Mario Badescu • Enzyme Cleansing Gel • Cleansers

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*TOP REVIEWER* reallyrita on 2/6/2012 1:04:00 PM more reviews by reallyrita

Age: 56 & Over   Skin: Dry, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

I loved the feel of this cleanser but the smell was too strong for me. It did a really nice job of cleansing and did not leave my face feeling taunt. However, about 20 minutes after washing with it, my cheeks started to burn. Looked in the mirror and found that my rosacea cheeks were bright red. I do not think this is a cleanser problem, it is a problem with my sensitive skin. Funny thing, only my checks got hot and flushed. It did calm down by morning but I am going to have to give my bottle of this to my DD. I am not taking lippies off because of my own experience because I have fragile skin. The bottle is nice and simple, the gel non-foaming does work well, but again, too much scent. Maybe it was the scent that affected my skin.

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allthecolours on 2/4/2012 8:17:00 AM more reviews by allthecolours

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

This cleanser did not work for me at all. It burnt my skin, felt like it left a residue on my face yet at the same time dried my skin out, broke me out all over my face. I used it for a month but ended up throwing it away as it wrecked my skin.

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*TOP REVIEWER* shannon804 on 2/3/2012 4:39:00 PM more reviews by shannon804

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Medium Brown, Warm   Hair: Brown, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

This is a great gentle cleanser. That said, if you want your cleanser to foam, do not buy this. I massage a dime-size dollop all over my face, wait a few seconds, then rinse off with warm water. It cleanses without drying my skin and I will have to throw the bottle out before I can use it all.

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everitt4 on 1/31/2012 9:24:00 PM more reviews by everitt4

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

I've been using this for years, and now that I'm getting older, it's my go-to facial cleanser. During pregnancy, it's been perfect for my morning routine. Not too tightening, gentle enough now that I've got more of a "glow" to my face and am overall less oily than before.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

phoebe9797 on 1/24/2012 7:18:00 PM more reviews by phoebe9797

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

Just bought this cleanser last week after using shiseido 'perfect whip' and returning it. I had a bad reaction to that product- the amount of chemicals contains in a single cleanser is disgusting. After a single wash my usually resilient skin was dry, irritated and broke out in a rash. You could feel the chemicals as you used the product.

So it goes without saying that I was looking for a replacement cleanser that was gentle and relatively natural but still effective to use on my combination/acne prone skin. This cleanser was exactly that. I didn't have high expectations, mainly due to the price ($18 AUD) and few ingredients, but I was really impressed. I have tried so many cleansers, most recently finished a bottle of Avene Cleanance, but this was so much better. I love that it feels natural and gentle, and its a really nice consistency- between a gel and a cream. The bottle is great and hygienic and the cleanser removes all my makeup without any residue or tight feeling. After cleansing, I am left with baby soft skin that glows and looks much clearer, and has a slight natural 'green' fragrance which is refreshing. This cleanser has rebalanced my skin, and I have less breakouts and dry areas, with a more even skin tone.

I would have never thought you could get such a good cleanser for less that $20 but I have been proved wrong. This is definitely my new HG cleanser and I highly recommend it to anyone with normal/combination skin. The only negative is that it contains methylparaben, otherwise it would be a perfect cleanser.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

xogabr13lla on 1/15/2012 1:05:00 PM more reviews by xogabr13lla

Age: 19-24   Skin: Oily, Fair-Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Other    

This was an early Christmas gift to myself and let me tell you, I am glad I bought it.

This cleanser has virtually gotten rid of all my acne. How? I'm not quite sure, but as it has gotten rid of my acne, it has also made my skin so much smoother and softer. I usually have to use harsh products to control my oily combination skin, but this does just fine, while still leaving my skin moisturized. I have noticed that my makeup has a better application now that I am using this product.

It's $20.00, which isn't cheap, but I have been using it for about three weeks, and my bottle is basically still full. Also, it gives you a lot of product - like 16oz worth of product for that price. Not too bad!

I definitely would recommend this to anyone with oily combination or combination skin! It's a great buy and I know I will definitely continue to use this product for years to come.

