Face mists have grown in popularity as a great way to refresh your skin throughout the day. They can help control oil and shine, or even give you a hydrating boost depending on the ingredients. Of course, like many beauty trends, novelty can drive up the price. A small bottle of toner or rose water can double in price if it’s branded as a facial mist.
If you want to take advantage of the benefits of face mists but don’t want to pay a premium, you’re in luck. These products are relatively easy to DIY. You can customize them to your unique skin needs, and you won’t have to worry about suspicious chemical additives.
Preparing to Make Your Skin Mist
Before you get started, you’ll need to prepare a few ingredients and choose a container to keep your mist in.
Common Base Ingredients
Since face mists are watery, you can use pure water in some cases (distilled or filtered is best) and simply add essential oils and other ingredients. Many people like to choose something a little more nourishing, though.
Teas
Green tea is a balancing choice that works for many skin types. If you have oily or sensitive skin, green tea can be especially beneficial since it helps reduce oil. It also has anti-inflammatory properties and antioxidants that help reduce damage and redness.
Chamomile tea is a soothing option as well. It can help tighten up your pores and reduce puffiness. This can help prep your skin for makeup. Mint is another great option that can help clear bacteria from your skin, all while giving your skin a tingly boost to wake you up in the morning.
Simply brew your tea in boiling water for 3-5 minutes, depending on how strong you’d like your mist.
Herb Waters
Rose water is a very popular choice, since this age-old beauty tonic is lightly moisturizing, smells wonderful, and is loaded with vitamins and antioxidants that can help prevent skin aging. You can buy good quality rose water, or you can even make your own.
You can choose other herbs to create decoctions or hydrosols in a similar method. Lemon verbena is particularly great for skin that is breakout-prone.
To create herb water, there are several methods. For the first method:
- You can combine your herbs or flowers (preferably organic) with distilled or filtered water.
- Keep the mix at a low simmer on the stove for 20-30 minutes. This gentle and slow extraction can bring out more of the plant’s essence.
- Then, simply strain out the herbs and use the liquid.
You can also make a steam concentrated decoction.
- Start in a similar way, with herbs and water in a pot on the stove.
- Place a small heat-proof bowl in the center of the pot and put a lid upside down on the top.
- Simmer for 30+ minutes. As the steam collects on the pot lid, it will drip down the lid handle and into the bowl.
- Turn off the heat and let the steam keep collecting until the pot cools. In the bowl, you’ll be left with a super-concentrated herb water.
Add-Ins
To take your mist to the next level, you can add a number of ingredients to boost them. Depending on what you choose, you can add products that will boost the hydration, toning effects, or nourishment.
Essential Oils
Essential oils give a concentrated blast of plant essence to anything you blend them in. Some oils are too concentrated to put directly on your skin, but diluting them in a facial mist can help make them safer and gentler to use.
While essential oils can be a little pricey, you’ll only need a few drops in your mixture.
Acids
While acid can feel a little stingy if your skin is irritated, a small amount of raw vinegar can have a powerful astringent effect in your mist. Skin is naturally acidic, so a little vinegar can help restore its balance.
Adding the juice of a lemon or lime can also add a good amount of acid to the skin, along with the addition of vitamin C to help nourish your skin.
Plant Pulp
You can also finely chop or even process some plants in a food processor to add to your mist. Cucumber is a great option that can be cooling and refreshing, especially if your skin has redness or sun damage. This is ideal for a summer mist.
Aloe vera is a plant that naturally has a moisturizing gel contained in its leaves. This gel can be pulverized and added to a facial spray to boost your skin’s hydration throughout the day. It can help soothe irritation and heal sun damage as well.
Natural Preservatives
Certain ingredients can actually help keep your mixture fresh longer, along with other benefits. Vegetable glycerin is a humectant, meaning it helps draw moisture to your skin and keep it locked in. This ingredient can also help preserve your mist.
Jojoba oil is a soothing and moisturizing liquid wax that can help regulate your body’s oil production. It’s often added to body products for its hydration, but also because it extends the shelf-life of products.
Container
You’ll need to keep your mist in a bottle to spray on your face as needed. 2 ounces is a good size for most people since it will fit easily into your bag.
