UK weather: The hydrating face mists you need to keep cool
They'll get you through sleepless nights and sticky afternoons spent at your desk
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Your support makes all the difference.Scorching temperatures and sleepless nights during the heatwave have left us feeling frazzled.
The 3pm afternoon slump hits harder than ever and the lack of air conditioning in homes across the UK is beginning to take its toll. Therefore, we’ll take refreshment any way we can find it.
Whether it's at your desk, on your bedside table, or in your car, make sure you have a face mist to hand. In the summer, a quick spritz can instantly perk you up.
We’ve rounded up our favourites, from the simple refreshers to those that will also tackle common skin issues such as acne and eczema.
Either way, they all offer a burst of cooling hydration that is more than welcome in a heatwave.
From budget buys to luxurious treats, there's something for everyone in our edit of skincare heroes.
You can trust our independent round-ups. We may earn commission from some of the retailers, but we never allow this to influence selections. This revenue helps us to fund journalism across The Independent.
Budget buys
This vitamin E cooling gel mist (The Body Shop, £6) is a purse-friendly option, packed with skincare benefits.
The gel-to-mist texture is non-greasy, lightweight and leaves skin cool. Containing vitamin E, which helps protect skin from pollution and environmental stressors, it’s ideal for city-dwellers.
For a palm-size product that packs a punch, try the Mario Badescu facial spray (Beauty Bay, £3.50).
A blend of herbs and rosewater, it'll come to the aid of dehydrated skin and lightly moisturise. You can spray it over makeup too without it shifting your carefully applied foundation.
For sensitive skin
Whether you’re sunning yourself outside or struggling to work at your makeshift desk, warmer weather can be especially irritating for sensitive skin. A spritz from a gentle face mist is the perfect pick-me-up.
The Avène soothing thermal spring water spray (Boots, £13) is one we can’t do without.
It soothes hot skin if you’ve spent too much time in the sun, takes the sting out of eczema patches, is anti-inflammatory for sensitive skin and most importantly, cools you down when it’s too hot.
It comes in handbag-friendly sizes all the way up to a 330ml jumbo size spray, which will last you months, no matter how liberally you spritz it.
Keep it by your bedside at all times. Our top tip is to spray it onto the face and body, then sit directly in front of a fan. The mist will go ice cold with the cool air and instantly make you feel better.
The sensitive skin experts at Vichy created this thermal spa water spray (Boots, £7), a bottle we always keep close.
A formula rich in minerals, it helps to alleviate redness and decongest skin but is lightweight enough that it won’t ruin make-up if applied over it, nor leave large droplets on your face.
For blemish-prone skin
More than just cooling, this La Roche-Posay serozinc spray (Feel Unique, £10) is made with oily, blemish-prone skin in mind.
Fragrance-free and infused with zinc sulfate and sodium chloride, it works to reduce inflammation and excess oil.
It has a mattifying finish too, so you can control a shiny T-zone with a single spritz. Use it after cleansing in your skincare regimen and throughout the day when you need a top-up.
CBD brand Disciple was created by psychotherapist Charlotte Ferguson for stressed-out skin.
The whole line is designed to address inflammatory skin issues such as adult acne, eczema and ageing, but one product we love is this Disciple Skin juicy mist (Cult Beauty, £15).
Enriched with orange blossom, aloe vera and hyaluronic acid, it adds a burst of dewy hydration and soothes blemish-prone skin that won’t behave.
Travel-friendly sprays
The Clinique moisture surge (Boots, £24) has been around for years and is well-loved for good reason.
Essentially a moisturiser in spray form, it reduces the tight sensation that parched skin often has and can be used under or over make-up.
When travelling, we love to bring a bottle in our liquids bag, when your skin is calling out for a moisture hit after sitting on a stuffy plane.
One whiff of the Caudalie beauty elixir (lookfantastic, £32) is enough to improve your day.
The plant-based mist contains hardworking ingredients including lemon balm, peppermint, rosemary and grape that help minimise the appearance of pores and brighten the skin.
As well as using this on bare skin, we like to set our face with it on cooler days when we can bear make-up. The fine mist won’t leave your face wet and is an instantly relaxing, radiant boost.
As its 100ml, if you're travelling abroad, you won't have to leave it at home either.
For a luxurious treat
True indulgence in the heat comes in the form of this Omorovicza Queen of Hungary mist (Space NK, £59).
The orange blossom, rose and sage-infused water rejuvenates tired skin and it's also available in a travel-friendly 30ml size so you’ll never need to be without it when you go away.
Aromatic but fast-drying, it’s the afternoon pick-me-up we’ve been looking for.
If you’re seeking a dewy glow that isn’t made of sweat, try this Aesop immediate moisture facial hydrosol (Space NK, £17).
A relaxing blend of bergamot peel, chamomile bud and rose petals, it’s a gentle fragrance that will boost your mood and provide immediate relief.
If you’ve got a long car journey coming up for a staycation, keep this in the glove compartment for top-ups.
A toner and mist in one, this ByBi mega mist (ByBi, £26) is packed with hyaluronic acid, aloe vera, algae, rose and lemon balm for a sweetly scented, hydrating spritz.
Use it to give your foundation a dewy finish or to revive a fatigued face throughout the day.
As well as offering recyclable packaging, the brand also operates a circular recycling scheme, so when you've finished with this, simply send it back to ByBi using the free returns label that comes with every order, where the materials will be recycled and reused in a bid to cut down on waste.
For more heatwave advice, read our guide on everything you need to keep cool and the sweat-proof make-up to wear this summer