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Prissbella on 1/6/2012 4:47:00 PM more reviews by Prissbella

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Hazel    

I guess after always coming back to this for over 7 years it's long overdue I claim this as a favorite. No super bells or whistles just a nice cleanser that never breaks me out. I adore the scent and love that it doesn't foam up. I wish it had a better ingredient list but all in all it has minimal ingredients. It's also priced super well.

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Vdelga6 on 1/3/2012 1:16:00 PM more reviews by Vdelga6

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Other    

Although I loved the smell and fresh feeling of this cleanser, I don't feel it actually did any deep cleansing. I have combination skin and my T-zone easily forms whiteheads so I wanted a gentle/natural cleanser but unfortunately it couldnt control my oil throughout the day. I didn't form new whiteheads but my skin became very shiny towards the middle ( I also used the yellow toner by badescu). So if your skin gets oily fast, not sure this is for you.

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elliemarie17 on 12/20/2011 3:51:00 PM more reviews by elliemarie17

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

Miracle in a bottle! I've been using this stuff twice a day for only 3 days now and I am already seeing major improvement in my skin! I am a young teen with acne-prone, oily-combo skin and this stuff really helps clean my pores, unclog blackheads & whiteheads, and even prevent & clear up my acne! I really love the texture and smell of this product. I feel like I am actually treating my skin with this, unlike most of the non-working drugstore cleansers out there. I have used so many and I've finally found the cleanser I've been looking for all these years! It hasn't cleared up my acne but it is helping and I can really see a difference already that my skin has improved. I exchanged my MB Acne Cleanser for this and I am so glad I did! That product was okay but didn't really do anything to help my acne, but this does! It does not irritate my sensitive skin or dry it out, but it does help my oily skin become more matte..and I think that's awesome! It's also evening out my skintone! I have never used a cleanser that does so many amazing things for my face. I am truly impressed thus far!! I will write an update in a week or so to show progress.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

Blubird23 on 11/19/2011 1:04:00 AM more reviews by Blubird23

Age: 30-35   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

Not a good product for me, this plus another MB product left my skin very irritated and I'm still working on repairing my skin barrier 6 months later. At the same time, my acne cleared up completely while using this and I broke out again when I stopped so I might have had more luck with this product when I was younger and had oilier, less sensitive skin. Also, I really dont trust MB's ingredient listings as this product seems to have color and fragrance added and there is none listed (this is not the only one of their products I've seen where the ingredients don't add up.)

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sremmers123 on 11/10/2011 3:36:00 PM more reviews by sremmers123

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Medium, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

Yes, yes, yesss. I love this stuff! I ordered this product off of Hautelook so I got it for an awesome price ($18 for 16oz if I remember correctly).

First off, the bottle is effing HUGE. I have a feeling this cleanser is going to last me a year, maybe even longer. With this product, I only need to use the tiniest amount! A pea size and a half is perfect. This is the first non-foaming cleanser that I've tried so it definitely took a bit of getting used to. It's a really smooth consistency. I occasionally use this with a Skinsonic (Clarisonic-type cleansing brush) but I actually like it more when I just use my hands.

The smell of this cleanser put me off a bit at first but now I'm used to it, I don't even notice it. I really like the color and sometimes it looks like there are shimmers in the product!

I like the fact that there are so few ingredients too. I can pronounce everything in the list. That's one of the reasons I really wanted to try these products.

This cleanser really has helped me skin a lot! I was previously using the PTR Beta Hydroxy Acid cleanser, which I loved, but this Mario Badescu cleanser has just stolen my heart. My skin is so smooth, it's ridiculous. Like, my face seriously feels like a baby's butt. I rarely break out now and I feel like it's even helping the blackheads I've got too. The main reason I wanted this cleanser is because of the gentle exfoliation because of the papaya extract. I feel like this is helping my hyperpigmentation a lot! Whenever I get a pimple, I always get a dark spot afterwards. This cleanser is helping to fade those.

