If you’re feeling like diving into some cold water right about now, then so too may your face enjoy a quick immersion. A misting of moisture provides an immediate cooling sensation, but if you’re after more than temperature relief then be sure to use something other than tap water to provide added benefits to your skin. From sprays and mists that prime and set makeup to those designed to help balance and soothe irritation, there’s bottle loads on offer.
To help you navigate your way through these fancy waters, we’ve chosen a few noteworthy examples of various types. Consider keeping your mist in the fridge to deliver a delightful dousing. Water from treated public supply is tested for safety to drink (and drinking plenty is good for you), but depending on its source and chemical composition it may leave your skin feeling dehydrated after bathing.
That’s why enhancing on simple H20 with the right additives or “taking the waters” from thermal springs with special mineral properties can provide a superior skin “feel”.
The use of thermal waters for wellness has a long global history, stretching back at least to Roman times.
French brands are particularly well known for setting the benchmark for products made from spa-derived waters. Across Europe, spas have a recognised medical role in the treatment of troubling skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis and dermatitis.
TOP TIPS
• Test mists before buying to properly judge how well they spray. Nothing is more annoying than being left dripping wet rather than lightly spritzed. If you're stuck with a sprayer that dumps like a rain shower, apply to your hands then pat on to your face.
• After misting, wait 20 to 30 seconds then lightly pat your face with a cotton pad if you intend applying skincare over the top. You are aiming for a damp rather than a dry feel. Leaving your face completely wet will dilute what you layer on top.
• A spray of water on a hot day or after a gym session or a run may help calm frizzy hair and reduce redness on your face, neck and chest. At the very least it’s refreshing, and can dilute sweat or pollution on your skin if shower time is a while away.
• For women who are approaching or going through menopause, with its at times sharp temperature fluctuations, having a mist of filtered or spa water at hand may prove a welcome coping mechanism when hot flushes strike.
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Advertise with NZME.• The aroma of a calming essential oil may make your mist more enticing, but if your skin issue is sensitivity then be wary of products with added fragrances, both synthetic and some natural ones, as these could cause reactions.
• A mist can be substituted for a toner or softener as a gentler post-cleansing option. Toners containing alcohol can be drying, whereas watery mists generally relieve feelings of tightness, which in irritation-prone skin is a relief.
• Mists used as makeup-setting sprays are most effective if they contain added humectants to help bind products to the skin. A fine mist spray is especially important here, as you want to avoid the temptation to wipe off watery residues and with it your makeup.
BEST CERTIFIED
Jane Iredale Hydration Sprays, $59 each, with EcoCert's natural and organic tick, including Pommisst with antioxidant-rich pomegranate.
BEST BARGAIN
Mario Badescu 118ml Facial Spray with Aloe, Sage and Orange Blossom, $12, cult product at a cool price.
BEST BACKSTORY
Omorovicza Queen of Hungary 30ml Mist, $62, with floral water inspired by a 14th-century queen.
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Avene 50ml Thermal Spring Water 50ml, $15, handbag-sized helper made from pH-neutral soft water.
BEST NAME
Urban Decay All Nighter 118ml Makeup Setting Spray, $55, oil-free staying power with tech that resists heat.
BEST DELIVERY
Morphe Continuous Setting Mist (about 83ml), $26, with an air-powered micro-fine controlled mist.
BEST LOOK
M.A.C Fix + 30ml Setting Spray, $25, limited edition adds white tea to a trusty backstage priming formula.
BEST SOOTHER
La Roche-Posay 300ml Thermal Spring Water for Sensitive Skin, $28, targets myriad discomforts.
BEST SPLURGE
La Mer 100ml The Mist, $140, with charged waters and renowned marine extracts to rebalance dryness.
BEST GLOW
Too Faced Dew You 100ml Setting Spray, $52, infused with watermelon and pearlescent shimmer.
BEST POST-GYM
Clinique FIT Workout Face + Body Hydrating Spray, $32, fragrance-free way to re-energise parched skin.
BEST TEEN-TEMPTER
Wet 'n' Wild PhotoFocus 45ml 3-in-1 Primer Water $13, with nutty, rosy or cucumber aromas.
BEST BRIGHTENER
Trilogy Vitamin C Energising 100ml Mist Toner, $31, a zesty yet balancing pep-up post cleansing or any time.
