Are you ‘misting out’ on 'spritzing' your way to hydrated skin?
Do you ever wish there was quick way to add glow, hydration and relief to your skin and mind?
Have you ever considered that a face spritz may be just what your skin is ‘misting’ out on, or are unsure how a simple mist could enhance your skincare at all?
Read on for all the answers: we’ll look debunk the myths around the face misting hype, answer your face mist questions and explain how they can help improve the look and feel of your skin.
Your skin needs hydrating, not just moisturising
‘Moisturising’ is about trapping and locking in the moisture to build your skin’s natural protective barrier which will prevent transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and ensure your skin stays soft and smooth.
Whereas ‘hydration’ is the absorption of moisture infusing your skin cells with water to make them plump and smooth whilst also improving your skin’s ability to absorb moisture and nutrients.
We can hydrate our skin in two ways:
1.Extrinsic hydration which is moisture added to the skin from moisture in the air or from skincare hydrators
2. Intrinsic hydration which refers to moisture that is naturally produced within the skin and is affected by our diet and water intake.
Dermatologists agree that ideally we want both hydrated and moisturised skin – bouncy plumped skin cells along with topical moisture being locked into them.
This is where using a combination of a face mist followed by an oil or face cream comes into its very own for both hydrated and moisturised skin for the very freshest, glowing complexion.
So how do I know if my skin is dehydrated or lacking moisture?
If you skin tends to be on the dry side, it’s easy to assume that a healthy dose of moisturiser will restore it. However, it is possible that your skin may in fact not be dry but rather dehydrated.
Dehydrated skin will will look dull and lacklustre as your skin cells are literally shrivelled rather than plumped up with hydration. To tackle dehydrated skin you need hydration deeper down in your skin in the first place for your other products to lock in and enhance – this can be provided by your face mist. Using a topical hydrator you are infusing your skin cells with hydration and improving your skin’s ability to absorb moisture and nutrients.
Skin lacking in moisture will be dry and flaky with an impaired skin barrier that is unable to keep hold of moisture in the skin effectively. This is where your face cream or beeswax balm come to the rescue to lock in and draw in moisture to the upper layers of your skin.
Face misting will offer much needed hydration to replenish, plump and brighten the skin and this deeper hydration can then be locked in and supplemented with our face cream and/or beeswax balm which will continue to draw in moisture from the air to the upper layers of the dermis so you will be left with skin layered in hydration and moisture for your healthiest complexion yet.
Face Mist Myths
- They don’t do much- FALSE! Keep on reading…..They dehydrate the skin – FALSE! Decent face mists contain ingredients to hydrate not dehydrate.
- They are a waste of money – FALSE! A reputable face mist may be on the pricier side but will be packed full of skin- benefitting antioxidants and humectants, delivered in way no other product can rival.
- Face mists should be clear and free from ‘bits’ – FALSE! Natural, unadulterated face mists are generally milky or slightly cloudy in appearance and often have precious flower particles still present. The appearance of a natural facial mist may vary (as with all natural ingredients) throughout the year as texture and look of natural ingredients vary with the seasons, weather and soil composition.
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Face mists are just water – FALSE! Natural face mists contain so much more than cheaper imitation face mists. Those comprising of just plain water are to be avoided so always check the ingredients label.
Face Misting: your top 8 questions answered
Q1: Do I really need a face mist – I'm not sure they do much?
Face mists are in fact a pretty important part of skincare. While they are not strictly necessary, whatever your skin type, you can really benefit from one. How, you ask?
Hydration hero
Face mists tackle dehydration, protect your skin from dry weather, refresh and most importantly hydrate into the deeper layers of skin where thicker oils, creams and balms cannot reach.
Whereas your creams and oils will moisturise and protect the upper layers of your epidermis and prevent transepidermal water loss, they cannot penetrate your deeper skin layers to hydrate. This is where a face mist comes to the rescue!
Face mists/spritzes, whatever you prefer to call them. are absolute hydration heroes, effectively delivering a dose of skin conditioning benefits and a quick surge of super hydration in a cooling, glow boasting formula to brighten, tone and soothe your complexion in seconds.
They also make up an essential hydrating step as part of your full skincare routine - adding extra hydration between the steps of your skincare regime will only serve to further minimise the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and help other products penetrate the skin more effectively.
PH balancer
Face mists are formulated with slightly acidic ingredients that work to rebalance the pH of your skin. But, why is this important?
