4 Things About the NoTS Aqua Barrier Lotus Essence Mist | Review

Monday, September 14, 2015

NoTS Aqua Barrier Lotus Essence Mist Review, Q-depot Review, How to choose a face mist, Face mists in winter?

NoTS stands for Noble Through Skin, and it is a mid-end Korean brand that does "natural, functional cosmetics." So what does that mean? If you recall from my Asian Cosmetics Standards + FAQs post, functional cosmetics are any products that contain brightening, tanning, UV filtering, or anti-aging ingredients. NoTS strives to produce functional cosmetics that well, function, and are based on ingredients coming from nature. They're also cruelty-free.  :)





NoTS Aqua Barrier Lotus Essence Mist* Review

NoTS Aqua Barrier Lotus Essence Mist Review, Q-depot Review, How to choose a face mist, Face mists in winter?

Ingredients: Saussurea Involucrata Extract, Water, Bambusa Arundinacea Stem Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Water, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Butylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil, Octyldodeceth-16, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Sodium Citrate, Cardiospermum Halicacabum Flower/Leaf/Vine Extract, Echium Plantagineum Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Unsaponifiables, Octyldodecanol, Glycine, Serine, Glutamic Acid, Betaine, Boswellia Serrata Resin Extract, Disodium EDTA, Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate, Hydrolyzed Adansonia Digitata Extract, Orchid Extract, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Panthenol, Spirulina Maxima Extract, Trehalose, Aspartic Acid, Leucine, Alanine, Lysine, Lactobacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract, Arginine, Tyrosine, Phenylalanine, Proline, Threonine, Valine, Saccharomyces/Viscum Album (Mistletoe) Ferment Extract, Yeast Ferment Extract, Isoleucine, Histidine, Cysteine, Methionine

So as you might expect from a natural cosmetics brand, the ingredients list is clean as a whistle. The main ingredient is the snow lotus (saussurea involucrata) extract, which I'll discuss in a bit.

There are a few mild acne triggers in the olive and avocado oils that are included. Judging by the feel of the mist though, it's not much.

Those concerned about health ratings will want to note the phenoxyethanol, peg-60 hydrogenated castor oil, disodium EDTA, and arginine.

NoTS Aqua Barrier Lotus Essence Mist Review, Q-depot Review, How to choose a face mist, Face mists in winter?


PROS:
Has a high concentration of snow lotus extract, a natural source of antioxidants
Scent is very light, to me, it smells like snow
Is not a micro-mist, but sprays very finely
Covers a wide area
Refreshing feel
Portable
Ideal for oily and normal skin types
Great at melding dry, cracked mid-day makeup back together again
Pretty reasonably priced at $20.95

CONS:
Covers a wide area
Not as affordable as some other options out there at $20.95 for 60 ml
Dry skin types may prefer a mist with higher oil content

RATING:
 of 5 possible etude-kitties. I would repurchase this.

WHERE TO BUY:




4 Things about the Lotus Mist

When Q-depot.com offered to send me this product, I thought it'd be a regular one and done review, but I actually ended up learning a lot about the brand, the hero ingredient, and was able to craft my criteria for how to choose a great mist product. So here are the 4 things I learned from my experience with this mist.


NoTS Aqua Barrier Lotus Essence Mist Review, Q-depot Review, How to choose a face mist, Face mists in winter?


1. Snow lotus is a Ren-bangin' antioxidant. ...get it? Korea is to hanbang as China is to renbang? 
Snow lotus or saw-wort, also known as saussurea involucrata is a humectant and antioxidant that has been used in China for centuries. So it's great for hydrating and for helping cells retain their normal functions by reducing oxidative stress caused by environmental aggressors like the sun. Whats more is that snow lotus can be used in high concentrations in cosmetics because it isn't an irritant, like some other botanical extracts out there. Just like how it makes up the lions share of the content of this NoTS mist, which makes this the Lotus Mist with the Mostest.



2. Face mists = Zen 
Something I'd forgotten after my little tete a tete with the Tatcha Luminous Dewy Skin Mist* was how awesome and zen it is to just take a minute to mist yourself. 



3. Face mists are a summer staple - right? NoTS so, I found some great uses for mists during sweater weather.
Hoodie weather is fast approaching. Because of this I hadn't really considered purchasing any mist products for oh, about another 9 months or so. 

But, after my time spent with this mist, I realized that a mist is also especially useful in cold climes, when the air vents are blasting dry, heated air at your face 24/7. Mists are super handy in that respect. 

Also, I've found that mists are great to use RIGHT after cleansing. One of my rules as someone with really dry skin, is to never let water, or a product with high water content evaporate off the face, as that can cause skin to dry out even further. (Science calls it Trans Epidermal Water Loss). So I use a mist in those critical few seconds right after having washed my face, to retain the moisture on my skin until I can scurry down to the kitchen where my skincare pretties live, in order to complete my routine. 



4. My criteria for choosing face mists has been tweaked a bit.
So I've come to realize that ingredients lists are super important when choosing skincare. I'm sure you've noticed from my reviews, and from my tutorials on how to craft a routine

But there are also some products, like face mists, that I hold to a lower standard than say an essence or a serum. Why's that? Face mists don't really get to touch your face. We're often using face mists over the top of a physical barrier like a physical sunscreen, or some makeup... so you may have an amazing mist with a top-notch ingredients list, but it's not really going to be able to deliver its benefits when it's just tickling your epidermis. Not penetrating it. So for me, I've found what really differentiates a face mist is often the things we consider extra in skincare products. So things like beautiful scents, even packaging. That is, unless the mist is super unique like the Tatcha mist which contains a lot of oils in higher concentrations than normal. 



If you're interested in Q-Depot, they're a Hong Kong based store that offers a lot of Korean brands. The sample service is great, and you can get $5 off your first order. Shipping is free worldwide if you hit $69. Check 'em out!

Q-depot



What's your favorite mist? Do you use mists all year, or just in the summer?

Disclosure: Affiliate links included. This post contains a press sample. Press samples are marked with an asterisk; samples were kindly sent with no obligation to review, and certainly no obligation to review positively.  If you're curious about my policy on press samples, affiliate links, and sponsors, see my disclaimer and policies.


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