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This or That: Facial Mists vs. Facial Toners

Toni Marie ♡

Is it just me? Or is that almost every brand has some type of facial mist out on the market. With the popularity of facial misting, it’s often too hard to distinguish the difference between a facial mist and a facial toner. I enjoy using both, but I use them very different in my day to day skincare routines. Please check out this post if you would like to learn my take on face mists and facial toners along with my favorites in each category.

Please note this post may contain items that were gifted. None of them from the companies requested for these items to be mentioned.

 What is a face mist?

A facial mist is a liquid solution that you mist on to your skin. They are usually made with ingredients that aim to quickly hydrate the skin. Some face mists do contain ingredients that help with oily skin. They can be used before, during and after your makeup applications. Before a makeup application to add hydration to the skin and after makeup application to diminish the powdery look- to achieve a more natural skin like finish.

A facial mist in my opinion is usually used to refresh and provide a quick layer of moisture to the skin during the day. Some of the face mists that I own contain oils, hyaluronic acid and other moisturizing properties. With my skin being dehydrated, but also normal to oily it still needs and craves water based hydration. I tend to use facial mists during the day while I’m at work. My office, like most settings seasons year round, tends to keep the windows closed with either the AC or Heat blasting. Both can cause a drying effect to the skin. This is why I keep a facial mist on my desk and mist periodically throughout the day. 

This mists that I keep on my work desk:

-Voltion Beauty- Screen Time Hydra Mist  1.7 oz for $29 *gifted by the brand*

I keep this particular mist on my desk as it contains properties to help protect the skin from the blue lights that comes from computers and phone screens. Being that I spend that majority of my work day staring at a computer screen, I figured this wouldn’t hurt to use. This mist contains multiple oils (safflower, Sunflower, Chia Seed and Rose Hip) and too much of this will indeed make me look oily throughout the day. I can’t say for certain if it actually does help protect against the blue lights. But it’s something I reserve to use add work.

Ingredients: Water, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Propanediol, Glycerin, Fructose, Withania Somnifera (Indian Ginseng) Flower Extract, Tagetes Erecta (Marigold) Flower Extract, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Salvia Hispanica (Chia) Seed Oil, Rosa Canina Fruit (Rosehip) Oil, Panthenol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Magnesium Aspartate, Zinc Gluconate, Copper Gluconate, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Leaf Extract, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric Acid, Hydroxyacetophenone, Triethyl Citrate, Sodium Chloride, Potassium Sorbate.

-Tower 28 Daily Rescue Facial Spray *gifted by the brand: is in a convenient 1oz bottle. The mist feels refreshing and provides quick moisture to my skin. I also like that it only contains a few ingredients. The formula is pH balanced to 4.5. I was kindly gifted the spray, but it retails for $12.

Ingredients: Electrolyzed Water (H2O), Sodium Chloride (NaCl), Hypochlorous Acid (HOCl).

Hypochlorous acid is part of the body's immune system. Naturally occurring in your white blood cells, hypochlorous acid helps your body fend off foreign pathogens and promotes healing

What is a toner & How to use it?

Previous Blog Post: How to Use a face Toner? Is it Necessary?

In the past I’ve heard of toners to cleanse the skin and shrink the size of pores. I do agree that some toners can help to remove excess or dirt that was left behind. But a toner will not shrink your pores. But we do know that clean pores often appear to look smaller. When I started getting facials years ago, I was always told that I should incorporate a toner into my routine. I couldn’t understand at the time why nor was it fully explained to me. Now that I understand that for my normal to combo skin that is also dehydrated, a good toner helps to restore/maintain the pH balance of skin.

Toner is also used in my routine to help to hydrate my skin. I prefer toners that are hydrating and free of alcohol. Even with my skin being normal-oily, its dehydrated and still needs hydration. I’ve found that water based hydration like spray toners absorb into my skin very well and doesn’t cause me to look oily. I also prefer to use a hydrating toner since I use actives/acids in my routine. These ingredients can be harsh and causing drying to the skin.

Texture: Most toners are watery –which helps with absorption. They can either be applied to the skin by spraying directly on the skin with a spray atomizer, pressed into the skin or applied with a cotton ball.

 A tonique (or tonic) contains a small amount of alcohol, offers a deep cleanse, and includes humectants to lock in skin’s moisture.

Application: Cotton ball vs patting into the skin?

I don’t think there’s a right or wrong answer to the question. I double cleanse my skin at night and I use a beauty water in the morning that is wiped across my face with a  cotton pad. I generally like to apply my toner by pressing into my skin as I feel my skin is already cleansed at the moment. In my opinion applying toner with a cotton pad soaks up a lot of the product. But I do use it with some of my toners.

My Fav Hydrating Toners (Year Round- but preferably during the dry and cold temps)

My fav toners (summer)

 Can Face Mists and Toners be used the same?

I honestly think this is a question that all depends on the ingredients of a particular product. I do think a hydrating toner can be used through out the day to help add the hydration. But I can’t say the same for a facial mist unless it states to be hydrating and is pH balanced. I throughly enjoy using both in my routine and I do see a need for the two.