2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

Productboi20 on 10/18/2011 9:05:00 AM more reviews by Productboi20

Age: 25-29   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

Over all fun, average cleanser... too large of bottle.. make you feel like you are using a bargain brand or something. Not bad to use as a body wash in all honesty.

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Caitie379 on 10/17/2011 11:04:00 PM more reviews by Caitie379

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

My skin is sensitive, and I used to have terribly combo skin which was very oily in the T-zone causing an overload of blackheads which lead to me over cleansing which led to a flaky nose 24/7. Over the past 6 months I have been researching and changing my skincare routine. I read reviews on this cleanser and decided to give it a try. It is non foaming and non irritating. I also think that it smells wonderful. When I first started to use this cleanser, I used it along with Mario's Silver Powder to really hit my skin. The first week was TERRIBLE but in a good way, as my skin was purging everything out. I had so many more pimples than I usually ever get and I was beginning to worry, but after that my skin has never looked better. This cleanser helps with blackheads,whiteheads. My skin is so clear and glowing with NO REDNESS. I think I've found my HG.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

akern9k on 10/7/2011 2:50:00 PM more reviews by akern9k

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair, Cool   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Green    

I'm really enjoying this cleanser. I have very, very sensitive skin that's very combination, with nose, chin, and between eyebrows prone to lots of tiny little papules and milia-type oil plugs. I'm always wary of strong products because I often feel I break out worse the more aggressively I try to just treat these little almost-invisible oil plugs. However, I was impressed at the very short, pronounceable list of ingredients in this cleanser. It took a few uses to get used to the fact that it doesn't foam, but it rubs in beautifully with fingers, and always leaves my skin feeling perfect once I've patted dry. My face feels refreshed, purified, and clean, while never feeling the least bit tight or dry - and this has happened to me with other cleansers marketed as being for "sensitive" skin. I feel it's effective enough at night to get everything off (I use jojoba oil or Boscia's oil cleanser if I'm wearing very heavy sunscreen or tons of makeup, which is admittedly rare), and gentle enough for use in the morning when I don't need as much of a deep cleanse. I'm very impressed, and also think it's a pretty good bargain, since you get a fairly huge 8oz bottle for 12$ - given the generous size of it that seems to be almost on par with most drugstore brands. Overall, I'm impressed, and plan to repurchase - recommend if you see your skincare in my description - super sensitive combo types. A winner! The packaging could be a tiny bit better, but it's honestly not even enough for me to take off a star since I feel this is such an effective product.

6 out of 6 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* MAChostage on 9/12/2011 1:22:00 PM more reviews by MAChostage

Age: 44-55   Skin: Normal, Warm   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

I have been using this product for at least 8 weeks now. I am completely sold on it. My complexion is smoother, clearer and more even toned that it has been in years. It took me a while to get used to using a non-foaming cleanser but I certainly don't miss that quality now. Love it!

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

cendana on 9/12/2011 2:30:00 AM more reviews by cendana

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

No fuss cleanser, this one is. It smells so fresh and so good it makes you feel good using it. It does not strip your skin. It cleanses well and can even be used to remove your base makeup (such as foundation). Massage onto your skin and use damp warm face cloth to cleanse off. You can see the foundation just melts off your face. This is soothing and first product from Mario Badescu and I'm impressed. You might get put off by its non foamingness but you don't need the foam to feel that it has cleansed your face thoroughly.
In Australia, you can get them from Kit Cosmetics at AUD$35.95 for a good 236ml bottle

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tofusteak on 9/8/2011 11:54:00 AM more reviews by tofusteak

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Black, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

At first, I believed that this was a super product--maybe even HG. After I washed my face with this, it felt soft and looked brighter. It also didn't leave my skin dry after washing.

However, I noticed that after a week of using this, my chin broke out really badly (can you say 'constellation of pimples'??). At first I didn't think the cleanser was the culprit so I continued using it. I put clindamycin on the pimples then moved on with my life. The following nights however, I noticed that the other side of my chin was also developing small bumps and whiteheads and then alarm bells started to ring in my head. I'd never had this bad of a breakout so I believe that since this was the only item I added to my regimen then this must be the culprit. Such a tragedy. I've stopped using this cleanser today. I'll update in a week's time to show if there's been any improvement.

