On Wednesday, I saw a woman hurrying down the street while liberally coating her body with some sort of pressurised spray. I like to think it was a scented mist, but suspect that it was instead a rather more prosaic deodorant. No judgement whatsoever was passed; London during a heatwave calls for such uncouthness. Had I seen the bottle in her hand, however, I might’ve judged a teeny tiny bit.
You see, a spray is so much more than just the means to render oneself a little less smelly and a little less hot. Its a way to infuse with moisture, with skincare ingredients. On the face, it is also the means by which to perk up tired make-up and fake a healthy glow. And cool down/smell better while you’re at it. N.B. Avoid 100% water sprays: water does not hydrate skin. If it did, you wouldn’t need to moisturise after the shower. Go for one of these instead //
Best for sensitive skin / The Organic Pharmacy Rose Spray, £26.95 here. True rose water smells like this – not overly-sweet, just fresh and reviving. Hydrating and extremely soothing, this is the one for you if your skin is prone to inflammation or redness.
Best for parched skin / Balance Me Skin Bright Hydrating Face Mist, £20 here. You know how I said water doesn’t hydrate the skin? That’s because as it dries it whips moisture off the surface of the skin. Hyaluronic acid does the opposite – it draws water into the skin, keeping it supple and plump. This mist is rich with hyaluronic acid and neroli and spikenard essential oils to deeply replenish dry skin.
TOP TIP // Use your spritz after cleansing to refresh and to bind your serum into the skin.
Best for blemish-prone skin / Jurlique Citrus Purifying Mist, £21.50 here. Regular readers, you’ll know I struggle to compile a best of without including Jurlique. Were I to write a best of Jurlique, this mist would be at the top of the list; Jurlique’s sprays are cult thanks to the integrity of the ingredients and clever blends. This one contains purifying witch hazel, soothing marshmallow and tangerine and lemon essential oils to increase microcirculation.
Best uplifting toner / Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic Spritzer, £13.50 here. Calling something uplifting is, I know, a little dubious – it is a subjective adjective, just as scent is massively personal. If I were to stake my reputation on this, though, I’d take my chances – it is enormously uplifting while also being: affordable, soothing and hydrating. Keep this on your desk at work to refresh throughout the day.
TOP TIP: Keep your spritz in the refrigerator to double the cooling and soothing effects.
Best while in the sun / Institut Estherderm UV inCellium Spray, £35 here. I mentioned Institut Esthederm’s unique approach to suncare in my SPF post. This mist works in the same way – while infusing the skin with cellular water, it also boosts the skin’s natural defences. The added bonus? The spray is extremely fine, stopping make-up from running once applied.
Best to imbue skin with radiance / Caudalie Beauty Elixir, from £9.95 here. I come back to this one all the time. Not only does it make the skin glow and set make-up perfectly, it also is the only mist that seems to diminish the appearance of pores, refresh and tone the skin all at once.
Best all-rounder / Omorovicza Queen of Hungary Mist, £46 here. This is such a beautiful mist that didn’t fit into any of the above categories; quite simply, it does it all. A little purifying (thanks to orange blossom and sage), a little soothing (thanks to the Hungarian thermal waters), a whole lot hydrating (thanks to the apple pectin) and an extremely good radiance-booster (rose water and the aforementioned extracts take care of that), this is on many a beauty editor’s shelf.
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