Acne Serum Reviews

Of the many anti-acne “serums” out there, how are we to know which is the best?  Does it depend on the celebrities that use it? How about the credentials of those who develop it?  What about the actual formula and science behind it?  Bingo!

When it comes to Mario Badescu’s products, he’s definitely got the celebrities covered.  Everyone from Ice-T to Hillary Swank has apparently used at least one of his products at some point.  As far as credentials, Badescu is a Romanian immigrant with some background in chemistry who started a beauty spa in New York around 40 years go.  This is respectable, but we decided to take a look at what you’re really getting for the money..

Mario Badescu Anti-Acne Serum Ingredient Analysis

This formula is one that contains surprisingly few ingredients for a high-end product:

• Deionized Water
• Glycerin
• Thyme Extract
• Isopropyl Alcohol
• Salicylic Acid
• Triethanolamine

Simple is certainly not always bad.  The most effective ingredient here is salicylic acid, which is known to increase the rate at which your skin replaces itself and can also kill bacteria.  Thyme is also a mild antiseptic.  Typically we do not recommend products containing alcohol for their tendency to dry out the skin, but the glycerin may help some to counteract that.

Mario Badescu Anti-Acne Serum Effectiveness

The actual concentration of these ingredients is not given here and so it is impossible to tell whether they are included in a balance that is known to be particularly effective at fighting acne.  It will most likely provide mild results given the formula.

Mario Badescu Anti-Acne Serum Safety Concerns

The most common side effects seen with this kind of formula are over-drying and some skin irritation.

Mario Badescu Anti-Acne Serum Value Rating

At $20 per ounce, this stuff is over-priced.  There are just no two ways about it.  For one ounce of any one of these ingredients you would never be paying over $5 for a generic version and considering this contains things like water, glycerin and alcohol (the amounts of which are undisclosed), this is one of the most ridiculously expensive and at the same time weak formulas we’ve seen.