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Details & care
What it is: A potent sulfur- and salicylic-acid solution that helps minimize large clusters of acne, prevent future eruptions and reduce inflammation and redness.
Who it's for: Ideal for those with combination or oily skin types.
What it does: Deep, cystic pimples are painful, slow to heal and can often lead to permanent scarring, so speedy damage control is necessary. This fast-working lotion is easily absorbed into the skin for treating deep acne at its source.
How to use: After cleansing and toning, shake bottle well and apply lotion with fingertips to erupted areas of face or directly on the individual, cystic pimples. Use every other night.
- 1 oz.
- Paraben-free; sulfate-free; phthalate-free
- Cruelty-free
- Item #176009
Ingredients
Isopropyl Alcohol, Propylene Glycol, Zinc Oxide, Hydrolyzed Yeast Protein, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Panthenol, Allantoin, Biotin, Isopropyl Myristate, Stearalkonium Hectorite, Pyridoxine Hcl, Propylene Carbonate.
Ingredients are subject to change at the manufacturer's discretion. For the most complete and up-to-date list of ingredients, refer to the product packaging
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Mario Badescu
Offering simple, gentle and effective skin care is the mission of Mario Badescu, who began his career in his native Romania. Then, nearly 50 years ago, he rose to fame in Manhattan, where he served an elite and demanding clientele. The brand's focus is on formulations for individual skin types and needs—from powerful acne solutions to potent treatments that counter the effects of aging.
Most helpful positive review
Mar 12, 2015
FINALLY!!!
This product is my saving grace!! I've been battling acne since my teens and it was not until the past two years (when I turned 28, I am now 30) that my mild whiteheads became severe cystic acne. For these past two years, I have tried EVERYTHING under the sun: birth control pills, antibiotics, prescription retinols, expensive masks and peels from Sephora, facials, professional grade peels.... the list goes on. My skin is so sensitive and acne prone that all of these treatments either exacerbated the acne or just did not work at all. There were nights where I'd cry at how uncontrollable and horrendous my skin was.
Enter Mario Badescu's Buffering Lotion. After hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars spent on skin care to have my cystic acne under control, I wish I had started my search with this little $17 bottle. This product is not a miracle in a bottle, but is HIGHLY effective in treating the cysts. I noticed my large, inflamed acne looked better the first morning after I left it on overnight. By the second morning, they are noticeably flatter and smaller. Also, I have not gotten a pimple since I started using this. I definitely feel like my skin is finally under control. Although the directions says to use it every other day, I use the lotion every night. Yes, it dries my skin, but it's either dry skin or painful cystic acne for me. I'd rather have dry skin and use additional moisturizer - no big deal.
It does work best when used as a primer layer before applying the Drying Mask, and then re-applying the Buffering Lotion after rinsing off the mask. I use this method about twice a week.
Thank you Mario!!!!
Chris517
8found this helpful
Most helpful critical review
Dec 30, 2019
Incentivized review
doesn’t work
I’ve found this to be ineffective for my cystic acne. I’ve used for a few weeks now and haven’t noticed the slightest change.
alainacar
Verified purchase
1found this helpful
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Chris517
Mar 12, 2015
FINALLY!!!
This product is my saving grace!! I've been battling acne since my teens and it was not until the past two years (when I turned 28, I am now 30) that my mild whiteheads became severe cystic acne. For these past two years, I have tried EVERYTHING under the sun: birth control pills, antibiotics, prescription retinols, expensive masks and peels from Sephora, facials, professional grade peels.... the list goes on. My skin is so sensitive and acne prone that all of these treatments either exacerbated the acne or just did not work at all. There were nights where I'd cry at how uncontrollable and horrendous my skin was.
Enter Mario Badescu's Buffering Lotion. After hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars spent on skin care to have my cystic acne under control, I wish I had started my search with this little $17 bottle. This product is not a miracle in a bottle, but is HIGHLY effective in treating the cysts. I noticed my large, inflamed acne looked better the first morning after I left it on overnight. By the second morning, they are noticeably flatter and smaller. Also, I have not gotten a pimple since I started using this. I definitely feel like my skin is finally under control. Although the directions says to use it every other day, I use the lotion every night. Yes, it dries my skin, but it's either dry skin or painful cystic acne for me. I'd rather have dry skin and use additional moisturizer - no big deal.
It does work best when used as a primer layer before applying the Drying Mask, and then re-applying the Buffering Lotion after rinsing off the mask. I use this method about twice a week.
Thank you Mario!!!!
8found this helpful
GretaW
Jan 22, 2014
Very impressed!
I occasionally get cystic acne (usually on my forehead). It's of the hormonal variety so unfortunately there's not a lot I can do to prevent it. In instances where I'm not able to get a cortisone shot from my dermatologist, I have tried EVERYTHING under the sun to get a cyst to go away. Nothing has ever worked as well as this Buffering Lotion.
I currently have a cyst on my forehead and I heard about this product from a friend. I used it last night, and while my cyst is no where near gone, it IS improved. Yesterday before I used the Buffering Lotion, the cyst was about the size of a dime, very swollen and raised, oozing, and extremely painful. When I woke up, I would say the size of the cyst was cut in half. It wasn't nearly as swollen, and MUCH less painful. That was more than I could have expected and much better results than I've ever gotten from anything else I tried. I'm very impressed with this product and I'll be using it the second I feel a cyst coming on in the future.
6found this helpful
Olive33
Dec 13, 2015
Amazing
Before children I had great skin. I'm now 35 and 3 kids later have acne scarring and terrible hormonal cystic acne along my jaw line and chin. I have tried everything...Clinique, Murad, Peter Thomas Roth, Philosophy, Kate Sommerville, Derma Dr...the list goes on and on. I also never write reviews but this product is amazing. After using for 2 nights I have zero painful cysts left. Not even 1 tiny bump along my jaw. I'm headed back to the store today to look at additional products from this line to try and improve on some of the scarring. Try it if you've tried everything else. Great price as well.
5found this helpful
Helen2014
Jan 28, 2015
Two words: Life Saver!
So my friend has been raving about this stuff for a few years now but I hardly get pimples so I never really cared. That was until a few weeks ago when I felt one of those underneath the skin cystic pimples on my chin that was growing so big I got a fat lip. I immediately ran to Nordstrom at her advice and bought this stuff. After just 1 day of applying it every few hours (even though the directions say every other day), the pimple just retreated back behind enemy lines! It never even fully came to the surface. This stuff truly worked a miracle!
If you get those painful giant cystic pimples that you can feel growing under the skin before you can see them, I highly recommend getting this stuff to prevent them from ever even fully coming up.
5found this helpful
MoiraAislinn
Mar 28, 2014
Miracles do happen
I have suffered from severely painful cystic acne for years. Accutane helped for a bit, but recently I began again having run-ins with the pests. Something had to happen. I now use botanical facial gel, special cleansing lotion "c", and BUFFERING LOTION. Let me tell you. My skin is glowing. My skin MIGHT have looked like this when I was 3. I am so excited! Thank you, Mario Badescu!
4found this helpful
poppimom
Oct 6, 2013
Considerably lessens the PAIN of cystic acne
Since going off birth control pills after 10 years, I am battling cystic acne again. While I hate the redness, and general eruption...what I also can't stand is the fact that it is genuinely painful. This product definitely alleviates the pain and combats the acne from coming to the surface as a major eruption. I use it twice a day, and I love that it dries quickly so I can apply make-up shortly after using it in the morning. So affordable when you consider how well it works.
3found this helpful