Staff Pick of the Week: Mario Badescu Drying Lotion

We’ve all had that familiar sensation of what you know is sure to be a pimple in just a few hours. Your day is going just fine when out of nowhere you make the wrong facial expression and then you feel it: a slight bump under the skin, often accompanied by acute pain.

You wrack your brain, trying to figure out which skin care sin you’ve committed this time to deserve such fate. Did you fall asleep in your makeup after that late night five-slices-of-pizza binge? Is this a cruel punishment for neglecting to clean your brushes on a weekly — okay, monthly — basis?

No matter how old you get or how comfortable you are with yourself – no one gets used to acne.

If this has ever happened to you, there’s a magical potion that is going to change your life. Or at the very least, your tomorrow.

Mario Badescu Drying Lotion is your savior. This stuff has seriously changed the game in curing acne overnight. Think of it as the deluxe upgrade to the toothpaste your mom advised you to slap on blemishes before bed.

This miracle paste comes in a teeny bottle of a solution separated into two parts, kind of like salad dressing. According to the website, it’s made up alcohol and well known acne-fighting ingredients including sulfur and salicylic acid. Your first initial instinct might be to shake it up, but you actually want the solution to stay separated.

To apply, simply dip a cotton swap straight down into the pink part of the solution at the bottom of the bottle. Carefully lift it back up and let any excess alcohol drip back into the bottle. Apply a generous coat to the problem area and wait for it to dry before heading to bed. Eight hours later, you can wash off the lotion and voilá – crisis averted.

Try it at Ulta for $17. Try it out and tell us what you think @Valleymag!