Mario Badescu

written by NOA DIAMOND. August 3rd, 2020

Our first issue with this line of products is their added fragrances. One of the biggest skincare no-nos is using products that have a fragrance. Synthetic fragrance can be one of the greatest catalysts for negative skin reactions like rashes and itching. And this is true for people with all skin types, not just sensitive skin. 

Even if you don’t have apparent reactions from using products with fragrances, we promise you damage is still being done. Each time you apply the product you might not see an immediate reaction, but you’ll notice major problems over time. To understand this, equate it to smoking: while each cigarette may not seem lethal, overtime your lungs will start to pay for the damage. Some companies will add fragrance to cover up any strong smells other ingredients might be causing. And since a lot of the time you won’t see direct effects, they can get away with it. 

This is why you should definitely steer clear of the Mario Badescu Facial Sprays, the Enzyme Cleansing Gel, The Special Cucumber Lotion, and any other products with added fragrance. Be especially wary of products with fragrances that are meant for acne. Since fragrance is inflammatory it will only aggravate this condition. These products might feel refreshing the moment you spray them on your face, but really they are drying out your skin. And why is that? Listed almost last in the ingredient list: “Parfume (Fragrance).” 

Another red flag is the alcohol a lot of Mario Badescu products contain. For example, you know the beloved Drying Lotion? The very first ingredient is alcohol. That means that while you should be calming and soothing your breakouts, this product instead makes them flaky and red. Plus, $17 for a small bottle of alcohol and calamine lotion is an absolute rip off in our books. If you want to dry out your pimple why not then just use the calamine lotion you probably have sitting around in your medicine cabinet. 

Finally, in 2013 Mario Badescu was charged with a class-action lawsuit for not disclosing the use of harmful steroids in some of their products. This brand has been hyped up by influencers for years because it claims to be much more natural than it actually is. In reality, not only is it not worth the hype, it belongs in the garbage. 

Sorry xxx