What is thermal water and why is it good for you?
Thermal water has been around for thousands of years and is naturally occurring water that comes from thermal springs. It is water that has picked up minerals and nutrients along its journey from source to spring, and is said to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
These purported properties of thermal spring water make it great for people with dry or sensitive skin, or those who suffer from skin conditions like eczema, rosacea or psoriasis. Some people even use thermal water sprays to set their makeup or simply freshen up throughout the day.
These sprays have long been extremely popular in France where most of them originate, due to the large number of natural thermal springs in the country making the water an easily available resource. I recall the Evian spray being popular in Singapore in the 90s, and was something my mother would use in the car on long road trips.
Some benefits thermal water sprays promise:
- Calms irritated skin
- Soothes burns
- Reduces redness
- Hydrates dry skin
- Cools the skin
- Improves healing of scars
The best way to use it
Whether you use it as a toner or a makeup setting spray, thermal water sprays should be spritzed from about six inches away from your face and then lightly blotted with a tissue after about a minute.
Blotting is the key step in using thermal water sprays. Without specific hydrating ingredients that can bind the moisture to your skin, the droplets of thermal water will just evaporate, leaving your skin feeling drier than before.
Alternatively, you can use it under a moisturiser to seal in the hydration.
Try it out for yourself:
#1 Avene Thermal Spring Water, $10.10 for 50ml, available at Watsons and Guardian
#2 Methode Swiss Thermal Water Spray, $29.90 for 300ml, available at Sasa
#3 Vichy Thermal Spa Water, $6 for 50ml, available at Watsons and Guardian
#4 La Roche-Posay Thermal Spring Water, $12.90 for 2 x 50ml – $29.90 for 2 x 300ml, available at Watsons and Guardian