Skin with a balanced pH is most effective at keeping moisture in and harmful bacteria out. This happens through the acid mantle which is a healthy barrier made of a slightly acidic film on the surface of the skin.
A healthy skin pH leans more towards the acidic side – the more acidic your skin is the more effective it is at combatting harmful bacteria and free radicals, breakouts, the signs of ageing and at staying hydrated.
The more alkaline your skin is, the more susceptible it is to damage, breakouts, and dryness. Even water is too alkaline for our skin as it has a neutral pH of 7 whereas our skin’s pH is 4.7.
By using a face mist after cleansing with water, or when the skin has been exposed to any factors influencing it’s pH such as air pollution or humidity, you can restore your skin’s pH to a healthy level.
Quick, easy and hygienic hydration
What’s more face misting is one of the most portable of skincare steps as you can easily use it anytime, anywhere, completely hands free so eliminating the chance of any bacteria from your hands infiltrating your skin barrier.
Menopausal flush on the train? Face mist. Skin tight and dry in the office? Face mist. Car air con drying you out? Face mist.
We even offer ours in a handy travel size which is ideal for popping in your pocket or handbag.
Q2: Ok, so they hydrate easily and effectively and rebalance the pH of my skin – do they do anything else?
Yes! Natural face mists offer so much more. Check out the numerous skin benefits of using one below:
- Priming and setting make up.
- Highlight your cheekbones with a sheen of mist.
- Calm/revive/settle nerves/ease anxiety thanks to their natural aromatics.
- Add extra moisture for layering in between skincare.
- Soothe hot flushes.
- Use for an instant glow to your skin.
- Rebalance oily/ blemish prone skins.
- Reduce and soothe inflammation.
- Maintain skin moisture levels while travelling/in air conditioned or humid environments.
- Ultimate cool down for heat-ravaged skin.
- Pep up tired skin.
- Brighten pigmentation.
Q3. Can I just use water to mist my face instead?
In short, no.
If you are spraying your face with a mist that is just plain water then you are not reaping any skin benefits and in fact just further drying out your skin as the water evaporates.
You need a face mist that contains humectants (proteins that bind water to the skin) and active ingredients that benefit your skin through hydration.
If you are misting your face with just water or a mist that doesn’t contain humectants, then there is nothing to grab onto the water that lands on your skin. Without anything to bind the moisture to your skin this plain water will just evaporate causing your skin to be even drier. Not to mention, as we talked about above, the pH of plain water is too alkaline to support your skin's health.
Of course, there are also zero aromatherapy benefits for your skin and mind with just plain water.
Q4: Are they only suitable for dry skin?
Nope, if your skin is on the oilier side the right face mist will help balance oil production and offer an antibacterial, antifungal and antimicrobial cleanse and tone for blemish prone skin.
Look for face mists containing targeted natural ingredients for your oilier/ combination skin type like our lavender and yarrow enriched Busy Bee face spritz for combination skin.
This skin clearing fluid will expel bacteria and combat blemishes whilst nourishing rather than drying out acne prone skin types. We use palm free glycerin which is naturally non comedogenic so will not block pores.
Remember; oily skin needs hydration too – dehydrated skin will send messages to the sebaceous glands to produce more sebum and this excess sebum then travels into the pilosebaceous unit causing it to swell and inflame. Hydrating the skin properly with a hydrating face mist will calm these inflammatory markers down.
Q5: Can I use your face mist on my sensitive skin?
Yes, choose a face mist comprising of gentle ingredients and flower waters that are not too fragrant and will not potentially sensitise the skin, such as the chamomile and aloe vera found in our Sensitive Bee spritz.
Stay away from face mists made with synthetic parfum or fragrance which will further irritate the skin.
Q6: I have eczema prone skin/am going through TSW (topical steroid withdrawal), can they help me?
@honey.bee.beauty Are you hydrating the deeper layers of your skin to prevent plaques and flare ups? #tsw#eczemaflareups#glycerinevegetale#eczemahealing#naturalskincare ♬ original sound - HoneyBeeBeautiful
Yes, a face mist will help hydrate the deeper layers of eczema prone or skin going through topical steroid withdrawal (TSW) skin to prevent plaques or hardened skin forming. We’ll explain (or tap the video above for a break from reading!)
So, you have your beeswax balm on the top of your skin preventing transepidermal water loss and protecting the skin barrier, but you need to make sure the deeper layers of your skin are hydrated too, as if they are not then as the moisture is drawn up to the surface layers of the epidermis these deeper layers will dry out causing hardened TSW skin.
