Mario Badescu Buffering Lotion for cystic acne

I have battled hormonal acne since I was a teenager. Now in my mid-twenties I have it more or less under control. My current skin care regime has drastically improved my skin but I am still experiencing occasional minor outbreaks/pimples. The most horrific pimples you can get are cysts, you know these
deep painful bumps that never heal. If one of these cysts appears on my skin it can stay forever, 2-3 weeks for sure. I haven’t found a solution to completely get rid of them but found a way to dry them out and decrease healing time; The Mario Badescu BufferingLotion seems to do the job!
Mario Badescu is known for their blemish products popular with celebrities. I discovered the brand around a year ago. The first product I tried from them is the Drying Lotion a bestseller product, I will definitely write a review about it (for regular pimples/whiteheads). The buffering lotion, in comparison to the drying lotion, is specially designed for cystic acne. I wanted to try this product after seeing how amazing the drying lotion works on my pimples, but not so effective on cysts. So the real motivation to get it was that it is specifically targets cysts.

What Mario Badescu says: Specifically designed to treat large, deep, cystic acne, the buffering lotion covers large erupted areas for overall treatment. Formulated with nourishing B vitamins and amino acids for healthy skin as well as soothing anti-inflammatory herbal extracts to promote healing. Reduce cystic acne fast with this deep penetrating, fast absorbing formula.

The ingredients: Isopropyl Alcohol,Propylene Glycol, Zinc Oxide, Hydrolyzed Yeast Protein, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Panthenol, Allantoin, Biotin, Isopropyl Myristate, Stearalkonium Hectorite, Pyridoxine HCl,Propylene Carbonate

Like with all Mario Badescu products the packaging is simple white to give you that medical feel. At 21 euro bottle (19$ in US) for 29 ml the product isn’t cheap, but you only need to use a tiny bit of it. The texture is very liquid, white with a strong alcohol smell. After cleansing my face I apply it on an ‘erupted area / developing cyst’ and let it dry. Sometimes I use it as an preventative, whenever I feel something coming like a bumpy red area on my skin.
So how does it work for me? Cysts seem now to disappear faster, especially the under skin bumps (that you feel but don’t see) is shrinking much faster! I must say that since using this product I never had an under skin cysts for more than 4 days. My method of application is just using a Q tip or finger and then applying on the area. I keep reapplying it on the desired area day and night until the cyst disappears. The runny texture is a little bit difficult to work with so I advise to use a small amount and apply it with a Q tip rather than finger.
If you struggle with acne especially these deep cysts then I would definitely recommend this product. However, the Buffering lotion is not effective on white heads. This is not surprising as the product was designed to treat cysts. I you have blemishes with cysts and white heads then I would advise to use the buffering lotion alongside with the drying lotion. This is a great spot treatment but if you can avoid using it all over you face, the alcohol percentage is just too high. I have sensitive skin but the alcohol didn’t irritate my skin as far as I know, it’s difficult to tell because the skin around a cyst normally is red and irritated.

Pros

- clear texture you can apply it under make up
- effective treatment for deep cystic blemishes

Cons

- runny texture, difficult to apply 
- contains high amount of alcohol, may cause irritation in some people