Thermal Water For Your Face: A Fad or Fortune?
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If you've spent even five minutes obsessing over French skincare products, eu thermale is sure to have caught your attention. Thermal water is something straight out of Mother Nature's vast apothecary of magic potions. But, what is the hoopla all about really? I decided to investigate.
What is Thermal Spring Water?
Thermal water is sourced from hot springs that spout from deep underground and are naturally hot due to geothermal activity. As this water rises to reach the spring, it passes through rocks and soil, and absorbs its minerals along the way. This makes it much more nutritionally potent than regular tap water, which contains drying minerals.
The most common minerals to be found in thermal water are chlorides, sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, selenium, iron, nitrates and silicates among others.
Okaaaay... But what does it do?
There are not many peer reviewed studies on the effects of thermal water except for those conducted by popular thermal water brands such as Avene and La Roche-Posay. And according to these studies thermal water can do the following:
- It protects the skin from UV damage. Minerals like selenium, zinc and copper present in thermal water improve the activity of antioxidant enzymes in the skin, which in turn absorb and combat the harmful free radicals present in UV rays. Thermal water also helps reduce sunburn.
- It reduces inflammation. Thermal water is often used to treat skin problems like atopic dermatitis, psoriasis and ichthyosis. It reduces inflammation as well as controls irritation caused by products loaded with SLS and SLES.
- It's a quick and easy moisturiser for dry and combination skin. Thermal water is surprisingly versatile and comes in handy whether it's a cold day or a hot and humid one.
- Thermal water can also be used as a toner. Once you've finished wiping off all the makeup and cleansed your face, you can either spritz or dab a cotton pad of thermal water on your face to lock in the freshness and keep your skin toned and supple.
Does it work?
As someone with combination skin i.e. oily T-zone, but extra dry skin otherwise, my skin feels forever thirsty, making me wish it were possible to drown in a tub of moisturiser. Moreover, constant moisturising tends to make my T-zone feel really greased up, and I'm always worried of a breakout, especially in the humid hell that Mumbai is. I took this article as the perfect opportunity to try thermal water.
I went for Avène, which according to my research had the lowest concentration of minerals out of all the famous thermal water brands. I spritzed some on my face in the morning, dabbed it dry with a soft cloth, and proceeded with my moisturiser. In the nights, I followed a similar routine. Have you ever felt like your skin is being stretched from all sides, after washing your face with tap water? Thermal Water makes your skin feel the EXACT opposite. I tried it for a week, my skin felt significantly less parchment-like and more like it's hydrated on its own. It works well even in the middle of the day, when your face is feeling all sweaty and icky and you're too afraid to even touch it. A quick spritz and a dab works its magic INSTANTLY.
Perhaps the only downside is just how pricey Thermal Water is in India, meaning you just can’t bring yourself to spritz it over your face every day, let alone twice a day! So, you may still want to hold on to your rose water (I know I will). However, Thermal Water is a gift from the Gods on days when your skin has been through some pretty heavy-duty work, such as battled the harsh sun and grime or endured too much makeup. On particularly hot and polluted days, Thermal Water helped my face feel calm, dewy and soft, while giving my skin a quick boost of nutrients that regular tap water can’t give.
So, although it’s not the ultimate solution for healthy skin, thermal water is definitely worth a try especially for those with dry/sensitive skin who are always out and about and obsessed with well-hydrated skin.
Karen loves research. She can research the most frivolous subject and make it sound cool or dive into quantum physics and you know you will love her take on it! If you want her to review, explain or research anything related to skincare or even the workings of the universe email us at sayhello@vauntskincare.com or leave your comments below!