Beyond35 asks…What’s the difference between a floral water and facial mist? The owner told me it [Wild Olive] was an infused water…I’m confused.
The Beauty Brains respond
I looked at this Wild Olive product. “Floral water” and “facial mist” are not technical terms but rather just marketing descriptions so there is no set meaning. A floral water could be an ingredient in a facial mist. Another question is, what’s the deal with these facial sprays?
Why lotions are better than face sprays
The product in question is Wild Olive Face Mist. According to their website this “product is an enriched water designed to help maintain good hydration levels in the deeper tissue of our skin.” The ingredients, referenced on the website, are basically water, a small amount of natural oils, glycerine, fragrance, glycerine, and a solubolizer (polysorbate-20) to help mix in the oils. I’m a bit surprised to see that there’s no preservative listed.
Spraying a water and oil mixture such as this one on your face will provide temporary hydration. I’m sure it feels quite nice if your skin is really dry. But, this type of product can’t deliver the same kind of long lasting moisturization that a cream or lotion can provide.
That’s because a moisturizer needs to be applied in a uniform layer across the skin so it can lock in moisture. (Moisturizers work by preventing water from evaporating through the skin. This is called Trans Epidermal Water Loss or TEWL.)
A spray like this will not uniformly coat your face and so it won’t reduce TEWL like a lotion will. Also, since this is a spray it consists of mainly water rather than the kinds of oils and waxes that really lock moisture in skin.
If you’re just looking for a fresh feeling and you have $20 bucks to spend, then this is the product for you. But if you truly want to deeply moisturize your face then you need a good facial cream.
Image credit: Wikipedia
What do YOU think? Do you use facial mists or sprays? Leave a comment and share your thoughts with the rest of the Beauty Brains community.
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Many people will keep the fragranced water mists in the refrigerator and use them for a refreshing cool down during the dog days of summer or after a physical workout of any kind. Variations of the perennial rose water and glycerine favorite have been around for centuries. Every summer I whip up a batch using rose water, orange blossom water, and glycerine. I put it in small spray bottles and hand it out to my friends as a little summer solstice gift. No one thinks of it as a replacement for their routine skin care–no one. It’s just a little something to lift the spirits and cool the senses on a hot day. Mists like this certainly aren’t a necessity, but many people find them calming and restorative.
There are also a lot of heavier mists on the market that contain quite a bit of oil–often as much as 20-25%–as well as humectants and they are more like super light lotions. Makeup artists like to use them to add a glow to the skin and women like them because they don’t disturb their makeup application. I have one such mist and carry a travel size version of it in my purse. Of course it doesn’t form the same kind of barrier that my cream moisturizer does, but when I’m out and about, it restores a feeling of suppleness without ruining my makeup.
Ditto to Eileen’s comment. I like a multi tasking one I can spray on my hair as well. It gets thirsty.
Wow! We really can just sell water!
Sad but true. Evian has an aerosol mineral water spray that’s just…water. Wow.
LOL and think of how many people have perfectly fine tap water but they still buy bottled mineral water! Why do that? Because there are distinct differences in taste and texture depending on the water’s source. Some people could care less about that and think it’s a waste of money but there are other people for whom those variations in taste and texture make a huge difference in their enjoyment of the product. But I digress. . .
In the case of fragranced water mists, anyone who is focusing on the water aspect is missing the point as it is the fragrance being carried by a cooling mist that pleases the senses and helps promote a sense of well-being. Most of us have probably been somewhere hot or arid and know how much relief we instantly experienced when those little outdoor misters would turn on. Ahhhh. . . 🙂 Fragranced water mists act in the same way. It’s a short-lived psychological boost to be sure, but so long as the consumer understands that and the brand doesn’t make any absurd claims, I don’t see any harm. Unfortunately, some brands do make inflated claims–along with inflated prices–that go far beyond what a spritz of water, fragrance, and a bit of glycerine can do 🙁
In the case of Evian’s spray, it is very popular on board planes where the recirculated air is bone dry. It acts like a little humidifier and on long flights, you can see people liberally misting themselves. It makes their skin, hair, and even their sinuses, feel better. What they’re actually buying when they plunk down money for one of Evian’s atomizers filled with mineral water is the portability of an esthetically pleasing, easy to use dispenser (TSA approved) that creates an ultra fine mist that doesn’t end up dripping down their face, flattening their hair, or spotting their clothing and, because it is unscented, it doesn’t offend fellow passengers. So, yeah, people will actually buy a convenient container of water to mist their skin. Think about that the next time you take a swig from a bottle of water you purchased. 🙂
“Think about that the next time you take a swig from a bottle of water you purchased.” I think I’ll just stick to my hip flask of whiskey.
LOL! 🙂
DIY – Facial Mist Supplies
1. 4 oz. spritzer bottle from Amazon
2. 4 oz. water or aloe juice