Mario Badescu Buttermilk Moisturizer
Works for
4 of 4 advertised claims delivered
Exfoliation2 ingredients credited for this claimStrong support
“Gentle resurfacing benefits help reduce the appearance of dry fine lines, wrinkles, and uneven skin tonegiving dull skin a bright, youthful glow.”
This product can help exfoliate the skin. In other words, it helps break down the bonds between dead cells on the surface of the skin and speed up the skin turnover. Skin often appears softer and brighter after exfoliation, but overdoing it can result in disrupted skin barrier. The following ingredient is doing the exfoliating job in this product: lactic acid.
Moisturizing7 ingredients credited for this claimStrong support
“Buttermilk Moisturizer”
This product can help improve hydration of the skin with the two types of ingredients.
The first type is called “humectants”:
these ingredients help attract water.
When humectants are on the surface of the skin, they “pull in” the moisture from the outside environment, or from
within deeper layers of the skin. The following ingredients in this product do the job:
allantoin, lactic acid.
This product also contains ingredients called “occlusives”. They help reduce the speed with which our skin loses moisture to the outside environment. These ingredients also help soften the upper layer of the skin, so it feels less tight and nicer to the touch. The following ingredients in this product do the job: isopropyl myristate, cetyl alcohol.
The following ingredients in this product are especially good for supporting the skin barrier and helping with the hydration level: paraffinum liquidum
Evens skin tone1 ingredient credited for this claimStrong support
“Dryness, Fine Lines and Wrinkles, and Dullness and Uneven Texture Formulation.”
This product can help reduce hypepigmentation and even out the skin tone because it contains the following effective ingredients: lactic acid
Keep in mind that you would need to apply any topical skincare targetted at hypigmentation consistently for a couple of months to get a result. No topical skincare product can help get rid of hyperpigmentation (including post-acne marks and age spots) instantly.
Anti-aging2 ingredients credited for this claimModerate support
“Dryness, Fine Lines and Wrinkles, and Dullness and Uneven Texture Formulation.”
This product contains lactic acid. This ingredient might be able to help reduce and prevent fine lines and wrinkles, improve skin elasticity and firmness, but there is not enough evidence that it actually works.
Anti-oxidationNot advertised by the brand · 1 ingredient credited for this claimStrong support
This product contains antioxidants (tocopherol) that can help neutralize free radicals in skin. By doing so, they can lessen the damage the skin gets from the UV light (sun).
Can it cause trouble?
Irritancy5 strong irritants: Thymus vulgaris extract, Thymus vulgaris leaf extract + 3 more — patch-test recommendedHigh risk
Comedogenic1 ingredient rated 2 or more on the 0–5 pore-clogging scale1 flagged
User reviews
Be the first — your take helps the next person decide.
Ingredients
Filter by role to see what each ingredient is doing.
Lactic acid~22–33%
- Irritation risk
- Medium
An exfoliating and moisturizing alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA). Typically causes less irritation than other AHAs, for example, glycolic acid. At high concentrations (about 15%), lactic acid can help reduce lines and wrinkles. Recent studies show that lactic acid can support the "good" bacteria living on skin's surface (healthy skin microbiome)
More about Lactic acidAllantoin~6.3–9.5%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Helps calm down inflammation in skin and can help reduce itching. Helps to repair the skin barrier and keep skin hydrated
More about AllantoinChamomilla recutita extract~5.4–8.1%
- Irritation risk
- High
Plant extract that can have healing and anti-inflammatory properties. It is a potential allergen and can be irritating
More about Chamomilla recutita extractThymus vulgaris extract~3.8–5.7%
- Irritation risk
- High
Tocopherol~2.9–4.3%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Pure form of vitamin E. Can help moisturise and protect the skin from free radicals. Often used to help stabilise other ingredients or the formula itself
More about TocopherolWater~2.2–3.3%
Isopropyl myristate~1.7–2.6%
- Irritation risk
- Low
- Comedogenicity
- 3/5
An emollient that helps soften the skin. Could be comedogenic
More about Isopropyl myristatePropylene glycol~1.4–2%
- Irritation risk
- High
Helps oil and water mix together and can enhance the penetration of other ingredients into the skin. It can be irritating
More about Propylene glycolParaffinum liquidum~1.4–2.1%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Mineral oil. One of the most effective and well studied occlusive and emollient moisturizing ingredients. Helps reduce moisture loss in skin and repair skin barrier function
More about Paraffinum liquidumGlyceryl stearate~1–1.45%
- Irritation risk
- Low
An emollient that softens the skin and forms a protective layer on its surface. Helps water and oil mix together
More about Glyceryl stearateCetyl alcohol~0.9–1.35%
- Irritation risk
- Low
A non-drying alcohol that works to soften the skin and stabilize product formulations helping oil and water mix together
More about Cetyl alcoholAllantoin~0.4–0.9%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Helps calm down inflammation in skin and can help reduce itching. Helps to repair the skin barrier and keep skin hydrated
More about AllantoinChamomilla recutita flower extract~0.45–1%
