Index / Mario Badescu / Drying Lotion
Mario Badescu

Drying Lotion.

Mario Badescu Drying Lotion
Moisturizers

About this product

A spot treatment lotion designed to dry out blemishes overnight, typically applied with a cotton swab directly to pimples.

Best for

Acne-prone skin
Moisturizers

The Guru Index verdict

50%

Mixed

~Mixed · 50%
3Reviewers
0Approved
0Mixed
3Skip

What the gurus are saying

The gurus who reviewed it were decidedly skeptical. Multiple experts flagged that drying lotions like this one can actually increase the risk of scarring and hyperpigmentation rather than help, and that better alternatives exist. The application itself poses a practical problem: the formula separates into layers and requires a clean cotton swab each time to avoid introducing bacteria into the bottle, which adds friction to an already questionable approach.
Synthesized from 3 expert reviews

Key actives & flags

Salicylic acid (BHA)SPFFragrance-free

Full ingredients

Isopropyl Alcohol, Aqua (Water, Eau), Calamine, Camphor, Sulfur, Zinc Oxide, Talc, Glycerin, Salicylic Acid, Ci 77891 (Titanium Dioxide)

Where to buy

Every take, in full

What the gurus are saying.

Every take we've logged from this product's reviews across YouTube. Click any row to watch the moment they said it.

All takes Approved only Skip only Mixed only Hide sponsored
Mad About Skin
Mad About Skin
720k subs · 10k devotees
✕Skip
"Stripping and drying lotions such as the Mario Badescu drying lotion which I had on screen earlier actually do more harm than good. Increase the risk of scarring and just hyperpigmentation central. Take it from someone that's been using these for years. They don't work. There are better options."
Hyram
Hyram
4.36M subs · 31k devotees
✕Skip
"That blemish lotion is very obvious looking on the skin. The drying lotion is usually something you use overnight. You want to use the Q-tip so you don't get any bacteria into the bottle that could sit in that nice moist environment and compromise the formula because it's not going to help your breakout. The whole reason you use a Q-tip for this product is because it's based so it's naturally meant to separate into two different consistencies and inserting the Q-tip down into it helps to essentially pair the two layers together for application on the pimple. They always specifically say with that product to not shake it up, not to mix it."
Dr. Vanita Rattan
Dr. Vanita Rattan
1.22M subs · 10k devotees
✕Skip
"Mario Badescu drying lotion is a disaster."
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