If you get a blemish or two, spot treatments can be the key to zapping them away. But if you notice your skin isn't clearing up, it may be that you're using the wrong type of spot treatment for your skin. Learn about the three top ingredients to look for and which is best for your skin type. You'll be on your way to clearer, flake-free skin in no time. On Kirbie: Stella and Dot necklace, Rhyme top from Piperlime.com
If you're wondering why certain products don't work for you or why you still have makeup residue left over after you've washed your face, it could be because your regimen doesn't include a crucial step. Or perhaps you're not doing the steps in the right order, impeding you from getting the complexion you want. Learn the most effective way to wash your face. We make it all crystal clear.
A few weeks ago, a reader wrote in about advice for bringing a pimple to a head. While I dished out some tips and tricks, perhaps Mario Badescu Drying Cream ($12), a treatment that helps dry up under-the-surface-blemishes, would also have been an option. Find out why reader Cmill38 gave it a five-star review:
If you're looking to fix a whitehead or a coming-up-to-the-surface pimple, use this drying lotion. This cream is to be used to those under-the-skin, painful cysts that are hormonal. I also love this because it blends into your skin and covers a blemish a bit. It doesn't work in one day, but that's what happens with a blemish under the skin. It also lasts forever! You need the smallest amount possible any time you use it. I'm a loyal user and firm believer in this stuff.
Do you have a pimple treatment product you'd love to tell us all about? Is there a go-to cream you just can't live without? Or perhaps you've tried an acne-clearing mask with not-so-great results. It's time to head on over to our Product Reviews section and let us know all about it.
There may be no free lunch (unless you're enjoying Taco Thursdays, of course). But there is free skin care. Mario Badescu, the spa where celebrities such as Jennifer Aniston and Natalie Portman have their pores purged, offers complimentary skin consultations through its web site. You just have to fill out an online questionnaire, and in a few weeks, you'll get free samples of products customized to your skin situation.
The deal sounds too good to be true, but it's actually great. I went undercover, using my own name and not mentioning BellaSugar. Within days of filling out the online questionnaire, a Mario Badescu representative e-mailed me to ask some follow-up questions about the state of my skin. I answered them and sent a picture, too. In about two weeks, I received a packet of samples along with a guide to using them. No freaky sales pressure, just detailed guidance and generously sized samples. So if you're looking for a new skin-care regimen and want to try before you buy, you know what to do.
New from skin care expert Mario Badescu is an Anti-Redness Skin Care Kit ($48). Although it is totally suitable for all skin types, it is especially helpful for those with sensitive skin who suffer from redness, blotchiness, irritation and unbalanced and flaky skin.
Inside you'll find a cream soap, a calming mask and a cult-favorite Control Cream (it's a moisturizer) to help soothe any redness on the face. This kit is perfect for winter, when skin irritation is heightened because of the extreme weather. To find out about each of the products in the kit, read more
Welcome to part II of superior spot treatments. Every gal gets a pimple or two and these products help to instantly banish blemishes! They won't over dry your face or cause redness and irritation to make you look and feel worse. They are gentle enough for sensitive skin, but strong enough to fight your sebaceous glands and wipe out icky whiteheads, blackheads and pimples.
I have to say that I'm a little surprised so many of you have an obsession with Mario Badescu's Drying Lotion, $17. My old roommate used to swear by this calamine lotion concoction, and I've used it a number of times, but unless my zit was really juicy, it didn't do a whole lot for me.
I decided to give the Mario Badescu spa a call to see if they could enlighten me some more about their cult product, but what they basically said was what I thought was true. It's a gem of a product if you want to dry up whiteheads and it does have salicylic acid in it to prevent a new pimple from forming in the same spot.
The only problem I have is that in this day and age, I would so much rather apply something invisible. Maybe it's psychological, but it makes me feel worse to look in the mirror and see a whole bunch of pink patches.
For two more spot treatments to help blast your blemishes, read more