A great way of ensuring hydration here is by using a hygroscopic (water attracting) face mist such as our Sensitive Bee spritz that is lighter and easily absorbed into the deeper skin layers and can penetrate down in where thicker occlusives and ointments cannot.
Plant glycerin rich face mists are great for adding the hygroscopic factor – its healing, hydrating and made up of smaller molecules that can really reach into the skin to prevent dehydration and soothe.
Glycerin also helps TSW/eczema prone skin cells to develop ‘normally’ rather than hyper proliferate and cause inflammation.
What’s more, hydrating with a face mist is hands free so with eczema prone skin or skin where the skin barrier is compromised and easily prone to irritation and infection, it’s a beneficial way of getting hydration in at any time whilst eliminating any bacteria from your hands.
Our Sensitive Bee face mist is formulated with aloe and very gentle chamomile water- the flavonoids in chamomile penetrate deep into the skin to work as a topical anti-inflammatory - teamed with the vegetable glycerin to heal, soothe and reduce bacteria on eczema or psoriasis prone skins.
Q7: Are all face mists the same?
Absolutely not. A face mist effectiveness depends on whether they contain ingredients beneficial to your skin.
You may have tried an ‘off the shelf’ face mist or one that you may have thought of ‘as good value’ and been disappointed in the results.
This is because, in truth, many mainstream face spritzes or ‘cheaper’ options contain harsh chemicals, irritants, water and chemical preservatives so it is no wonder that they are not delivering any benefits for your skin and, more often than not, may be causing more harm, by means of irritation and skin stripping, than good.
By choosing a natural face mist you can rest assured that the ingredients will be gentle on your skin, will deliver on results and are infused with non irritating, hydrating ingredients found in nature.
Look for face mists containing hygroscopic (water attracting) ingredients known as humectants.
Try nature’s own hyaluronic acid from aloe vera, or those with vegetable derived glycerin – often underrated it provides all the hydration of hyaluronic acid whilst being non irritating and calming.
Opt for mists with organic floral waters, not just water to support your skin's pH.
Organic flower waters are steam distilled plant oils packed with so many benefits for your skin. Choosing a face mist scented with natural plant aromas, rather than damaging synthetic fragrances, means your mind and skin will reap all their aromatherapy benefits too.
Let these essential oil components contained in the flower waters from steam distillation work to nourish and balance skin and help with depression, anxiety and insomnia.
Q8: How do I use my face mist?
Simply close your eyes and mist directly onto cleansed skin whenever and as regularly as you like as a cooling hydrator.
Use day and/or night as a double cleanse with a pad after using your honey soap/cleansing balm to remove any lingering cleansing product and rebalance the pH of the skin.
Use as a make-up primer or setter or to add an instant dewy glow to your complexion.
Use as a calmer before bed or when you are feeling anxious or stressed- take a couple of minutes to inhale and benefit from the aromatherapy scents.
Natural face mists you need now
For dry or maturing skins, hydrate with our Bumble Bee spritz with organic orange flower water to brighten, teamed with aloe vera and calendula to calm rosacea.
For oily or combination skins, choose our Busy Bee spritz with antibacterial organic lavender flower waters and yarrow for reducing inflamed skin, deep cleansing and tightening pores.
For sensitive or reactive skins or skins prone to eczema, psoriasis or going through TSW find relief with our Sensitive bee spritz with aloe vera and gentle chamomile waters to soothe, cool and reduce inflammmation for irritated skin.
All our face mists are rich with vegetable glycerin – the ultimate hydrator.
Top 7 tips for making the most out of your face mist
1.Grab a travel size for on the go misting
2. Pop your spritz in the fridge for an extra cooling, calming, refreshing sensation. Hangover? Hot flush? Puffy skin? Sunburn? Irritated skin? All sorted!.
3.Use to tame flyaway hairs.
4.Spray on pulse points, back of neck or temples to calm or refresh.
5.Use as a relaxing, restful pillow spray.
6.Use as a room freshener spray.
7.Mist on swollen hot feet or ankles.
Don't 'mist' out.........
That's face misting demisted for now!
We hope sharing these face mist FAQs has helped clear up any queries and demonstrated the importance of hydrating as well as moisturising your skin and how to achieve that hydration.
If you are still feeling unsure about whether a natural face mist is worth a try, would like any further information about which face mist is for you or any face care advice in general we would be delighted to help in an way we can so please reach out and let us know.
Wishing you all happy hydrated and moisturised skin,
Cath and Bec xx
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