6 Mario Badescu Drying Lotion Dupes To Shrink Zits Fast

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Mario Badescu Drying Lotion Dupe

The Mario Badescu Drying Lotion has been a cult-favorite acne spot treatment for years. This raved-about spot treatment helps to shrink pimples and speed up healing time. It’s truly an overnight miracle in a bottle. The price and the ethics of the brand are questionable, which means that many people are on the hunt for the best Mario Badescu Drying Lotion dupes. So I’ve rounded up the best drying lotions that won’t break the bank and work just as well to get rid of those pesky zits in no time.

What Is A Drying Lotion

If you’ve never heard of or used a drying lotion, you may be wondering what the heck it is. A drying lotion is exactly what is sounds like! Drying lotions are usually used as a spot treatment to absorb oil, reduce inflammation and shrink pimples quickly.

A drying lotion will typically contain a few different ingredients that give it a ton of pimple-shrinking power. Sulfur, salicylic acid, zinc and calamine all work together to kill bacteria, reduce inflammation, absorb oils and treat pimples fast.

Drying lotions will typically have two layers. The bottom bubblegum pink layer is the actual drying lotion where all the good stuff is and the top layer is usually alcohol and water that keeps the drying lotion, from well, drying out.

Mario Badescu Drying Lotion Ingredients

Now that we know what a drying lotion is, let’s take a look at the cult-favorite Mario Badescu Drying lotion and see what makes it so special.

Ingredients In Mario Badescu Drying Lotion:

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

• Calamine – Calamine lotion is typically used to treat skin irritations like poison ivy. However, calamine lotion can help treat acne by drying out the pimple.
• Camphor – typically used to treat skin irritations, camphor has also been shown to have antibacterial properties which can help kill acne-causing bacteria while soothing the inflammed skin
• Sulfur – an all-star ingredient for acne. It has anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and keratolytic activity which means it can kill acne-causing bacteria and breakdown dead skin cells
• Zinc Oxide – although zinc oxide is mainly used in physical sunscreens, in this case, zinx oxide helps to protect the skin and prevent irritation from the strong active ingredients in the drying lotion. It also has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties to bring down inflammation and kill bacteria in a pimple while helping heal the skin
• Talc – talc is a mineral that is commonly used in powder makeup. It is used to help absorb excess oil. In the drying lotion, it helps to absorb the oil inside a pimple and helps to dry it out
• Glycerin – glycerin is a humectant that draws water into the skin to keep skin hydrated. In this spot treatment, glycerin helps to keep the skin from drying out so you’re not left with a flaky, irritated pimple
• Salicylic Acid – another all-star ingredient for acne. Salicylic acid is oil-soluble, which means it can cut through the oil on the skin and inside the pimple to get deep into the pore. It helps to unclog pores, exfoliate away dead skin cells and kill bacteria. Salicylic acid also has anti-inflammatory properties so it also helps to bring down any swelling and inflammation associated with acne

Mario Badescu Drying Lotion Dupes

Whether you’re looking for a drugstore Mario Badescu Drying Lotion dupe or a more ethical brand, these drying lotions will help kill bacteria, unclog pores and bring down inflammation just as well as the cult-favorite Mario Badescu one.

Oh K! Blemish Powder

This drying lotion is a little more gentle compared to the Mario Badescu one, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t just as effective. With Papaya Fruit Extract to gently exfoliate away dead skin cells while tea tree oil kills bacteria, reduces redness and inflammation.

This drying lotion also has a few more hydrating ingredients to ensure that the skin doesn’t get too dried out. With glycerin and hyaluronic acid to draw moisture into the skin. Centella Asiatica soothes inflammation and redness. Plus witch hazel to soothe the skin and calm inflammation. With these additions, it’s perfect for those with more sensitive skin types.

Bye Bye Blemish Drying Lotion

This is probably the most exact dupe for the Mario Badescu Drying Lotion. With 10% sulfur and 2% salicylic acid, you can say bye, bye to that zit for good.

