Beauty Product Review: Mario Badescu A.H.A & Ceramide Moisturizer

As a certified product junkie, I’m always on the hunt for the latest and greatest.  And, while finding the perfect pink lip gloss is still exciting, my true love is skin care.  My theory is simple.  Take care of your skin and you won’t need to cover it up with pounds of foundation.  Normally, I’m quite faithful to a certain brand but after having my son, my skin changed and what used to work didn’t anymore.

For the past year, I’ve been searching for the holy grail of skin care products.  I needed something to brighten my dull tone, a product that would help fight aging but wouldn’t clog my oily T-Zone.  There is also my requirement of no animal testing and though I don’t require an FDA seal of organic approval, I do lean toward natural and botanical based skin care.  I decided to try Mario Badescu.  Mario Badescu was a Romanian born skin care specialist who had a unique take on skin care.  He was able to appreciate both the scientific end, being a chemist, as well as the cosmetic need to have clear, radiant skin since he was also a cosmetologist.   Badescu opened his NYC salon in 1967 and quickly began developing his own line of products.  The power of his product line and the amazing facials given at his salon didn’t remain NYC’s secret for too long and soon, Badescu was taking care of actors, actresses and the celebs of his day.

To start with, I decided to try the A.H.A. & Ceramide Moisturizer.  My theory is that anyone can make a decent cleanser but if you make a moisturizer that has anti-aging benefits, that doesn’t clog my pores, yet still brightens my skin, well you’re golden.

Mario Badescu’s products are famously housed in no frills packaging.  Simple plastic bottle and jars help keep costs down.  Products are of premium quality without the premium price.

Likewise, the A.H.A. & Ceramide Moisturizer comes in a simple clear plastic bottle with flip-cap top.  The moisturizer is oil-free and formulated with lemon extract and aloe to soothe the skin and is described  as non-greasy, absorbent and lightweight while helping with skin pigmentation conditions and combating wrinkles.
When I first put the moisturizer in my hand, it didn’t feel lightweight so I was surprised that when I put it on my face, it absorbed quickly and didn’t leave any sort of residue on my skin.  There was no tingling that I sometimes experienced with Alpha Hydroxy Products and no redness either.

I decided that I would give the moisturizer seven full days before making a decision on it.  During that time, I used the product once per day in the morning after cleansing and a toner.  By mid-week, I was noticing a nice glow and by the end of the week, others were commenting on “something” but couldn’t put their finger on it.
I’m in love.  I’ve since purchased cleanser and toner and plan to continue purchasing their line as I run out of my old products.  At $20 for 2 oz. the price is right for a high end department store product without the $45 price tag that most moisturizers with these benefits would cost.  If you’re looking for an affordable and highly effective moisturizer, give Badescu a try.  You won’t be disappointed.  What’s more is that if you fill out a short questionnaire on Mario Badescu’s website(http://mariobadescu.com/questionnaire.aspx), they will recommend a regimen for you and will even try to send samples as they are available.

It’s a win-win all around!

Tags: Beauty, beauty products, facials, Mario Badescu, Skin Care

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 4th, 2010 at 12:02 am and is filed under Beauty. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.