use it, there would be a dried gummy blockage in the spout. This gave me 2 options: squeeze reaaaally hard to try and blast the gunky part out, and risk squirting the whole bottle all over my bathroom, or the better option which I had to do EVERY TIME I wanted to moisturize my face... sterilizing a safety pin and scraping out enough gunk to let the moisturizer get thru. I tried using a toothpick, that would have been much more convenient, but of course, it was too big. The second reason is kinda underwhelming compared to the first. The moisturizer just didn't sink in enough, and no matter how little I used, I felt like I was wearing a greasy mask. It's a strange feeling seeing a matte face, yet feeling like there's an oil slick down your nose.


I would say this is good for emergencies only, for very very bad breakouts that are aggravated by other moisturizers, or skin so raw from Differin or Retin A, etc. that this is the only thing that will soothe it. It works for that, I know firsthand. Thankfully, those days are *knockwood* behind me, and there are much better moisturizers that work for my skin.

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afaceofsmile on 1/29/2009 11:45:00 AM more reviews by afaceofsmile

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Blue    

I've only been using this for a couple days, but I really like it so far. It seems thick, but isn't heavy and leaves my skin looking calm and matte. It has a very light scent that I find pleasant. It hasn't broken me out at all. The bottle it comes in looks small, but a tiny amount goes a long way. I would recommend this to anyone with oily, acne-prone, sensitive skin that needs moisture, but worries about greasiness.

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eskimo122 on 8/28/2008 1:12:00 PM more reviews by eskimo122

Age: 19-24   Skin: Sensitive, Fair, Warm   Hair: Blond, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Hazel    

i really like the whipped texture of this product. seems to be a decent moisturizer, but it's summer now so the true test will come in the winter. i have oily skin and it is nicely matte after i apply this. the balsam of peru makes me a little suspicious. i did some internet research and one site says balsam of peru should not be used long-term, so i dont know if that's true or not. possibly the amount of balsam of peru in the moisturizer is negligible. it is an antiseptic so it should be good for acned skin.

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*TOP REVIEWER* racheroonie on 6/28/2008 2:42:00 PM more reviews by racheroonie

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

This product was okay. I did kind of feel like I was wearing a mask when I put it on. It's not very sheer and does leave you VERY matte at first. It felt okay on my cheeks but on my forehead I felt stiff and I really didn't want to wear a oil control product, but more of an oil controlling moisturizer which I felt like this did not moisturize at all.

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maupauer on 4/29/2008 4:14:00 AM more reviews by maupauer

Age: 25-29   Skin: Sensitive, Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

so good it even reduces the redness in irritated skin! like all mario badescu products, amazing!

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ABirdsill on 4/12/2008 10:35:00 AM more reviews by ABirdsill

Age: 25-29   Skin: Very Oily, Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

I have extremely oily skin. This product does a great job at keeping my oily skin at bay.

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*TOP REVIEWER* luxed2 on 1/29/2008 8:21:00 PM more reviews by luxed2

Age: 36-43   Skin: Sensitive, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brown, Straight, Coarse   Eyes: Brown    

Non-oily, simple moisturizer that does not clog my pores and reduces redness. Has a soft, whipped texture that sinks right in. Contains balsam peru which is also the main ingredient in their Control Cream. This one's intended for oily-skinned acne-prones so it may not be enough moisture if your skin is dry. I have mild rosacea that is very sensitive and MB balsam peru and keratoplast products really calm my skin and reduce redness. However some people seem to be allergic to balsam peru, so I'd try a sample first. I've also used the Kera moisturizer, but I think I like this one better. It sinks in whereas the Kera moisturizer is more of a sealant.
Ingredients: Deionized Water, Balsam Peru, Seamollient, Cetearyl Alchohol (and) Ceteareth-20, Panthenol, Methylparaben, Propylparaben

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angielynne on 10/22/2007 8:37:00 PM more reviews by angielynne

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair, Warm   Hair: Blond, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Other    

I agree that the name of this product is not right. It does leave my skin with a matte look, but it is not really oily and it doesnt make my skin feel like the oil is being controlled. This is a serious moisturizer. It is made for when you are using very drying acne treatments. For that, it does very well. It doesnt have an odor, it feels nice on my skin, and it makes it so I can treat my acne symptoms without the peeling and drying, and unlike some other strong moisturizers, there is no oiliness to it.

Bottom line: If you are using acne treatments that are drying out your skin use this product. It will keep your skin hydrated. If you are looking for a light and light weight moisturizer that keeps your skin from being oily, dont buy this.

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*TOP REVIEWER* starladear on 10/21/2006 1:16:00 PM more reviews by starladear

Age: 30-35   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Red   Eyes: Green    

OK, I like this product, but I am not convinced that it has the right name. Does it control oil? I'm not sure. I have extremely oily skin, and though there are a few moisturizers out there that DO actually help with my oilies, this does not seem to be one of them. That does not mean that someone with less oily skin than myself will not benefit.

I would say that this is more for combination skin, but my skin is really weird, and I still like this. I do think it is a bit heavy, but it absorbs quickly and efficiently enough that your skin feels kind of squeaky afterward. On a hot day, I will not go for this lotion, though, or else I will feel it lifted off of my skin and within a few hours it will be floating on top of oil--too heavy.

That said, I like to use this on my T-zone area when it is feeling dry (no, I'm not kidding, I have a drier T-zone sometimes, but always terribly oily cheeks). I'm not sure if I'm supposed to do this, but I LOVE to use this as an eye cream. My skin, as I said, is weird--I have really oily skin but sometimes I get eczema; sometimes I can be scaly, yet oily over my scales. That is what this is good for. Absolutely guiltless moisture (I'm sure some of you out there will know what I mean), when I need it.

This also makes my face very soft; it feels good to put makeup over. So sometimes I actually use this on my whole face, if I am going out to dinner or somewhere else where I will only be gone for a few hours maximum (not so much time to 'oily up').

I don't like the packaging so much. If you don't use it every day, the little 'spout' thing gets clogged with hardened product, and it is difficult to remove the clog.

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jaxselby on 9/27/2006 2:18:00 AM more reviews by jaxselby

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

Although this moisturizer does go on thick and gloopy and absorbs poorly, I do have to say that it is non-irritating, absorbs oil, and soothes skin. Although I hate to use it under make-up (it really ought to be marketed as an exclusively night time cream) I am currently using it to help clear my skin from break-outs caused by Murad's pomegranate moisturizer and it is doing a great job.

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spiderweb on 3/28/2006 6:21:00 PM more reviews by spiderweb

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

I don't really see how this is supposed to be for very oily skin it would be better for more combination skin but it is very thick too intense for oily skin. This also isn't really made for very sensitive skin because of the balsam of peru it contains. If you don't have very sensitive skin it would be fine but balsam of peru actually sensitizes skin and is not an anti-inflammatory as Mario badescu claims. The packaging is pretty bad too(like all their moisture lotions) because the nozzle at the top gets clogged quite frequently. The price isn't that bad though and you can request a sample from their website. I would recommend this product for more combination non-sensitive skin though.

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*TOP REVIEWER* Tahari on 11/2/2005 9:07:00 PM more reviews by Tahari

Age: 25-29   Skin: Oily, Fair, Cool   Hair: Blond, Curly, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

I have really oily skin, but this moisturizer is just perfect for the winter months. It balances out my skin tone, and isn't THAT greasy. Because my skin is so oily I don't think I could wear this in the summer, but it is just PERFECT for protecting and moisturizing my skin in colder weather. I would recommend this to anyone this winter! :)

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