Since these recipes are all-natural, they may not last as long as commercial preparations. By only making a small amount at a time, you ensure that you can use it all before it spoils. You might also choose to keep your mist in the fridge between uses.
We recommend this pack of 2-ounce bottles. It comes with six bottles, two small funnels, and labels. So if you’re making multiple mists for different applications, you can keep them organized.
5 DIY Face Mists
Here are some recipes for you to try out, with different formulas for different skincare needs.
Remember to store your mists in the fridge to keep them in peak condition longer. And don’t forget to shake your mists well before using them since you won’t be adding any synthetic emulsifiers. Shaking will help distribute the natural oils evenly into your mixture.
Oily Skin Savior
Keep your skin fresh, clean, and cared-for while controlling oil with this balancing mist. The astringent green tea helps refresh your skin while keeping it fresh. Lemon will give your skin a boost of vitamin C and restore its natural acidity.
Jojoba oil will give a little moisture without making your skin look oily and help your mist last longer. Tea tree and rosemary essential oils will help control oil and give your mix a fresh scent.
1 oz green tea
1 tsp of lemon juice
1 tsp of jojoba oil
1-2 drops of tea tree essential oil
1-2 drops of rosemary essential oil
Blemish Buster
Breakouts can be caused by a number of things. Skin that’s irritated and under-moisturized can break out more than usual. Excess bacteria on the skin can also cause breakouts. This mist helps address some of those issues.
Lemon verbena is an amazing herb for clearing bacteria on the skin. Cucumber helps refresh your skin and control oil. Lavender and peppermint essential oils help control inflammation while controlling bacteria on the skin.
1 ounce of lemon verbena herb water
1 tablespoon of cucumber pulp
1-2 drops of lavender essential oil
1-2 drops of peppermint oil
Fountain of Youth
Keeping your skin nourished and fresh can keep it looking youthful. As we age, our skin doesn’t maintain its moisture barrier or defend itself as much as it did in our early adulthood. Rosewater gently tones the skin while giving it a boost of antioxidants.
Rosehip oil helps boost your natural collagen production, while vegetable glycerin helps draw moisture to your skin and lock it in all day. Clary sage is a great essential oil for aging skin since it promotes healing from free radicals and encourages skin rejuvenation.
1 ounce of rosewater
2 teaspoons of vegetable glycerin
1 teaspoon of rosehip oil
2-3 drops of clary sage essential oil
Redness Reducer
If you have sensitive skin, or summer heat and humidity have you feeling red and puffy, a cooling, soothing mist can refresh you throughout the day. Chamomile soothes irritation and reduces puffiness while tightening your skin’s pores.
Aloe can moisturize your skin while soothing conditions like eczema and sunburn that can cause redness. Cucumber can soothe your skin and keep it from getting overly oily in hot weather. Lavender and rosemary can help balance your skin moisture levels and control inflammation.
1.5 ounces chamomile tea
1 teaspoon of aloe vera pulp
1 teaspoon of cucumber pulp
1-2 drops of rosemary essential oil
1-2 drops of lavender essential oil
Makeup Lover
Face mists can help set your makeup and keep your face from getting dry or cakey throughout the day. Rosewater and witch hazel help nourish your skin, but once they dry over your makeup, they help give a smooth finish. Adding vegetable glycerin helps maintain your moisture levels and gives a dewy finish.
Alternatively, you can add rubbing alcohol if your skin tends to be oily and you prefer a matte finish. You can customize this setting spray with your favorite essential oil to give extra benefits specific to your skin or to create a refreshing aroma. Citrus oils can be a great option to both give your skin extra vitamin C, and help boost your energy for a mid-day pick-me-up.
1 ounce of rosewater
.5 ounces of witch hazel
1 tablespoon of vegetable glycerin
1 teaspoon of rubbing alcohol (optional)
1-2 drops of your favorite essential oil
Spray Your Way to Fresher Skin
Face mists are versatile ways to keep your skin healthy and looking good all day long. If you feel dry and flakey on a cold day, or need help controlling oil and shine. These mists can also be a blast of nourishment to be layered over other moisturizers and serums. Either way, they are worth adding to your skincare routine.
Making your own face mist is a simple and fun way to take your beauty into your own hands. These recipes are just to get you started. As you do further research on ingredients that suit your skin type, you can start to experiment with your own formulations until you find your ideal blend.