Hydration is key to healthy, plump, glowing skin and is an essential part of any skincare routine. There can be a little confusion between moisturising and hydrating, applying a cream moisturises the skin but it doesn’t hydrate it effectively by itself. To be well hydrated you need to spritz with a mist and also drink sufficient water.
The right mist is the key. There are a dazzling array of mists on the market, claiming endless rejuvenating properties. A quick glance reveals a number that contain alcohol which is counterproductive, because alcohol not only dries the skin but it also unbalances the natural skin biome making it more, rather than less vulnerable to pollutants and environmental stressors. There are many more containing various additional acids, vitamins and other extraneous ingredients, but few, if any discuss the water part of the mist itself which comprises about 95% of the product.
The right mist will calm and soothe the skin, help to repair the barrier function and keep the skin hydrated throughout the day. It can also lift the spirits and calm the mind. Not all mists are created equal however, if they are not made of plants that have been carefully distilled, they will miss out on all the therapeutic value that actual plants can bring to a product.
To add to that, commercial distilling is so different, the plants are often from a monocultural system which doesn’t favour biodiversity and plant health. These distillations are a fast and furious 45 minute injection of steam to grab the essential oil as fast as possible leaving the hydrosol (aromatic water) stripped of many beneficial ingredients. Our approach is the polar opposite, we only use our own plants and we do not to strip out the essential oil, preferring to leave it in suspension within the hydrosol for a whole plant product. Our distillations are lengthy, often 8 hours or more. We smell and taste the distillate frequently detecting the changes as the lighter molecules give way to the heavier, finally deciding that we have extracted all the benefits of the plants and stopping the distillation. The plants and water left in the pot part of the still are removed and usually made into soap – we find a use for every bit of the plants we grow and wild harvest.
The mist you buy might say for example, that it’s Rose, but if it’s a commercially produced hydrosol, the chances are it is simply a by-product of the essential oil industry and therefore sadly lacking in skin benefits, stripped of essential oil and often a product of an environmentally destructive farming process. Before you buy a face mist, especially one containing hyaluronic acid which may really deeply penetrate the skin depending on the particle size (that’s another whole article), reflect on how it’s made and what it contains and whether you want that in the deeper layers of your skin.
We make several mists and toners for different needs – none contain alcohol, all are our own, made here in Harris in one of our beautiful copper Alembic Stills. The Isle Mist which is part of the Harris Edition group of products is especially beneficial both on a physical but also a mental/emotional level. I made it after many conversations with women who described feelings of being overwhelmed, being in a constant state of fight or flight, where so many responsibilities on so many levels just felt exhausting.
As a therapist, I’ve used Bach, Bush and Findhorn Flower Essences for decades, everyone knows about the value of Rescue Remedy for shock and acute anxiety. The Bush and Findhorn essences work in the same way targeting particular areas of stress and offering incredibly gentle relief. I love the idea that the Isle Mist works so brilliantly for deep skin hydration and to reduce inflammation and offer protection from environmental skin stressors and it works wonderfully well on a mental/emotional level to prepare you for the day ahead and to ease you into rest at the end of the day. You can read more about it here.
