I’ve always leaned on chemical exfoliants to keep my skin as clear and even as possible, but I always err on the side of caution (no one wants a red, itchy, sensitive face). That’s why an exfoliating cleanser is a nice middle ground—they’re not as intense as a leave-on formula. It won’t come as a surprise that the heavy-hitting ingredient here is glycolic acid. Glycolic acid is part of the alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) family, which is known to slough off surface cells, leaving the complexion smooth and even. AHAs don't dissolve oil, so they won't clear out clogged pores—try something with a BHA if that's what you are looking for. But they will remove the dead skin that contributes to congestion. Bottom Line: A clay-based mask that contains beneficial skin-brightening ingredients, but keep in mind the formula contains parabens and fragrance.

According to Healthline, using calamine lotion as spot treatment can help because calamine lotion has drying properties, it can help dry out pimples caused by excess oil faster. But overdrying acne can cause irritation and make acne worse, so calamine lotion should be used sparingly. Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant that protects the skin from free radicals, the unstable molecules that contribute to the formation of premature wrinkles and fine lines on the skin. After two weeks of consistent use, I'm pleasantly surprised with just how much of a difference this product made. My face definitely feels smoother and a tiny bit more radiant and even, likely due to the gentle exfoliation. While I wouldn't say it's overly stripping, it did leave my skin a little tight, so I was sure to follow up with a hydrating serum each time. The formula also includes beneficial ingredients like niacinamide, panthenol, and allantoin. We love all three of these ingredients, but it’s better to use them in leave-on products. Since Mario Badescu Buffering Lotion is only meant to be left on for 15 minutes, these ingredients don’t have much time to provide benefits. Bottom Line: An alcohol-free, mild resurfacing toner that uses glycolic acid to promote mild exfoliation, but keep in mind the formula includes parabens and fragrance.Think of it this way: The pink dot you make on your face works like a teeny overnight mask that gives targeted attention to your blemish. You want the product to be clay-like when it’s applied so that it goes on opaque and pink, completely covering the bump. When you shake, that sediment becomes diluted. Like most cleansers, the formula contains surfactants as key ingredients. A surfactant molecule contains one end that is hydrophilic (attracted to water) and one end that is lipophilic (attracted to oil). This allows surfactants to attract and suspend oils, dirt, and other impurities that have accumulated on the skin and wash them away. Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant that helps to protect your skin from environmental free radical damage.Furthermore,research suggests that when vitamin C is applied to the skin, it significantly reverses aging-related structural changes by influencing collagen and elastin synthesis. The Mario Badescu Peptide Renewal Serum was designed to serve as a gentle anti-aging serum alternative to more traditional and aggressive anti-aging actives. The formula behind this product contains a range of botanical ingredients and safe synthetics including yarrow, sage, green tea, palmaria palmata, willow bark, sorghum bicolor stalk juice and of course, peptides. Starting off with the botanical ingredients, each of these extracts offers immense nutritional benefits which help to maintain healthy looking, well functioning skin. These botanicials are also extremely antioxidant rich, which helps to prevent environmental damage, which more and more research is linking to signs of premature aging like wrinkles, fine lines and hyperpigmentation. Peptides on the other hand are amino acid precursors which encourage the production of collagen and elastin in the skin. Since the natural production of both of these compounds slows down as we age, peptides help to supplement that loss, creating a more youthful looking complexion in the long run.

A 2018 study by Women’s Voices for the Earth discovered that in over 3,000 chemicals reportedly used for fragrances, 1,242 were chemicals of concern – and that included at least 7 possible carcinogenic (cancer-causing) agents. How Much Do Mario Badescu Skin Care Products Cost? Glycolic acid is a type of alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) that exfoliates the skin by targeting corneocytes (dead skin cells that make up the stratum corneum) in a process called corneocyte desquamation. By enhancing their breakdown and increasing the separation of skin cells, the rate of cell turnover is increased, leading to smoother, brighter skin and a more even complexion. Isopropyl Alcohol, Aqua (Water, Eau), Calamine, Camphor, Sulfur, Zinc Oxide, Talc, Glycerin, Salicyclic Acid, CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide) These brightening ingredients are formulated into a base of kaolin, a type of natural clay that helps to absorb excess oil and unclog pores. It also helps to gently exfoliate your skin as you wash the mask off.The cleanser also includes surfactants to remove excess oil and surface impurities, as well as soothing extracts like marsh mallow extract, chamomile extract, yarrow extract, and St. John’s Wort extract. Aqua (Water, Eau), Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, PEG-8 Stearate, PPG-2 Hydroxyethyl Cocamide, Carica Papaya (Papaya) Fruit Extract, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Extract, Carbomer, Sodium Chloride, Parfum (Fragrance), Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Triethanolamine, Diazolidinyl Urea, Linalool, Hexyl Cinnamal, Benyl Alcohol, Limonene, Citronellol, Gerianol, Mica, CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), CI 19140 (Yellow 5),CI 42090 (Blue 1), CI 15985 (Yellow 6)

As for the fragrance used in Mario Badescu products, we already mentioned that fragrance has the potential to cause skin sensitivity. In addition, the use of synthetic fragrance ingredients can be a problem because the brand can use a proprietary blend of chemicals to create the fragrance, and they do not have to disclose which chemicals they use on the label. They are allowed to list this blend as “Fragrance (Parfum)” on the ingredient list. Others who tried Mario Badescu Drying Lotion didn’t notice any change whatsoever. For example, one review says, “I used this product after I wash my face and use my toner before going to bed, sadly it did not make any changes for me, I tried using it for a week.” Our Verdict Overall, we think that some Mario Badescu skin care products are better than others, and we would recommend avoiding the products that include parabens and fragrance. Pros I have very dry sensitive skin, my face was flaky even though I exfoliate regularly and moisturize daily. I recently turned thirty and my same routine was not working anymore. Honestly the moisturizer plus my makeup would just look oily and cakey with little flakes of skin peeling up. I felt like old peeling wallpaper and it was embarrassing to have dandruff in my eyebrows. The name of this product includes “enzyme” because of the papaya fruit extract in the formula. Papaya is rich in an enzyme called papain.Just as the name suggests, vitamin C is the key ingredient in Mario Badescu Vitamin C Serum. In fact, the formula includes three forms of vitamin C — ascorbic acid, tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, and 3-O-ethyl ascorbic acid — for enhanced stability. Parabens have been linked to reproductive, immunological, neurological and skin irritation problems. Parabens penetrate the skin and hang around in our bodies. As preservatives, parabens keep the bacteria out of the products, but keep in mind there are clean alternatives.