The Best Face Mists, According to Dermatologists and Aestheticians

For a simple mist that is truly just water, try this one from Avène, which Park and Glossier brand strategistEmily Ferberboth recommend. Ferber says she has an “alarming number of bottles” of it and that it’s “excellent for keeping cool and refreshing, particularly if you’re not looking to add more product to your face.” Park adds that it’s “great for sensitive skin or people with rosacea or eczema,” thanks to its proprietary thermal mineral water that “calms down inflammation and restores the skin barrier.” While Park says it hydrates well, she recommends “using a facial moisturizer after spraying this to lock in the moisture.” Ferber notes that because this is just thermal water, it may not do quite as much work as some of the nutrient-infused sprays on this list — but it does satisfy theFrench pharmacy–chic aesthetic. “I live for this packaging,” she says.

If you want a mist that will hydrate your faceandenhance your glow, consider this “beauty elixir” from Caudalie that Chimento andDr. Paul Jarrod Frank, a celebrity dermatologist and the founder of PFRANKMD & Skin Salon, recommend. Chimento explains this mist is “known for its clarifying effect.” It contains essential oils, including grape extract, which moisturizes the skin; rosemary, which serves as a toner; rose, which settles and soothes the skin; and peppermint, which Frank says “helps to tighten pores and reduce inflammation andbreakouts.” Both dermatologists agree that this mist will also come in handy before and after applying makeup. “It sets makeup and primes the skin for makeup, giving it a glow,” says Frank. Summing it up, Chimento assures that it “works wonders for setting makeup and refreshing the skin.”

Herbivore’s Rose Hibiscus face mist comes recommended by both Chimento and Park for its calming abilities. “This one is great for irritated skin because it has rosewater, which is anti-inflammatory,” explains Park. “It can calm the skin and reduce redness.” Other ingredients include soothing aloe vera, hibiscus flower (which Chimento calls “a great exfoliating agent”), coconut water, and dermatologist favorite hyaluronic acid (“a well-known humectant that attracts moisture,” says Park). The combination of these ingredients makes for a “hydrating and soothing” mist that “enhances the skin’s natural glow,” according to Chimento.

Here’s a “highly effective yet affordable face mist” — the cheapest on this list, in fact — that Chimento loves, especially if your face is known to break out. “It hydrates due to the ingredient glycerin and helps reduce inflammation for acne-prone skin,” she says. This mist also contains turmeric, which, according to the brand, is an antioxidant with calming properties.

If you’re looking for a mist that also offers some aromatherapy, Frank recommends this lavender oil–infused mist specifically for its scent, which he calls “calming” and says promotes a sense of well-being.“It brightens the skin instantly with moisture and a dewy glow,” says Frank. (For another nice-smelling option, you could try thedamask-rose-infusedmist Frank developed with Madonna.)

Shen Beautyfounder Jessica Richards recommends this luxurious mist for useafter being in the sun. “The aloe in this is super-helpful after getting burned on the beach and makes my skin feel less parched,” she says, adding, “It’s ideal for hydration.” Given its higher price, she just cautions to think twice before throwing it in yourDopp kitwhen packing for a flight. “I don’t love to travel on planes with it because I’m always scared it’s going to be taken at the security checkpoint,” Richards told us.

If you want a rosewater mist with fewer ingredients than Gevinson’s beloved Mario Badescu spray, try this one recommended by Sadie Adams, the founder ofTake Care Face & Body. She calls Sun Potion’s rosewater mist, which is basically just purified water infused with Vrindavan-rose essential oil, “simple and potent,” adding, “it soothes the skin from overstimulation, and it ishydrating.” We’ve written about the benefits of rosewater mists before —one writer even found they helped clear up her eczema.

You may know the old cucumber-on-the-eyes trick, but cucumber can also be an equally soothing, anti-inflammatory ingredient in a face mist. Marsha-Ann Boyea, the owner ofCynergy Spain Brooklyn, says her spa always recommends this spritz, which she calls an “all-natural cool drink of water.” The mist is formulated with moisture-binding nutrients along with heavy water and the humectant sodium PCA, which adds moisture to the skin. Boyea explains that the “heavy water” in the mist is deuterium oxide, which is derived from seawater and “retains moisture in the skin tissue longer than regular water.” The spritz also hashyaluronic acidand, of course, cucumber-fruit oil, which Boyea calls “soothing and cooling.”

Kim Zimmerman ofRescue Spain Philadelphia calls this mist from cult skin-care brand Biologique Recherche “the perfect travel companion” — and not just because it comes in a TSA-friendly 1.7-ounce bottle. As she explains, “it’s oxygenating,” the skin-care term for when a product delivers additional oxygen to your skin, making it especially refreshing after a few hours in stale airplane air. The mist also “containsvitamin C,” Zimmerman says, “so it leaves the skin hydrated, refreshed, and glowy.”