The Best Facial Mists for a Spritz of Skin Care Salvation

For guys, skincare has always been about not overcomplicating things—but that doesn’t mean skipping a routine altogether. While the best facial mists might seem like an extraneous addition in what could be a too-product-heavy routine that’s already filled with brightening serums, face washes, moisturizers, and more, they’re most definitely worth the inclusion. Plus, they’re dead simple to use.

Facial sprays are like giving your face a mini water break throughout the day—kind of like recess, but for your skin. They hydrate, soothe, and help lock in moisture after you apply your moisturizer. A quick spritz can do wonders for skin that feels tight, dry, or just plain meh. Bonus points if your mist pulls double duty: post-shave, midday refresh (even when it’s not 100 degrees), or pre-moisturizer hydration boost.

This is the step in your routine that’s easy, refreshing, and makes a difference—and you can repeat it throughout the day. I’ve rounded up a few great facial mists and toners that’ll help keep your skin from looking as scorched as this summer feels.

The Best Facial Mists, According to GQ

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The Best Overall

Tower 28 SOS Daily Rescue Facial Spray

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The Soothing Spray

G.M. COLLIN Sensiderm Soothing Mist

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The Midday Pick-Me-Up

Aesop Immediate Moisture Facial Hydrosol

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Best Facial Mist Overall: Tower 28 SOS Daily Rescue Facial Spray

Powered by hypochlorous acid, this daily toner treatment is like a superhero in a spray bottle—anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and always ready to save the day (or at least your face). It calms the skin, supports your barrier, and helps keep flare-ups at bay. After cleansing and moisturizing, I seal the deal with a few spritzes—morning and night. I let it sink in for about 30 seconds, into my pores. And when my skin’s feeling thirsty midday? I reach for it. It’s the perfect final step to fend off bacteria, tone down redness, and soothe any irritation.

Best Facial Mist for Sensitive Skin: G.M. COLLIN Sensiderm Soothing Mist

Canadian-based G.M. COLLIN was founded in 1957 by French dermatologist Dr. Lapinet, who originally developed collagen-based treatments for burn victims. Fast-forward a few decades, and the brand has gracefully evolved into a dermo-corrective skincare label making some of the best serums and toners this side of the Rockies. Take its toning spray, for example—it’s soothing, fragrance-free, and alcohol-free. The formula combines sodium PCA, amino acids, and honey (yes, honey) to calm sensitive skin. The honey extract helps protect the skin’s barrier, while aloe vera leaf juice swoops in with a hydration assist. It’s lightweight, reduces redness, and lets the rest of my skincare routine glide in.

Best Facial Mist to Use for Instant Pick-Me-Ups: Aesop Immediate Moisture Facial Hydrosol

From sensitive body wash to sink-flexing hand soaps, Australian apothecary label Aesop pretty much has your skincare routine in a headlock—in the gentlest, most aromatic way possible. Their Immediate Moisture Facial Hydrosol is a lightweight mist designed to re-energize your skin during long-haul flights, overzealous office A/C, or post-shower lounging. It’s packed with rose petals, bergamot peel, and chamomile buds to hydrate and soothe, all wrapped in a fresh floral-citrus scent that you can mist whenever your little heart desires. It’s a solid pick for normal-to-oily or dry skin types. But if your skin leans ultra-sensitive and prefers things strictly fragrance-free, this might not be the one—no hard feelings.

Best Hydrating Facial Mist: Typology Organic Peppermint Hydrolate

Typology makes one of the best moisturizers out there, so naturally, their toner game isn’t slacking either. Their Organic Peppermint Hydrolate—a refreshing facial mist made from 100% pure peppermint water, distilled straight from organically grown mentha piperita. True to Typology’s less-is-more, ingredient-first philosophy, this hydrolate (also called floral water) is the aromatic liquid left behind after steam-distilling plants to make essential oils. You can pour it onto a reusable toning cloth morning, noon, or night—anytime your skin (or mood) needs a pick-me-up. Peppermint’s natural anti-inflammatory and cooling properties help soothe redness, calm irritation, and offer relief for skin that’s had a little too much sun. It also mildly tones and tightens, which can help refine pores, especially helpful for oily or combination skin.

Best Calming Facial Mist: Colorescience Hydrating Setting Mist

Colorescience’s Hydrating Mist is a true household MVP—it locks in your serums and moisturizers and sets your partner’s makeup like a champ. It’s botanically infused with chamomile to calm puffiness and irritation, ylang-ylang to boost brightness and balance oil, and D20 Heavy Water to seal in hydration. Since it sets makeup, it absolutely holds down your skincare—expect a solid four hours of dewy, glowy goodness. Pro tip: stash it in the fridge next to your alt-milk of choice for an extra cool spritz.

Best Facial Mist for Aging Skin: Maneula Picard Glow Activator Essence

Manuela Picard has been a world-renowned esthetician for over 30 years, and she’s finally launched her namesake skincare label. The Glow Activator Mist—a rejuvenating spritz that hydrates your skin at any time. Shake it well before use—you’ll see the ingredients start to gel, which is your signal that the magic is about to happen. Inside the bottle: a potent blend of sea buckthorn, carrot oil, and astaxanthin (try saying that three times fast) to tackle hyperpigmentation while keeping skin dewy. Squalane steps in to smooth fine lines and reduce redness, while jojoba oil calms inflammation. It’s vegan-certified, fragrance-free, and safe for all skin types—including the chronically sensitive. No gimmicks, no irritation—just better skin, one mist at a time.

Best Facial Mist for Summer: The Grey Refreshing Water Mist

You know those misting fans you walk through at the zoo or a baseball game, the ones that try their best to cool you down when you’re sweating just from existing? Well, The Grey has bottled that refreshing feeling—minus the crowd and questionable humidity. Their Refreshing Water Mist is what it says it is: water. That’s it. Just pure, ultra-fine, fragrance-free, preservative-free H2O, ready to hydrate your face and body. While its ingredient list is simple, don’t underestimate it. Use it post-cleanse to balance your skin, or pre-serum to help boost whatever skincare magic comes next. Since it’s literally just water, you can mist it from head to toe without worrying about weird reactions or perfumey overload.

Best Soothing Facial Mist: Rhode Glazing Mist

Want to look like a glazed donut? Probably not, but a dewy, glowy look is all the rage now, and Rhode’s Glazing Mist provides just that. From Hailey Bieber’s hyped skin care and make up brand, this facial mist is packed with hydrating and refreshing ingredients, from ceramides to magnolia extract. Its purifying benefits helps skin feel more balanced and toned after consistent use, and after immediate application, your skin will look healthier and more youthful than ever.

What to Look for in a Facial Mist

Ingredients: First off, avoid alcohol at all costs. It’s just going to dry you out no matter how many good, hydrating ingredients are in your mist. Some common good-for-your-skin ingredients include hyaluronic acid, glycerine, and ceramides, while any number of botanicals can provide toning, anti-aging, and hydrating effects.

Benefits: Not all facial mists will do the same thing, so consider what you want your mist to provide. If you want something to use during your skin care routine, maybe you want to find a product that’s moisturizing. Some people want a facial mist to use throughout the day to refresh their skin, and sometimes that might not be the type of mist you use at the beginning of the day.

How We Tested

We found the most hyped facial mists and determined that these would be the best to try out ourselves. After spritzing our faces for a period of a time, we evaluated both the immediate and long-term effects of using the mist and found which products were best for different scenarios. The result is a list of the eight best facial mists for most skin concerns.