TIL that my hydrating facial mist was actually making my skin drier because of the alcohol in it

Switched to a glycerin-based spray after my esthetician pointed it out last week, and my clients with dry skin have been asking what changed - has anyone else dealt with a product that seemed good but was secretly working against you?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_elliot1mo ago

I mean, is it really that deep though? Yeah, alcohol can dry out your skin if you overdo it, but most facial mists have like a tiny amount as a preservative. Your face feeling tight could have been from a million other things, like the weather or whatever soap you used that morning. People act like alcohol in skincare is arsenic or something. I've used mists with alcohol for years and my skin is fine, I just don't spray it on ten times a day. The glycerin thing is fine too but I bet if you switched back to the other one nobody would even notice. Feels like people are just looking for something to blame when their skin has a bad day.

susan1301mo ago

Oh, isn't that the worst? I had the same thing happen with a "hydrating" face mist I bought from a fancy brand, turned out it was full of alcohol and my skin felt tight after using it. Switched to just plain rose water with glycerin and it's been night and day, my face actually feels dewy now instead of angry.

oscarc531mo ago

You know what, Susan, you are absolutely right about that. I fell for a fancy "hydrating" mist from a department store once and my face felt like I had sprayed it with rubbing alcohol. @susan130 the plain rose water with glycerin is such a simple fix, I have been using a homemade mix of that for years now and it never lets me down. People get fooled by the fancy packaging and the price tag, but sometimes the old fashioned stuff just works better and gentler on your skin.