WHAT could be better than the sun shining? There's no doubt summery weather boosts your mood, but it could also be having an impact on your skin.
Despite all the benefits of vitamin D, a warmer climate has the potential to suck all the moisture out of your skin. That's why it's a good idea to add moisturising, soothing and cooling products into your regime – which is where hydration sprays come in.
There's a reason drinking lots of water is the worst kept secret in skincare; the more hydrated your skin, the plumper it will look, reducing the appearance of fine lines. In the summer, you might be losing more fluids due to the warmer weather and a dry atmosphere, leaving your skin feeling like the Sahara.
So, how can a hydration spray battle this? Of course, you still need to make sure you're drinking plenty of water – but a mist could be the secret to keeping your skin bouncy and dewy.
"Hydration is one of the most important factors for the skin," explains facialist and skin expert Fiona Brackenbury.
"The gatekeeper for healthy skin is the skin's barrier. Part of the skin's barrier is the NMF (natural moisturising factor) – the NMF ensures the outer layer of the skin remains hydrated.
"The challenge we have is the NMF takes water from the air, and the drier the air, the lower the humidity, the less moisture is in the atmosphere – which will cause a depletion of the NMF – and the skin can feel dehydrated and thirsty."
Dry skin can disrupt the skin's barrier and have an impact on your complexion as a whole – particularly if you're prone to sensitive skin.
Many things can deplete the NMF, whether it's age, over-cleansing or the climate, which Brackenbury says can make the skin feel "tight, dehydrated, dry and sensitised. Replenishing the skin with natural components of the NMF can rebalance the NMF and alleviate these conditions."
In Britain and Ireland, our skin could be particularly suffering.
"We are not known for our high humidity levels, and that is when hydrating mists and sprays can support the skin," Brackenbury explains.
She refers to these products as "the easiest way to support the skin's barrier and the NMF of the skin, and to increase your skin surface hydration levels".
At its core, Brackenbury sees hydrating mists as skin enhancers, because "a healthy skin is a hydrated skin". It's not like splashing water on your face, though. Brackenbury says a lot of these products are "now packed with ingredients to give your skin a moisture top-up, not just in the morning but throughout the day".