- Irritation risk
- High
Plant extract that can have healing and anti-inflammatory properties. It is a potential allergen and can be irritating
More about Chamomilla recutita flower extractThymus vulgaris leaf extract~0.4–0.95%
- Irritation risk
- High
Plant extract that has some anti-bacterial properties. Can be used as a fragrance. Can be irritating
More about Thymus vulgaris leaf extractTocopherol~0.4–0.95%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Pure form of vitamin E. Can help moisturise and protect the skin from free radicals. Often used to help stabilise other ingredients or the formula itself
More about TocopherolLactic acid~0.35–0.85%
- Irritation risk
- Medium
An exfoliating and moisturizing alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA). Typically causes less irritation than other AHAs, for example, glycolic acid. At high concentrations (about 15%), lactic acid can help reduce lines and wrinkles. Recent studies show that lactic acid can support the "good" bacteria living on skin's surface (healthy skin microbiome)
More about Lactic acidCetrimonium bromide~0.05–0.1%
- Irritation risk
- Medium
Helps oil and water mix together. Also helps to preserve products
More about Cetrimonium bromideParfum~0.2–0.75%
- Irritation risk
- High
An aromatic blend of unspecified and possibly irritating ingredients
More about ParfumTriethanolamine~0.2–0.8%
- Irritation risk
- Medium
Used to adjust pH of the product and can help improve the product's smell
More about TriethanolamineMethylparaben~0.15–0.3%
Propylparaben~0.2–0.4%
Sodium chloride~0.15–0.65%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Used to stabilize mixtures of oil and water, and create thicker, gel-like product textures
More about Sodium chlorideCitronellol~0.1–0.45%
Ci 42090~0.1–0.4%
Ci 19140~0.1–0.4%
Ingredient list view
Lactic acid, Allantoin, Chamomilla recutita extract, Thymus vulgaris extract, Tocopherol, Water, Isopropyl myristate, Propylene glycol, Paraffinum liquidum, Glyceryl stearate, Cetyl alcohol, Allantoin, Chamomilla recutita flower extract, Thymus vulgaris leaf extract, Tocopherol, Lactic acid, Cetrimonium bromide, Parfum, Triethanolamine, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Sodium chloride, Citronellol, Ci 42090, Ci 19140
Compare prices
Retailers ranked by price — lowest first.
Worth comparing, line by line.
Match % combines shared ingredients, the first five ingredients, shared actives and hero ingredients, irritancy (lower counts in the alternative's favour), texture and body area. Only products in the same routine step are compared.
| Mario BadescuButtermilk MoisturizerYOUR PRODUCT | AvèneAkérat Smoothing Exfoliating Cream | POND'SAnti-Wrinkle Cream | DermExcelDermalytic | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Match | — | 56% | 51% | 50% |
| Price | $18.00 | $20.49+$2.49 | $11.32−$6.68 | — |
| Shared key ingredients | — | 0 of 5 | 2 of 5 | 2 of 5 |
| Key difference | — | Niacinamide | Dimethicone | Glycolic Acid |
| Irritancy | High | Medium | Medium | Low |
| Drying alcohol | — | — | — | — |
| View product | Shop | Shop | Shop |
Product summary
"Mario Badescu - Buttermilk Moisturizer" has a good moisturizing formula. As we expect from a proper moisturizer, the formula includes a combo of effective humectants and emollients. These are the two different types of ingredients that are essential for improving the skin hydration and supporting a healthy skin barrier. Allantoin and lactic acid in this product (humectants) attract water molecules to the upper layer of the skin (the water comes from the outside air or from the deeper layers of the skin if the air is dry). Paraffinum liquidum, isopropyl myristate, cetyl alcohol and glyceryl stearate in this product help decrease the water evoporation from the skin, so that it stays hydrated for longer. These ingredients also soften the skin and take away the feeling of tightness and dryness.
Ingredient callouts
- In addition, this moisturizer contains Allantoin (6.30% - 9.50%). Allantoin is helpful in wound-healing and can help restore the skin barrier faster. It might also be able to improve scars, but the evidence is not very strong for this.
Irritation risk
This moisturizer contains a bunch of common irritants, including ingredients that do not provide any known benefit for the skin. It might not be the best choice if your skin is sensitive. We assess the overall irritancy of this moisturizer to be high. For a detailed overview of all potential irritants: click here
You can see the detailed formula review with the breakdown of all actives in the product and the full ingredient list with estimated concentrations in the tables below.
About the brand
According to Cruelty-Free Kitty "Mario Badescu" is cruelty free and so is its parent company.
Price
The product retails for 18.00$ in the United States, for 45.80A$ in Australia, from 16.17£ up to 17.26£ in the United Kingdom and for 24.00CA$ in Canada.
For a detailed price comparison: click here.
Sources cited in this review
Every concentration estimate and effectiveness label is anchored to one of these 10 studies and safety reviews.
- 1Epidermal and dermal effects of topical lactic acidncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- 2Dual Effects of Alpha-Hydroxy Acids on the Skinpdfs.semanticscholar.org
- 3
- 4Vitamin E in dermatologyncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- 5Vitamin E and Skin Healthlpi.oregonstate.edu
- 6Surfactants and experimental irritant contact dermatitisncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Affiliate links · As an Amazon Associate, WIMJ earns from qualifying purchases.