Skincare

How to use a face mist (and why a two-phase mist needs a shake)

By the LÉRA team · · 2 min read

White Truffle Face Mist on a bathroom counter with rolled towels and white orchids

The short answer

Use a face mist on clean skin before your serum or moisturizer, over makeup to take away a powdery look, or any time your skin feels tight. Hold it at arm's length, close your eyes and mist in two or three passes. If it has two visible layers, shake it first: the oil and water separate when it sits.

When to use a face mist

  • After cleansing, as a first step, so your serum or moisturizer goes onto damp skin.
  • Over makeup, to soften a powdery finish and help it look more like skin.
  • During the day: at your desk, on a flight, or after hours in dry, heated air.

How to spray it properly

  1. Shake it, if it's a two-phase mist.
  2. Hold it about an arm's length from your face.
  3. Close your eyes and mouth and mist in two or three passes, so it lands as a fine veil rather than drops.
  4. Let it settle, or press it in with your palms. Don't rub over makeup.

What is a two-phase mist?

Most mists are water and humectants. A two-phase mist also carries a layer of oil that floats on top when the bottle sits still. Shaking mixes the two for a moment, so every spray carries a little oil with the water. That's what gives it a dewy finish and makes it feel more like a light essence than plain water, which can leave skin feeling tighter as it evaporates.

What's in ours

The White Truffle Mist is a two-phase mist with 3.5% niacinamide, hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid, bifida ferment lysate and vitamin E, with avocado, meadowfoam and sunflower oils in the oil layer, and white truffle, edelweiss and snow lotus extracts. It's 100 ml. (More on the truffle in White truffle in skincare.)

Does niacinamide work in a mist?

Niacinamide (vitamin B3) is one of the better-studied skincare ingredients, usually used at 2 to 5%. It dissolves in water and is stable, which makes it a good fit for a mist you use every day; it's used to support the skin's barrier and help skin look more even. A mist leaves less on the skin than a serum, so think of it as a supporting step rather than your whole routine.

The product in this guide

Questions people ask

Should I use a face mist before or after moisturizer?

Usually before: mist onto clean skin, then apply moisturizer while it's still damp. You can mist again over moisturizer or makeup during the day.

Can you use a face mist over makeup?

Yes. Hold it at arm's length, mist lightly and let it dry without rubbing. It softens a powdery finish.

Why does my face mist have two layers?

It's a two-phase mist: oil floats on water when the bottle is still. Shake it before each use to mix them.

Can a face mist dry out your skin?

Plain water mists can feel drying as they evaporate, especially in dry air. Mists with humectants and a little oil, or followed by moisturizer, don't.

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