Spritz away the stress.
Whether you’re looking to calm sensitive skin, brighten a dull complexion, or boost your mood, the best face mists can help. They’re intended to refresh and hydrate skin throughout the day, and some even offer additional perks, thanks to active ingredients like niacinamide, aloe vera, and witch hazel.
Whatever your skin goals may be, there’s a mist to help. Some mattify, others defend against pollution, and a few can even set makeup. Bottom line: There are plenty of options to choose from whether you’re in the market for a luxurious facial mist or working with a budget. (Just steer clear of essential oils, which may be irritating.)
But the best part is that you can give yourself a much-needed spritz away whenever you feel the urge to hit refresh, metaphorically or physically — all without disturbing your existing skin-care products or current makeup. With that, consider these the best face mists, including beauty-editor favorites, dermatologist-approved recommendations, and Best of Beauty Award winners old and new.
Best Overall: Eau Thermale Avène Thermal Spring Water
Why It’s Worth It: A can of Eau Thermale Avène Thermal Spring Water is filled with thermal spring water from Avène, France, hence its name. The water there is naturally rich in good-for-your-skin minerals, which help nourish sensitive skin. And since it’s truly only water, the product is 100% fragrance-free.
Best for Dry Skin: Dermalogica Hyaluronic Ceramide Mist
Why It’s Worth It: The calming rosewater in this hydrating face must gives it a spa-like scent — along with antioxidant-packed polyphenols. Plus, it’s also loaded with ceramides and hyaluronic acid to eradicate dryness and make skin look bouncy and hydrated.
Best for Oily Skin: Fresh Rose Pore-Minimizing Hydration Mist
Why It’s Worth It: A 2023 Best of Beauty Award winner, this toning mist utilizes damask rose extract to retain moisture and protect against water loss. Of course, there’s a hefty dose of rosewater, an ingredient known for its astringent properties, to soothe the skin and reduce the look of pores — making it a solid choice for oily skin.
Best for Sensitive Skin: SkinCeuticals Phyto Corrective Essence Mist
Why It’s Worth It: This ultra-fine mist is infused with thyme and rosemary extracts, which can soothe and calm the skin, says David Kim, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at Idriss Dermatology. It’s proven to reduce redness instantly, while the combination of 6.2% hyaluronic acid and glycerin (two powerful humectants) is basically a dream for a thirsty skin barrier.
Best for Mature Skin: Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Miracle Hydrating Mist
Why It’s Worth It: To help repair and protect skin, Elizabeth Arden’s ultra-fine Eight Hour Miracle Hydrating Mist is spiked with açai berry, goji, and mangosteen, which replenish skin with free radical-fighting antioxidants. Plus, energizing caffeine gives lackluster skin an instant boost of hydration and brightness.
Best for Acne-Prone Skin: Tower 28 SOS Daily Rescue Facial Spray
Why It’s Worth It: A TikTok favorite, the SOS Daily Rescue Facial Spray caters to calming sensitive and stressed skin (including acne-prone and eczema-prone skin) and inhibits breakout-causing bacteria. This soothing spray consists of just three ingredients: water, sodium chloride, and hypochlorous acid. This anti-inflammatory formula is especially useful for plane travel, says Dr. Kim.
Best for Combination Skin: Beekman 1802 Milk Shake Facial Toner Mist
Why It’s Worth It: The dual-phase formula (just shake it to activate) won a 2022 Best of Beauty Award for its innovative formula, which features hydrating squalane and redness-reducing mugwort alongside goat milk-derived prebiotics. The thoughtful ingredient lineup versatility makes it a great option for combination skin.
Best With SPF: Habit No. 39 Facial Sunscreen Mist
Why It’s Worth It: As we all know, sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher is essential to apply (and reapply) year round. But if you’d rather not smear sunscreen lotion over your makeup in the middle of the day, mist instead with Habit’s ultra-fine sunscreen mist, which has broad-spectrum SPF 39 to keep your face protected against harmful UV rays — without ruining your makeup.
Best for Cooling: Mario Badescu Skin Care Facial Spray
Why It’s Worth It: This delicate mist with hydrating coconut water and soothing aloe replenishes moisture all day and targets inflammation. Plus, you can spray it both before and after applying makeup to help set it. Apply it before your moisturizer for an extra hit of hydration.
Best for Brightening: Peach & Lily Glass Skin Veil Mist
Why It’s Worth It: True to its name, Peach & Lily’s Glass Skin Veil Mist delivers glass skin in a bottle. Key ingredients include calming centella asiatica, brightening licorice and lotus root, and reishi mushroom, which draws water from the environment to your skin. You’ll also discover other skin-loving nutrients like barrier-fortifying ceramides and vitamin E to give a bouncy finish without clogging pores.
Best for Dull Skin: Tatcha Luminous Dewy Skin Mist
Why It’s Worth It: It may sound weird to describe a face mist as “silky,” but it may be the only way to explain the soft, soothing feel of Tatcha Luminous Dewy Skin Face Mist when it hits skin. The superfine mist — made with hydrating Okinawa red algae and squalane, anti-inflammatory green tea leaf extract, and silk extract — is a staple in Allure editors’ (and Kim Kardashian’s) skin-care routines for glowing skin.
Most Long-Lasting: Laneige Cream Skin Mist
Why It’s Worth It: Dull, dry skin has nothing on this fine-mist spray, which even distributes the hydrating formula to the face. It’s a milky formula that’s infused with amino acids (derived from white leaf tea water) to help strengthen skin’s moisture barrier, along with meadowfoam seed oil to smooth and soften.
Best Matte Finish: Supergoop Defense Refresh (Re)setting Mist SPF 40
Why It’s Worth It: Supergoop Defense Refresh (Re)setting Mist is packed with SPF 40 and beneficial essential oils such as rosemary to protect the skin’s barrier and peppermint to soothe and refresh. Silica silylate absorbs oil to curb shine and leave a comfortable matte finish, while a water-soluble polymer (PVP) locks makeup in place for longevity. The icing on the cake? This setting spray smells like summer — and there’s nothing better than that.
Best for Setting Makeup: Charlotte Tilbury Charlotte’s Magic Hydrator Mist
Why It’s Worth It: Designed to deliver the radiance of an oxygen facial, this mist uses a blend of hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, and kombu extract to defend against dehydration and pollution. It’s a must-have for summer in particular, since it offsets the effects of heat and humidity.
