Clean Beauty Face Mists Reviews with The Best Facial Mist

Best Facial Mists - Crunchi Facial Mist Review

Looking for the best facial mist? I’ve tested several clean beauty facial mists over the past year—from hydrosols to hyaluronic acid sprays—to find which ones actually hydrate, layer well under or over makeup, and are worth the money.

Facial mists have become a staple in many skincare routines, but what do they actually do? And are they all the same? The short answer is no. While ingredients matter, so do the spray nozzle, how the mist feels on your skin, and how well it performs throughout the day.

Whether you’re looking for a refreshing toner, an extra boost to hydrate your skin, or a travel-friendly face mist, this guide compares my favorite clean beauty facial mists to help you choose the right one. (spoiler alert: this is my top all around pick).

CONTENTS

What is a Facial Mist?

A facial mist is a water-based product that is sprayed/misted onto the face as part of a skincare routine and/or throughout the day – as needed.

What Does a Facial Mist Do?

Facial mists (sometimes called essences, tonics, or sprays) can have a wide variety of uses. Facial mists hydrate the skin, refresh your complexion, prepare your skin for skincare products, and can be used throughout the day to add lightweight hydration.

Mists refresh skin – adding that hydrated look. They help skincare products spread more evenly and absorb into the skin better. Think of a facial mist as wetting the sponge before applying soap. The boost of hydration helps product sink in uniformly rather than sitting on top of your skin. Facial mists can be used to refresh makeup (adding hydration often lost throughout the day) and to cool skin!

It’s important to note that face mists for hydration are different than setting sprays or finishing sprays for makeup. Those types of sprays contain silicone to create a barrier on your skin to hold makeup in place.

Setting sprays create a film over the skin to help hold makeup in place. While that’s useful for makeup longevity, it’s a different purpose than a hydrating facial mist. Setting sprays are also much more likely to have those petroleum-based ingredients to “seal” in your makeup (think low grade plastic wrap on your face). This is absolutely one of the skincare ingredients I avoid. The products below are hydrating mists – not setting sprays.

Facial Mist vs. Toner

Facial mists and toner are very similar. While they have some crossover in use, I think of them as two separate products. Facial mists are applied via a spray nozzle. Toners are in liquid form and are poured into hands or onto a facial round to rub onto face.

Toners (also called essences) are a crucial second step in a skincare routine – called the prep step. If you don’t have a ‘prep’ step in your skincare routine, be sure to read what are toners for.

Facial mists can be used as the prep step, but they can also be used throughout the day as a light boost of hydration. Rubbing a toner or essence on your face just doesn’t work if you’re wearing makeup! So a facial mist can replace a toner, but a toner cannot replace a mist.

Which one you choose really depends on your preferences. I like the feel of a toner on my skin during my skincare routine, whereas I like to use a facial mist throughout the day but especially when I’m traveling.

Who Should Use a Facial Mist?

Facial mists work well for all skin types, including dry, oily, combination, mature, and sensitive skin. The best facial mist for you depends more on the ingredients and your skincare goals than your skin type. If you live or work in a dry climate, you might really like the little boost of hydration throughout the day.

Air travel? A facial mist is great for dry skin. Dry skin when traveling often leads to increased sebum production – your skin is trying to help, which can then lead to breakouts with the overproduction. Keeping your skin balanced and hydrated during travel is key and a mist can help.

If you feel your skin is balanced and happy, then you may not need a facial mist. It can be a nice luxury but maybe nothing you need for your everyday.

It’s important to note that facial mists and toners can help all your products work better, but it is not a miracle products in an of itself, so getting a facial mist should be part of your whole skincare approach.

My take: I enjoy using facial mists (especially for travel) because they make my skin feel more hydrated and refreshed, but I don’t consider them an essential skincare product. If you’re happy with your current routine, you won’t be missing a critical step. If you’re looking for an easy way to add lightweight hydration or refresh your skin without a heavy cream, a facial mist can be a great addition.

How to Use Facial Mist

One of the best things about a facial mist is its versatility. You can use it as part of your skincare routine or anytime your skin needs a little extra hydration.

In Your Skincare Routine

Apply a facial mist after cleansing and before your serum or moisturizer. Damp skin absorbs skincare products more effectively, so a facial mist can help your serums and moisturizers spread more evenly and lock in hydration.

A simple routine looks like this:

Cleanser
Facial mist
Serum
Moisturizer
Sunscreen (morning)

Throughout the Day

Facial mists aren’t just for your morning or evening routine. Keep one at your desk, in your gym bag, or in your carry-on for a quick boost whenever your skin feels dry or tight.

A facial mist can be especially helpful:

During air travel
After spending time in the sun
In dry climates or heated buildings
After a workout
Over makeup for a refreshed, hydrated look

A Few Tips

A facial mist is designed to add lightweight hydration—not replace your moisturizer. If you find yourself reaching for your mist every hour, your skin may need a richer moisturizer or a more supportive skincare routine.

When using a facial mist over makeup, choose one with a fine, even spray. Larger droplets can disturb your makeup instead of refreshing it.

Best Facial Mists - Clean Beauty Reviews

My Favorite Facial Mists at a Glance

Facial Mist	Best For	Fragrance	Packaging	My Rating
Counter	Everyday hydration	Very light	Glass	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Crunchi	Travel	Light marine	Aluminum	⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
Kari Gran	Sensitive skin	Lavender/Rose	Glass	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Summer Fridays	Lightweight hydration	Light	Plastic	⭐⭐⭐☆☆

My Favorite Facial mists

Best Overall
Counter Hyaluronic Moisture Mist

Best for Travel
Crunchi

Best Natural Hydrosol
Kari Gran

Best for Makeup Prep
Counter and Kari Gran

Best Scent
Kari Gran

Best Facial Mists - Counter Hyaluronic Moisture Mist Review

Facial Mist Reviews

Kari Gran Hydrating Tonic Review

The first facial sprays I tried were the Kari Gran hydrating tonics. They come in lavender and rose. They are sublimely wonderful and the scent is beautiful. These are called hydrosols – distilled water from these scents – and they come in glass bottles.

