5 Of The Best French Pharmacy Face Mists Of All Time

best french pharmacy water sprays

When you look at water sprays, they might be a bit confusing. Are they just fancy water? What makes each one different? Which one would be best for my skin?

Before I started working at Escentual, I thought the same. However, that quickly changed when I saw the benefits firsthand. Now they’re an integral part of my skincare routine. I use one every morning and every evening, and my afternoons wouldn’t be the same without my post-lunch skin pick-me-up.

If you’re still working from home and sneaking the heating on as autumn approaches, or back in an air-conditioned office and struggling with wearing a mask, a water spray will soothe, protect and restore comfort with just a spritz.

Keep reading to find out the unique properties of these five French Pharmacy water sprays and let it help you decide which one is best for your complexion and skin needs.

1. The Plumping Water Spray

best water sprays that plump skin

Eucerin Hyaluron Filler Anti-Age Refreshing Mist Spray

What makes this different? This is the only water spray on the list that contains hyaluronic acid, which helps your skin retain moisture.

Is this the one for your skin? If ageing and dehydration are two of your skin concerns, this would be a great choice.

What’s the composition? A blend of hyaluronic acid and gluco-glycerol.

Why it’s Escentual?

For avid readers of our blog, you may already know that this is one of my favourite French products. I love how moisturising this fine mist is and how soft and plump my skin feels after a quick spritz. It’s a refreshing and revitalising face mist that offers a long-lasting hydrated feeling.

Read more about Eucerin Hyaluron Filler Mist

It’s a great option for dehydrated skin that needs a midday pick-me-up as it contains a high level of hyaluronic acid. This ingredient is naturally present in our skin, but as we age our ability to create it decreases, which can lead to depleted and dehydrated skin. The Hyaluron Mist acts like a sponge to hold up to 1000 times its weight in water, instantly quenching your parched cells. This not only intensely hydrates your thirsty skin but also plumps out wrinkles, which is another bonus if you’re concerned about ageing.

The creamy face spray settles nicely on your face and needs to be patted dry after a couple of minutes. It’s very lightweight as it settles on the skin, and the mist has a delicate and wide reach that comfortably coats your complexion.

Eucerin is known for their innovative formulas and unique complexes, but they’re not quite known for their style. The white spray bottle might not look the most exciting, but it’ll add a dewy glow to your skin and can even be used to set or revive makeup.

2. The Strengthening Water Spray

best water spray to protect skin
Vichy Mineralizing Thermal Water Spray

What makes this different? 15 minerals, strengthens skin’s barrier, accelerates cell renewal.

Is this the one for your skin? A good choice if you have ageing and sensitive skin.

What’s the composition? 100% pure Thermal Water that’s naturally enriched with 15 minerals and 13 trace elements.

Why it’s Escentual?

“This is my go-to product, it’s never far from my side. It’s amazing for those hot nights when it’s difficult to sleep and also for calming those dreaded hot flushes, I love to keep it in the fridge for extra cooling benefits!

Nikki and I in the customer service department always have one on our desks to keep our skin refreshed and hydrated throughout the day, and I always pack one of these in my suitcase when I’m going away (although holidays seem like a distant memory at the moment). This is what I always stock up on in the French Pharmacy sale!” – Pat, Customer Service Supervisor.

Read more about Vichy Thermal Water Spray

The Vichy Thermal Water Spray will protect and strengthen your skin, making it the ideal option if your complexion is feeling a bit weak, sensitive and fragile. This will defend against external aggressors while providing comfort to irritation, and also boosts cell renewal. If you’re looking for a revitalised and renewed finish that perks up skin with each spritz, this is the one for you.

Formulated by nature, born in the French volcanoes and travelling to depths of up to 4000 meters, the Vichy volcano spray has been through a lot. It’s packed with 15 minerals and 13 trace elements. I love the journey of this water spray and you can feel the soothing active ingredients infusing skin with their mineral-rich goodness.

This is a very fine and delicate face mist that doesn’t drench your face but covers it comfortably as the closely-packed tiny droplets have a wide spray diameter that lightly settles on the skin. You have to gently pat this one dry to feel the full effects.

This thermal water mist will cool overheated skin, which makes it a good choice if you’re maturing skin is experiencing hot flushes, which is one of Pat’s top tips. It won’t smudge your makeup either, so you can confidently cool and calm your skin while giving makeup a refreshing and glowy boost.

3. The Hypersensitive Water Spray

best water spray for hypersensitive skin
La Roche-Posay Toleriane Ultra 8 Daily Soothing Hydrating Concentrate

What makes this different? Provides 68% more hydration in 30 minutes and lasts for 24 hours.

Is this the one for your skin? Soothing relief for allergy-prone and dry skin.

What’s the composition? A blend of La Roche-Posay thermal water, glycerin and allantoin.

Why it’s Escentual?

“I learnt in a recent #NightInWithEscentual, that after washing your face, you only have 60 seconds before your skin starts needing moisture. Now I keep water sprays in my bathroom, bedroom and handbag to make sure my skin never gets thirsty.

Over the years, I’ve tried many water sprays, but Ultra 8 is the one I choose when my skin feels extra sensitive (choose this one if your skin reacts with alcohol or fragrance in products – as it has none). Its minimal formulation is enriched with ingredients that attract moisture to the upper layers of the skin (glycerin) too.” – Chelsey, Communications and Campaigns Manager.

