This spot treatment has the longest list of celebrity fans

In the beauty world, reputation is everything. And Mario Badescu has a REALLY good one, especially when it comes to treating acne-prone skin. Their Silver Powder is an oil-absorbing powder that’s great for blackheads; the Glycolic Acid Toner refreshes and tones dry, clogged skin; and the Whitening Mask can help heal acne scars. 

If you don’t suffer from breakouts, there’s still a lot for you to love. The Mario Badescu Vitamin C Serum contains 7.5 per cent ascorbic acid (aka vitamin C) to brighten skin and support collagen production. Who wouldn’t want that? We also love the Enzyme Cleansing Gel, which is an AHA exfoliant and cleanser in one, and let’s not forget Mario Badescu’s Facial Spray With Aloe, Herbs & Rosewater - one of these sells every 20 seconds at Mecca in Australia.

And even though all the aforementioned products are insanely good, we haven’t even gotten to the best part yet. The true hero product in the range that has cult status all around the world is the Mario Badescu Drying Lotion.

The Mario Drying Lotion is your best friend and a pimple’s worst nightmare. 

What’s all the fuss about?

So why is this spot treatment Mario Badescu’s number one best-selling product? Quite simply, it’s fast and effective. It works to heal and dry out the pimple to disappear it by morning. The main ingredients in the formula are calamine and salicylic acid. We already know how good salicylic acid is for treating breakouts (hint: it penetrate deep into pores to clear blockages), but what you probably don’t know about calamine is it’s a cooling anti-irritant with anti-inflammatory properties. So while salicylic acid clears the actual pimple, calamine heals the redness. Did we mention it does all this while you sleep?!

To shake or not to shake?

This is one of the most-asked questions about the Drying Lotion, and the answer is not what you’d expect. You should use your Drying Lotion straight up - not shaken or stirred. 

It may seem odd to leave the product separated with the pink sediment on the bottom and the clear solution on the top, but resist temptation. It’s the biggest mistake people make with this product, and can be the difference between lacklustre results and an overnight miracle!

The Mario Badescu website explains it like this:

“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 is applied so that it goes on opaque and pink, completely covering the bump. When you shake, that sediment becomes diluted.” 

How long to leave Mario Badescu Drying Lotion on for

Simply apply before bed then remove in the morning. It works overnight so all you have to do is sleep it off!

What’s the difference between the Mario Badescu Buffering Lotion vs Drying Lotion?

You know what’s better than one super spot treatment? Yep, two. The Buffering Lotion is a little more hardcore than the Drying Lotion and should be your go-to for larger and more painful acne, especially those extra-stubborn under-the-skin ones. Its water-like consistency is able to sink in deeper. Again, do not shake this product. 

Mario Badescu actually have one more spot treatment - the Mario Badescu Drying Cream. This one’s best suited to small bumps and surface pimples. 

Celebrities that swear by Mario Badescu Drying Lotion

Where do we begin? It’s a loong list that’s full of some of the most flawless complexions in the biz. Which only adds to its beauty cred. These are the celebs who openly shared their rave reviews for the spot treatment.

Lucy Hale

"Go to bed in clean sheets with a clean face, your Mario Badescu Drying Lotion on, and you're good to go," she shared with Into The Gloss. She also revealed that she has sensitive skin, so good to know this formula gets her tick of approval for her delicate skin type.

Kylie Jenner

"If any of you have a little pimple, this is a drying lotion that I love," shared Kylie Jenner in a SnapChat that detailed her favourite at-home acne treatment products.

Stella Maxwell

“I really like Mario Badescu Drying Lotion, it comes in a little pink bottle, and when you put it on a spot, or if you feel one coming, it totally dries it out,” Stella Maxwell said in an interview with Grazia UK.

Lili Reinhart

Riverdale star Lili Reinhart is no stranger to sharing her struggles with acne, and has posted selfies of herself using Mario Badescu Drying Lotion on numerous occasions.

Gwyneth Paltrow

“I always just use the same pimple thing from the facialist in New York I've had forever — that chalky Mario Badescu,” she shared with Byrdie. 

Khloe Kardashian

“You guys haven't lived if you haven't tried Mario Badescu Drying Lotion!!! Any time I have a pimple, I dab it with my Drying Lotion and let it sit overnight. The next morning, it's gone. OBSESSED!!! This replaced all the acne treatments I've tried before,” said Khloe during a rundown of her go-to pimple products on her (now-closed) website, khloewithak.com. 

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley

"One of my all-time favourites is the Mario Badescu Drying Lotion because I constantly have a spot. It helps with drying spots out,” Rosie told beauty influencer Marianna Hewitt in a video interview.

Zoe Foster Blake

When asked about her zit-zapping go-tos in an interview with Mamamia, Zoe named, “My beloved Mario Badescu’s Drying Lotion (a small bottle of magic with a calamine and salicylic acid lotion to soothe and calm the skin down while purifying it, and a pink 'clay' made of zinc oxide and sulfur at the bottom to draw the whiteheads out.).”

What else you need to know...

Cost: $26

Best suited for: Whiteheads (all skin types can use it)

Not suitable for: Broken skin

Directions for use: Dip a Q-tip into the bottle (remember, no shaking) so the tip is coated in the pink clay formula. Dab it onto each breakout; don’t rub it in. Leave it on overnight. Rinse off in the morning.

Where to buy: Mecca (in-store and online)

Not sure where a spot treatment fits into your skin care routine, or what order to apply your  toner, serums, day or night cream and eye cream? Here’s the order you should apply each product in your skin care routine.

Have you tried the Mario Badescu Drying Lotion? What did you think? What’s your favourite Mario Badescu skin care product? 

Main image credit: @lucyhale