2022 might have propagated lube as primer; but 2023 is now in the process of positioning sparkling water (alias rich-people beverage) as a makeup-setter. While it sounds absolutely ridiculous initially, there’s a reason why it has catapulted into a full-on trend that many are swearing by. Just trust the process — a philosophy to adopt as long as you’re surfing the internet for beauty hacks. Ahead — spilling the tea — sorry, water — on the trend.
One Sparkling Water, Please — And Not For Drinking
The Technique: Just transfer a little bit of the water into a spray-bottle before misting your face with said water at the end of your routine. There. You have yourself a sparkling water spray.
Sean Anthony popularised this hack on TikTok — positioning the solution as a hack to extending the longevity of your base. He mentioned that a few spritzes of the water smoothes over your skin and controls oiliness on the surface. Huda, having enlisted the expertise of a chilled spray-bottle of said water in this reel, claimed that it instantly refreshed her face too. The MUA enthused over how incredible her skin felt post spritzing. While there’s no well-established evidence backing these claims, here are some facts that might explain why this hack has so many loyalists.
- You’re not exposing your skin to too many ingredients — as contained within your go-to setting spray; making it especially suitable for those with sensitive skin-types.
- Since *sparkling* water has an acidic pH (around 5.5), it tightens the skin just a little. This plays into a more polished, even-toned effect.
- This water contains dissolved CO2 — which explains why it’s fizzy and bubbly. This allows the water to break down oil and dirt more easily, and the bubbles invigorate your skin too. A more matte-ish finish is what you’ll observe.
Many, though, claim that there’s no science behind the sparkling-water hack, and that it doesn’t make any difference to the skin. Again — if you never try, you’ll never know. These hacks aren’t universal — and, sometimes, they don’t even have to make sense. RE: trust the process.
The Verdict: Because water, even in general, dries out your skin by eliminating oils from the surface, one might conclude that the hack is intended for those with oily skin-types. If grease and shine are your pain-points, give this hack a chance. But dry skin-types might not want to retire their sprays for this one.
Featured Image: Unsplash
