At first I was really sceptical on how a facial spray can really hydrate your face as it is mainly water. But how wrong was I.
I usually have dry skin especially straight after the shower, using this spray was like a miracle. Once it dried it immediate made my face less flaky and I had not even put moisturiser on!
It was very impressive. Using it on top of makeup gave me a refreshed look. My face felt hydrated throughout the day without any flakiness or dry appearance.
Oh, the scent by the way is so fresh (that’s if you like rose). It was the icing on the cake!
Ingredients breakdown
| Ingredients | Function/Purpose |
|---|---|
| Aqua (Water, Eau) | Solvent |
| Propylene Glycol | Humectant |
| Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice | Moisturiser |
| Rosa Canina Extract | Skin Conditioner |
| Thymus Vulgaris (Thyme) Leaf Extract | Skin Conditioner |
| Fucus Vesiculosus Extract | Skin Conditioner |
| Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract | Skin Conditioner |
| Caprylyl Glycol | Skin Conditioner |
| Hexylene Glycol | Skin Conditioner |
| Polysorbate 20 | Solubiliser |
| Parfum (Fragrance) | Fragrance |
| Phenoxyethanol | Preservative |
| Sodium Chloride | Thickener |
| Citronellol | Fragrance Allergens |
| Geraniol | Fragrance Allergens |
| CI 17200 (Red 33) | Colourant |
| CI 42090 (Blue 1) | Colourant |
Ingredient Highlights in this Facial Spray
Propylene Glycol (PG)
A well known and effective humectant. This ingredient helps create a layer on the skin to trap moisture.
Aloe Vera
Is a moisturising and hydrating ingredient. So, if you loooove using Aloe, then check out Palmers Night Cream!
Rosehip
With a huge amount of Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), depending on which part of the plant is is extracted from (skin, seeds, whole fruit, pappi). Also did you know, Vit C is a powerful antioxidant with anti-ageing and anti-pigmentation properties.
Thyme
Contains phenolic antioxidants (like most herbs). It helps find free radicals that can be damaging to your skin. Thyme extract is also known to have antimicrobial properties.
Gardenia
Contains Feruic Acid which is an antioxidant and anti-ageing phenolic acid.
Algae
An anti-ageing extract. In other words, posses the ability to decrease skin thickness and increase elasticity (the signs of skin ageing!).
Propylene Glycol and its bad rep
The main problem with consumers is the ‘bad’ nature of PG, and some might not even known what it is.
This research paper summaries it very well or if you want a short snippet of it below.
Impurities: PG contains unavoidable trace impurities; diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol, as it is a synthetic material. Yes these are toxic materials and is a concern if I/you did not know better. PG is safe if these toxic materials are below 0.1%, according to scientific data.
Usually in EU and US (not so much in AU) these concentrations are heavily monitored. So, you shouldn’t need to worry if you are using legit good branded cosmetic products.
Absorption: Worried about PG absorbing into the skin down to the dermis? Well don’t be! Studies have shown PG does not absorb any further than the epidermis. That is the top layer of your skin.
Skin irritation: Yes slightly if used at undiluted at 100% and if you have sensitive skin! Most deodorants contains a very high amount of PG but does not cause any irritations.
So, at the end of the day, I personally have no problems with PG. It was deemed very safe a very long time ago and is a recognised effective moisturiser. Consumers now days are looking for more ‘natural product’ so very often they will diminish scientifically proven safe ingredients.
The Verdict?
Overall, I have no concerns on Propylene Glycol as it works for me. The lovely extracts in this spritz definitely was a big plus. Also the rose scent was devine.
The only slight downfall is that I wished the spray with more fine and misty. I noticed that large droplets were left on my face and took a bit to dry.
Thoughts on Propylene Glycol?