These are both great for sensitive skin and work well mixed in with serums and facial oils! These scents are beautiful but definitely present. If you’re ok with either of these scents, you’ll love these mists. The only downside to this facial mist is that the bottle is made of glass and it’s sizeable, so it’s best kept on a bathroom counter.

Best for anyone who loves floral hydrosols and wants a luxurious facial mist for their skincare routine.

Use code LUCIKG15 for 15% off. Read my full Kari Gran Review.

Summer Fridays Hydration Mist Review

Summer Fridays Facial Mist Review - Best Facial Mists

The next one I tried was this hydration mist by Summer Fridays. I was buying their jet lag mask (a long travel essential) for an upcoming trip and decided to try their spray for a boost of hydration. I love the small size of the container and it has an EWG rating of 2, so all good.

I don’t like this spray though. It disperses nicely, but I can feel it on my skin after a while – like once the water has dried, it doesn’t sink in but rather sits on top of my skin. It also comes in a plastic container – something I try to avoid.

A good option if you want lightweight hydration, though it isn’t one I’d repurchase.

COUNTER Hyaluronic Facial Mist Review

When Counter relaunched, their hyaluronic facial mist was one of their BRAND NEW products from their Beautycounter days – and one I really wanted to try. You all, it’s amazing. It’s got a nice light, even mist; a very subtle scent; and comes in a lovely glass bottle. And it’s just so great to use.

Were I using this to add hydration throughout the day, I would not be worried about it disrupting my makeup at all. The fine mist also ensures a better absorption. It’s SO GOOD! The only downside, again, is the glass bottle. The bottle is smaller than Kari Gran, but it’s still good for sitting, not travel.

If you’re looking for the best all-around facial mist, this is the one I recommend most.

Read my COUNTER skincare review for their full lineup.

Crunchi Face Mist Review

I LOVE Crunchi products. They are the cleanest skin care brand and their products are effective and lovely to use, so I was really excited about this launch. The Crunchi facial mist comes in small, light aluminum container, which is great to throw in a travel bag or to add to your toiletries list. The scent is light but definitely more along the lines of ocean/marine.

It’s a powerhouse for hydration and helping protect skin from daily stressors, but the pump is less than amazing. I mean – it pumps fine, but the spray isn’t even and I wouldn’t want to spray it over a full face of makeup. So much more of a hydration boost and a toner step usage. It’s one HUGE plus is that it’s a great travel size and super lightweight!!

My favorite travel facial mist thanks to its lightweight aluminum packaging and TSA-friendly size.

What to Look for in a Facial Mist

Ingredients

I try to use only clean products and a facial mist is no different. When it comes to face mists, the big, obvious offenders are ingredients labeled “fragrance/parfum/aroma.” This is a blanket term for scent used in a product, which doesn’t disclose ingredients.

You want to avoid alcohol of any kind as that will be very drying to your skin – the opposite of what facial mists are designed to do.

If you’re looking to level up a bit, you’ll also want to watch out for PVP and the like. These are petroleum-based. And then PEGs and PPGs – they’re carcinogens and neurotoxins. Eww. And a little eww to so much science talk in a post about feeling beautiful!

Spray Quality

The type of spray you want is an important factor. Some nozzles spray very finely and others are bigger droplets or inconsistent droplets. If you plan to spray a facial mist over you makeup, the bigger or inconsistently sized droplets aren’t a good idea. You want a finer, even spray.

I’d encourage you not to use any aerosol cans either as the packaging is difficult to recycle. For the other containers, usually the bottle itsel fs recyclable and the spray nozzles and lids can be recycled for free – see more about skincare recycling.

Packaging

Besides the recyclability of a product’s packaging, the packaging is important for your facial mist, depending on how you plan to use it. Glass is easily recyclable but it is heavy and breakable – not great for anything on-the-go. Plastic can be difficult to recycle, buts it’s difficult to break and is lightweight. Aluminum is also lightweight, easily recyclable, and nearly impossible to break. Plastic and aluminum are the best for anything on-the-go.

Check the size before buying, especially if you plan to travel. TSA allows liquids up to 3.4 ounces (100 mL) in carry-on luggage, so many facial mists are already travel friendly.

The Best Facial Mists

If you love scents, the hydrating tonic is for you. If you want a facial mist that does it all, then the hyaluronic moisture mist is where it’s at. And if you just need a facial mist for a trip or in your gym bag – the Crunchi facial mist really checks all the boxes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are facial mists worth it?

This is up to you. If you love a facial mist, then yes! If you’re not sure they’re for you, then no. I don’t use these regularly, but I love to have one on hand for travel and those super dry months.

Should you apply facial mist before or after mositurizer?

Facial mist should be used before a moisturizer, after cleansing.

Can facial mist replace moisturizer?

No. A facial mist has no staying power as a moisturizer. It can help a moisturizer work better but it cannot replace it.

Can you use facial mist over makeup?

Yes. This is where the spray quality really matter. A fine mist is best for spraying over makeup.

How often should you use one?

You can use them as much as you like. If you find yourself reaching for it again and again throughout the day, however, I’d recommend looking at a new moisturizer as a balanced skin barrier shouldn’t be that thirsty.

Can facial mist dry out your skin?

As long as there is not fragrance or alcohol in the facial mist, it should not dry out your skin. Sometimes it might feel dry after it’s settled in, but that’s just compared to that freshly sprayed feeling.