This drying lotion also contains zinc oxide and camphor to soothe the skin and kill acne-causing bacteria.

The only downside to this drying lotion is that it does not have any ingredients that help prevent skin from getting too dried out. No glycerin or hyaluronic acid and nothing to really rehydrate the skin. That means it may be pretty harsh, especially if used multiple nights in a row.

iNNBEAUTY PROJECT Pimple Paste Overnight Blemish Drying Paste

Although not a typical drying lotion, this drying paste has a ton of the same ingredients, plus a few extras that can really help tackle even the stubbornest of zits.

Pimples don’t stand a chance against this fast-acting, alcohol free formula. Two types of clay, Kaolin and Bentonite absorb excess oil while helping to dry out the pimple. Sulfur and Willowbark Extract kill bacteria and reduce inflammation.

Tea tree oil reduces redness and calms inflammation while Thyme and Oregano kill bacteria in the pimple.

This spot treatment also contains aloe to hydrate the skin and reduce redness, Azelaic acid to exfoliate dead skin and fade post acne marks. Vitamin C helps to heal the skin, stimulate collagen production and fade hyperpigmentation left over.

Fourth Ray Beauty Later Hater Spot Treatment

If you’re looking for something exactly like the Mario Badescu drying lotion, look no further because this spot treatment has all the same ingredients, without the hefty price tag.

Sulfur and salicylic acid work hard to reduce inflammation and kill bacteria, while calamine dries out the pimple while you sleep so you can wake up with noticably clearer skin.

Camphor, glycerin and zinc help to hydrate and heal the skin so it doesn’t get too dried out and flaky.

Derma E Sulfur Spot Treatment

This spot treatment has all the same stuff at the original drying lotion, plus a ton of extras that make it even better.

Kaolin clay and calamine absorb oils and dry out the pimple, while Sulfur and tea tree oil kill bacteria. Salicylic acid help to unclog pores while reducing inflammation in the skin. Niacinamide helps to kill bacteria and stimulate collagen production to speed up healing.

Camphor and zinc soothe irritated skin while glycerin, allantoin and tocopherol (vitamin e) hydrate and nourish.

Shea Moisture African Black Soap Bamboo Charcoal Detoxifying Drying Lotion

A drying lotion with the added detoxifying powers of charcoal? Shea Moisture has got you covered. This drying lotion kills bacteria, removes impurities and keeps skin moisturized so it doesn’t end up even more irritated.

Calamine dries out the pimple while sulfur and tea tree oil reduces inflammation and kills bacteria. Salicylic acid unclogs the pore and removes any impurities.

Shea butter, glycerin and tocopherol keep skin moisturized and hydrated so the skin doesn’t get dried out.

How To Use Drying Lotions

For a traditional 2-layer drying lotion, all you need to do is dip a q-tip down to the very bottom and get some of the pink stuff on the tip of the q-tip. Then just apply it (sparingly) to any pimples.

Drying lotions are best used overnight because they are usually pink or some other color that looks pretty noticeable on the skin. Drying lotions can also flake off, which means you cannot put makeup on top.

Simply apply the drying lotion as the last step in your skincare routine at night and you’ll wake up with smaller zits.

Another important note about using drying lotions: you may feel the need to shake up the product before using it, but DO NOT. This will only dilute the good stuff at the bottom and won’t be as effective.

You need to keep your drying lotion upright so it stays in the two layers: the clear top layer and the pink bottom layer.

Mario Badescu Drying Lotion Dupe: Wrap Up

Drying lotions are a must-have in any beauty routine because they can really help tackle even the stubbornest of zits.

The Mario Badescu drying lotion is one of the most popular, but with its price tag, many people look for a cheaper alternative. Many of these Mario Badescu Drying Lotion Dupes can be found at the drugstore, Target and even Amazon and Ulta, making them also readily available for most.

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