Thermal Water: Beauty Secret or Fad?

Here’s what you should know before you open your wallet.

The latest European beauty secret to find its way across the Atlantic: products made with thermal water. Naturally endowed with minerals like sulfur and selenium, and free of chemicals such as chlorine, the water comes from European thermal springs with longstanding reputations for therapeutic benefits. “Certain minerals can soothe skin and reduce redness and inflammation,” says Leslie Baumann, MD, director of the University of Miami Cosmetic Center, a cosmetic-research facility. “Some have even been shown to be effective in treating eczema.”

So should you stock up? That depends on the product. Mineral-water sprays and moisturizers are both good bets because they stay on your skin. Besides replenishing nutrients, sprays can combat sunburn and other skin irritations. In fact, doctors sometimes use them to heal a patient’s skin after a procedure like a chemical peel.

Lotions and creams with thermal water are good hydrators for women with sensitive skin or those who live in dry climates. But don’t waste your money on cleansers or bath soaks; both rinse off too quickly to have any noticeable effects. For a thermal facial treat, we like Vichy Thermal Spa Water Spray ($10; Vichy.com), with 15 minerals from sulfur and silica to calcium. Another winner: Rosaliac Hydratant Perfecteur Anti-Rougeurs by La Roche-Posay ($30; available only at doctors’ offices). This moisturizer has thermal water with a water-soluble form of vitamin B3, to soothe sensitive skin.