Read more about La Roche-Posay Ultra 8 Mist

If you have allergic or ultra-sensitive skin that’s prone to midday flare-ups, this is a great one to keep in your handbag as it’s an instant light spray moisturiser that will instantly relieve irritation. The La Roche-Posay face mist will quickly comfort and hydrate the skin while offering calming abilities. It’s the perfect option when you can’t reach for a cream but your face needs quick and comfortable relief.

Whereas the Vichy spray contains 100% pure thermal water, the La Roche-Posay choice is a blend of thermal spring water and eight active ingredients, including glycerin. Not many face sprays include this ingredient, which attracts moisture and helps your skin retain it, which equals a dewy, healthy glow that lasts.

This hydrating face spray will protect against free-radicals too, making it a good choice if you’re a city dweller, and a few spritzes will provide calming relief to post-shaved skin.

The clear bottle has more of a direct spray than the others – which are more deodorant-like – but a tip I’ve learnt is that if you hold the nozzle down and move it over your face it sprays as more of a mist, which is handy if you want to douse your whole complexion in this hydrating water spray.

And don’t just take my word for it, beauty author Caroline Hirons lists the Toleriane Ultra 8 face mist in her skincare essentials and labels it a “no-brainer.”

4. The Replenishing Water Spray

best water spray to replenish lost moisture in skin
Uriage Eau Thermale Water Spray

What makes this different? This water is naturally isotonic, which means it’s in perfect osmosis with the skin and respects skin cells without altering them. It’s also the most active thermal water.

Is this the one for your skin? This one’s for the whole family – including those with fragile, sensitive or atopic skin.

What’s the composition? 100% Thermal Water with a high concentration of trace elements and mineral salts similar to the skin’s Natural Moisturising Factors.

Why it’s Escentual?

“I love using Uriage’s isotonic Thermal Water; not only does it help soothe and protect skin, but it also adds a boost of hydration. Although I admittedly use it every morning, I also love to use it after exercising. I always get red, flushed cheeks (don’t we all!) so I cleanse my face after exercise and instantly spritz the water onto my complexion to cool, refresh and calm skin.” – Kate, Communications and Campaigns Assistant.

Read more about Uriage Thermal Water Spray

This is a hero everyday water spray that was discovered in the French Alps by the Romans over 2000 years ago, who found its unique and pure minerality had restorative, healing and purifying abilities.

The Uriage Eau Thermale water mist has a similar composition to that of our own tears, which should tell you how gentle it is. This is a great one for the whole family as it can be used daily to refresh skin and enhance skin’s glow, but it can also be used as a soothing treatment.

The naturally healing spritz can also calm nappy rash, soothe razor burns and repair damaged skin, such as superficial burns and post-surgery. It can also be sprayed on inflammatory conditions, such as psoriasis and eczema, making this a great choice to keep one of these in the bathroom cupboards.

Another bonus point of this one is you don’t need to pat dry; you can just spritz and let it get to work. The very fine mist absorbs into the skin and instantly settles and refreshes. The can is almost deodorant-like with a wide mist spray. If you spray in the centre of your face holding the can back slightly, the dust will disperse evenly in a circle over your complexion. This makes it great for effortlessly spritzing over the body too.

This supercharged thermal water spray is at the heart of every one of Uriage’s products.

10 Things You Should Know About French Pharmacy Skincare

5. The Soothing Water Spray

best water spray for irritated skin
Bioderma Atoderm SOS Spray

What makes this different? Six hours of anti-itching relief.

Is this the one for your skin? For atopic, eczema-prone and very dry skin.

What’s the composition? A skin relief technology and two strengthening patents.

Why it’s Escentual?

“There are a few water sprays in my skincare collection, but choosing my favourite is easy. Bioderma’s Atoderm Spray doesn’t just soothe and hydrate it saves my skin – from myself! The savvy spray is made with anti-itch technology that stops the itch-scratch cycle, which, otherwise, would drive me around the bend. I recommended it to everyone with eczema, and I always have one close to hand.” – Ceryn, Communications and Campaigns Editor.

Read more about Bioderma Atoderm Spray

This is definitely the creamiest one of the bunch! The Bioderma Atoderm mist is a rich yet still refreshing spray that’s for the whole body, not just the face, and offers up to six hours relief from itchy sensations.

This one offers an intense burst of anti-itch moisture that’s a saviour for those with atopic or eczema-prone skin. Bioderma has been specialising in soothing dermatological skincare since 1977, so you can trust that this gentle blend will effectively calm and comfort your skin – and it does, thanks to Bioderma’s innovative and scientific research and results.

The Atoderm mist is a blend of strengthening patents and technologies that inhibit the triggers responsible for itching and increases the tolerance threshold of sensitive skin to improve its resistance.

Plus, the nozzle has a 360° turn feature so you can spray difficult to reach problem areas – such as behind the knees and elbows – effortlessly and with no fuss. The spray diameter is wide and fine, ensuring a speedy and encompassing drenching of relief.

This is the one to go for if you’re looking for a comforting and repairing blend for your atopic skin, rather than just a refreshing face mist. As Ceryn says, this is her go-to for fast itching relief for her eczema-prone skin. You can read more about her recommendations below…

4 Products That’ll Relieve Itchy Skin

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