For me, winter skincare is all about building and layering moisture. From a non-drying cleanser to a moisturizing toner, hydrating serum, moisturizer, and/or oil, they all do their part in keeping skin happy and healthy through the cold months. Today I want to focus on two mists from Life-Flo. Life-Flo is a wellness brand with an extensive array of products, including skin, body, and hair care. I’ve been trialing the Thermal Spring Water Spray and NaPCA Mist over the last couple months and I’m excited to share my thoughts...
NaPCA Mist
NaPCA, also known as sodium PCA or sodium pyroglutamic acid, is a water soluble potassium salt that acts as a humectant. Like glycerin or hyaluronic acid, it attracts moisture and can hold onto several times its weight in water, helping to prevent moisture loss in the skin. It’s something that our skin naturally contains and is an important component of the skin’s protective acid mantle, but since levels deplete as we age, it’s a good hydrating ingredient to seek out in skincare products.
In addition to sodium PCA, the Life-Flo NaPCA Mist contains aloe vera, glycerin, and cucumber extract, making it a great lightweight and hydrating boost for the skin. It’s unscented and very gentle, and I definitely notice hydrating benefits. I mainly use the mist as the toner step in my routine, spraying it onto my hands and gently pressing into my skin. The mister is not as fine as I would like it to be for use over makeup or as a skin refresher throughout the day, but if you transferred the product to a better bottle, it would likely work great for that as well.
I bought the mist mainly for my face, but since it's marketed for "face, body, and hair,” you know I had to try it for those too! I like it on the body, particularly under a weightier oil or cream, as, just like on the face, it quickly adds a light watery layer of moisture that the next product can seal in. For hair, it does a good job moistening and refreshing curls, and I appreciate that it doesn’t add any oil or greasy feel, but I also found it has a tendency to make hair more prone to tangling, so it's not a product I reach for much for my hair.
Thermal Spring Water Spray
In addition to sodium PCA, the Life-Flo NaPCA Mist contains aloe vera, glycerin, and cucumber extract, making it a great lightweight and hydrating boost for the skin. It’s unscented and very gentle, and I definitely notice hydrating benefits. I mainly use the mist as the toner step in my routine, spraying it onto my hands and gently pressing into my skin. The mister is not as fine as I would like it to be for use over makeup or as a skin refresher throughout the day, but if you transferred the product to a better bottle, it would likely work great for that as well.
I bought the mist mainly for my face, but since it's marketed for "face, body, and hair,” you know I had to try it for those too! I like it on the body, particularly under a weightier oil or cream, as, just like on the face, it quickly adds a light watery layer of moisture that the next product can seal in. For hair, it does a good job moistening and refreshing curls, and I appreciate that it doesn’t add any oil or greasy feel, but I also found it has a tendency to make hair more prone to tangling, so it's not a product I reach for much for my hair.
Thermal Spring Water Spray
Thermal water is basically water that originates from underground hot springs. It starts out deep underground and is heated by geothermal activity as it passes through the Earth’s crust and various layers of earth to reach the surface. Along the way, it absorbs dissolved minerals and, because it generally hasn't been exposed to surface elements, is purported to contain less bacteria and pollution than ordinary water. Thermal water is a big trend with a lot of French skincare brands and I came upon the Life-Flo version when looking for a cruelty-free option. Unlike the others which are packaged in aerosol cans, the Life-Flo comes in a more traditional spray bottle. Again, the mist isn’t super fine, but it does the trick. Life-Flo's thermal water is extracted from the Zechstein salt layers in Europe, at a depth of 1600 meters, and contains, among other minerals, magnesium and calcium.
I like to keep a spray bottle of plain water around to help face oils and serums spread and absorb, and I feel like the Thermal Spring Water just takes that one step further. I haven't noticed a big tangible difference in my skin, but it feels nice and cooling and seems to leave skin a little softer than ordinary water. I'm not sure it's something I'll continue to buy, but I admit, I do like the idea of using something with potentially more skin benefits than plain water.
The Bottom Line
I like to keep a spray bottle of plain water around to help face oils and serums spread and absorb, and I feel like the Thermal Spring Water just takes that one step further. I haven't noticed a big tangible difference in my skin, but it feels nice and cooling and seems to leave skin a little softer than ordinary water. I'm not sure it's something I'll continue to buy, but I admit, I do like the idea of using something with potentially more skin benefits than plain water.
The Bottom Line
Life-Flo's Thermal Spring Water Spray and NaPCA Mist are two good and inexpensive skincare mists. The NaPCA Mist is a fantastic hydrating spray, perfect for layering extra moisture, particularly for dry or winter-weary skin. It's a little harder to pinpoint the effects of the Thermal Spring Water Spray, but if you’re looking for a cruelty-free thermal water, it’s a great option to consider.
Have you tried anything from Life-Flo?
Have you tried anything from Life-Flo?
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