I have a Very Fancy black tie dinner coming up at the end of the month and of course the one occasion appropriate frock I own is backless, which is a bit fecking unfortunate because (a) my back is really not in great nick at the minute and (b) I don't have the sheckles to spring for a new dress. Now, my back's not the worst it's ever been - I feel that going in with Panoxyl or similar, all hard core spot-bustin' guns blazing, would be overkill and cause more problems than it would solve - but there are enough small, noticeable blemishes to make me feel very uncomfortable at the prospect of getting my back out in a room full of swanky strangers.
Although I've never had wonderful results from back-specific products in the past, I decided that I'd nothing to lose by giving Mario Badescu Special Cleansing Lotion "O" a whirl in the run up to Frockgate. It's an antiseptic body astringent for the treatment of back and chest acne, formulated to soothe and to heal, and it's a bright yellow liquid that looks like wee.
Mmm, nice.
Advertised
It smells reassuringly non wee-like and vaguely medicinal when applied to a cotton pad prior to use, and I've added it to a routine which includes Vichy Normaderm Cleansing Gel and occasional exfoliation.
I was concerned that it might be very drying - the third ingredient listed is alcohol - but having used it now for a couple of weeks and keeping such a close eye on my back that I'm in danger of developing a permanent crick in my neck I can report that I've not experienced any adverse drying effects and my back hasn't gone into overdrive producing excess oil to compensate for any dryness.
As for results, well, I've found that this Special Cleansing Lotion has worked wonders on my chest: it's now completely blemish-free and when a spot did dare to pop up it was gone within two days. My back hasn't shown quite such an impressive improvement but it's certainly better than it was. I haven't noticed any new spots and those that are still in evidence appear to be on the way out: they've shrunk and are less red and angry looking than previously.
