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While you want your overall look to shine, you don't want shiny skin that comes from too much oil. Acne breakouts can mar your perfect look at any age, but they're even more likely to happen to gals in their teens and 20s, especially those with oily complexions. In your search for the perfect acne-erasing product, you might come across Mario Badescu Glycolic Grapefruit Cleansing Lotion, an astringent formulated for oily skin.
Grapefruit Extract
If when you think grapefruit only freshly squeezed juice or ripe fruit come to mind, think again – because grapefruit is actually good for your skin and found in many popular acne-fighting products. Grapefruit extract, found in Glycolic Grapefruit Cleansing Lotion, has antibacterial qualities, so it fights germs while it dries up oil and clears out dead skin to unclog your pores. This combination effect on the skin also helps tighten and shrink pores -- and the cleaner and tighter your pores are, the less likely they are to get clogged and form icky acne eruptions.
Glycolic Acid
Glycolic Grapefruit Cleansing Lotion also contains glycolic acid, an alpha-hydroxy acid, which is another ingredient found in many acne busters. You'll find that glycolic acid is often a main ingredient in chemical peels as well, due to its skin-tightening, and drying, effects. Mario Badescu Glycolic Grapefruit Cleansing Lotion has only 4 percent glycolic acid, but even this small amount, combined with grapefruit extract, is enough to boost the lotion's astringent effects to scrub those pores clean.
Recommendations
The Mario Badescu website and the product instructions recommend using Glycolic Grapefruit Cleansing Lotion twice a day to disinfect and refresh your skin. In the morning and evening, you should wash your face first, then apply the cleansing lotion with a cotton ball. The site advises moisturizing afterward, but make sure you use an oil-free moisturizer so you don't undo the astringent effects and clog your pores again.
Cautions
You should be careful with any product you use on your tender face. The Food and Drug Administration lists some adverse reactions to glycolic acid in skin products. These include rashes, swelling, itching and peeling. Test the cleansing lotion on a small area of your skin before using it on your entire face, and always keep it away from your eyes and mouth. The Mario Badescu site also warns against using it directly on acne blemishes. It's best to use a prescription or over-the-counter acne-fighting cream on your pimples. Your dermatologist can give you the best advice for keeping your face fresh and acne-free.