2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

jjapples on 9/1/2011 10:31:00 AM more reviews by jjapples

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair, Cool   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Grey    

I went in to Mecca Cosmetica to get some advice after Clinique anti blemish 3 step ruined my skin. Along with a separate 3 step regimen the SA suggested I try this in the morning as a gentle non-foaming cleanser.
I was skeptical, because I've never used a non-foaming cleanser and wasn't sure that my skin would feel clean (I'm the sort of person that likes a cleanser with little exfoliating beads, otherwise I feel like my skin isn't being cleansed completely) but she assured me that she uses it and loves it.
I love the smell first of all. It's fresh and botanical and really invigorating.
As for cleansing my skin - it's great. It clears off every bit of make up (which the Clinique never did even with cleanser and toner) with only the smallest amount needed (about the size of a little finger nail) and leaves my skin feeling fresh and soft and completely clean. The 8oz bottle will probably last 4-5 months, so it is really very cheap ($36 in Australia) and I am definitely looking forward to trying more of the Mario Badescu range.
***UPDATE***
After 2 weeks using only the enzyme cleanser -nothing else, no topical treatments, special toners or moisturisers - my skin is almost completely clear!
I am amazed. I honestly thought I was imagining it but people keep telling me how great my skin looks and after only two weeks! There is no dryness, no flaky skin, no red patches, even the marks left behind after the pimples are fading fast. I cannot recommend this cleanser highly enough. It's brilliant!
***ANOTHER UPDATE***
Yeah it's that good it warrants another update.
Between the last one and now I was using Dr Brandt 3 step Blemishes No More on the advice of the sales girl at Mecca. It didn't make things worse like Clinique did, but it didn't really improve things very much and considering the price I was expecting visibly results.
I was still using the Enzyme cleanser every morning and the other at night and after almost 2 months I decided to just go with the Enzyme cleanser.
My skin is completely clear. For the first time in my life since I was 13 I haven't got a single pimple anywhere. There's a couple of tiny under-surface bumps and some blackheads ( a lot less than before) but my skin is clear and healthy looking and I actually go out on the weekends without make up - a huge deal for me.
I cannot recommend this highly enough and I'm off to Kit to get other MB products to get my skin in perfect condition.
I also lowered the price rating to dirt cheap because Mecca and Kit have dropped their prices by at least $12 on each product which is excellent.
Seriously, if you have tried everything else, give this a go. Start small with one product and build up, I'd be really surprised if it didn't work for you. I have spent probably a couple of thousand dollars over the last 12 years one everything you can imagine and this is the only product that has ever given me these kinds of results.
Without a doubt my HG cleanser!

5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* priyaj on 7/20/2011 11:22:00 AM more reviews by priyaj

Age: 25-29   Skin: Dry, Dark   Hair: Black, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Black    

I really like this cleanser. It is gentle, thick, has good ingredients, does not dry out my skin, and leaves my skin feeling soft. Unlike the Seaweed cleansing soap, it does not leave behind a "squeaky"-clean feel as if the skin has been stripped of all its natural oils. It also does not leave my skin feeling tight. Cetaphil also has some of those qualities, but I never felt like it was getting my face CLEAN. This cleanser is 10x's better. I was a little disappointed in the smell because all of the other MB products I tried have wonderful wonderful smells and this one I didn't like as much. This works great with my Clarisonic and I alternate between this and the Glycolic foaming cleanser.

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*TOP REVIEWER* laurentothemax on 7/3/2011 8:35:00 PM more reviews by laurentothemax

Age: 25-29   Skin: Sensitive, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Blue    

My favorite facial cleanser ever. Great with my clairsonic but also amazing just using my fingertips. Gentle, effective, reasonably priced and smells great. It does not irritate or dry out my super sensitive skin. I've used this exclusively for the past year. The Bf and I have probably gone thru 6 bottles of this stuff, and it works equally well for his less sensitive more oily skin. The ONLY reason I deducted one lippie is because its pretty ineffective for removing eye makeup.

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