I had a few great product discoveries during my blogging hiatus these past few months, and although many were excellent my favorite was Biologique Recherche’s Lotion P50. This is one of those products that you fall in love with instantly, and can never stop using. Although Biologique Recherche has earned a prestige status in many beauty lovers’ collections it isn’t one of those products that is talked about constantly and has earned true cult status (think Nars’ Orgasm Blush or Urban Decay’s Naked Palettes), but it deserves to.

I’m truly surprised that this product has only recently crossed my radar considering it is so amazing. It actually wasn’t until January this year that I discovered it, and by the time I finished the first sentence of the blog I was sold and I immediately began searching for a way to buy it. I will admit that I don’t do this kind of impulse buying on a regular basis. I usually spend a few days looking through reviews and deciding whether or not it is worth the money, but when something is known as “magic in a bottle” I find it hard to resist.

If you still are not sure what exactly the product is, it is closest to a toner. It works to balance out the skin’s PH, exfoliates away dead skin cells, and speeds up the skin’s regeneration process giving you a brighter, clearer, and more radiant complexion. To apply all you have to do is put a few drops on your favorite cotton pad (you don’t need to drown the pad) and gently rub the pad in a circular motion on your face, neck, and décolletage. You can use this in the morning and at night, but I suggest starting only at night because during the first few uses your skin might look quite red and feel a little tingly. The reason your skin might look a little irritated in the beginning is because the lotion is working to balance out the PH level of your skin, but after a few uses the irritation should subside.

One of the very few downsides of this product is the smell. It is not very pleasant and it might turn you off at first, but I can assure you you’ll get used to it. What used to bother me to no end in the beginning is not even noticeable to me now. Another thing to keep in mind is that you will need to invest in a heavy duty moisturizer (even for those who have oily skin). This dries out my skin quite a bit, and the lighter moisturizers I used in the past did not cut it. I found that after a few weeks my skin became more irritated and I had more acne popping up because my skin was so dehydrated, and the moment I purchased a richer moisturizer (check out this and this) my skin cleared up within a few days.

Although Biologique Recherche’s Lotions are excellent for any skin type, there are a few different formulations that are best for certain types of skin. There are four different versions including:

Lotion P50 (what I’m using): The strongest in the range, and is best for those with oily and/or acne prone skin.

Lotion P50V: The best for older skin because it helps to diminish wrinkles and discoloration.

Lotion P50W: The best for sensitive skin, and is recommended to be the first lotion all customers start with in order to limit the amount of skin irritation (I did not follow this and I assume that is why I experienced the amount of redness that I did).

Lotion P50 1970: The original formulation, and is the most difficult to find because it contains phenol (an antiseptic) that is not allowed in nonprescription products in some countries.

I have been using this product ever since I discovered it in January, and I have already repurchased a new bottle to ensure I have one on hand the moment I run out. Within a few weeks of use my skin has consistently been clearer than I can ever remember. The amounts of new blemishes appearing have lessened, the blemishes that do pop up go away much faster, my pores appear smaller, and my skin’s oil production is far lower. Another reason contributing to these excellent results is that Lotion P50 helps the other skincare products you use to absorb better which makes them more effective. This is one of those products that you will fall in love with instantly and never stop using.

Now lets get into the nitty gritty, the price. Of course almost everything life changing will cost you a pretty penny, but don’t fear! This product lasts for a long time and I have been using the same bottle for nearly 4 months and it is only the medium size (5.1 oz). There are three different sizes available a 2.7 oz ($27), 5.1 oz ($62), and an 8.5 oz ($95). There are not too many online locations to purchase Biologique Recherche in the US, I ended up using Rescue Spa which has free shipping on orders $100+ but has very expensive shipping costs on purchases that don’t meet that amount.

If you haven’t heard of this product before I suggest reading more into it, you will definitely find a lot of articles praising this product like no other. When I purchased mine I decided to commit only to the medium sized bottle just in case I didn’t love it like everyone else, but when I repurchased I went with the largest size.

I hope that you love this product as much as I do!