Our Best Setting Spray for Dry Skin

If you’re on a quest to find the best makeup setting spray for dry skin, you probably have two major goals in mind. First, it has to leave your skin feeling hydrated and looking dewy. Second, your dream setting spray keeps makeup—foundation, concealer, eyeshadow, and all—sealed in for the whole day. You’re in luck: Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Set + Refresh Spray fulfills both criteria and has several awards to prove it.

Sure, this alcohol-free, ultra-fine mist has 12 hours of staying power, but it also offers some incredible skincare benefits for dry skin. Hydro Grip Set + Refresh is packed with intensely hydrating ingredients and gives skin a gorgeous dewy finish, making it our best setting spray for dry skin hands down.

Keep reading for a full rundown of all things Hydro Grip Set + Refresh, why our best-selling, TikTok-viral setting mist is in a class of its own, plus a quick tutorial for making the most of its hydrating, glowy formula.

What is setting spray?

At its core, “Makeup setting spray helps set makeup, make it waterproof, and lock it in place to ensure its long-wear finish,” says Krupa Koestline, cosmetic chemist and founder of KKT Consultants. The best setting sprays can also create a seamless finish and help setting powder look more blended and less powdery, she adds.

Setting sprays are usually applied as the last step of your makeup routine, but Milk Makeup Director of Artistry Sara Wren loves to layer the long-wear formula between each step of her makeup application. The technique: Apply your foundation and concealer, then spray on a light layer. Sweep on your go-to blush, and spritz again. Then, grab your setting spray once more after you’ve finished the whole makeup look for a final layer of hydrating makeup fixing.

Sandwiching light layers of setting spray between each product gives your makeup application extra staying power, keeps it from smudging, and gives even dry skin a gorgeously dewy glow, Sara says. “You can use this trick for everyday looks, but I truly reserve it for glam that needs to last all day or night,” the makeup artist adds.

Do setting sprays actually work?

Ours do! Hydro Grip Set + Refresh’s dual-phase formula locks in any makeup look for up to 12 hours. Plus, it helps hydrate skin, especially dry skin, and provides a breathable, glowy finish.

Setting sprays are typically formulated in two different ways, according to Koestline: alcohol-based and water-based. They can also be mattifying or hydrating. “Sprays with waterproof or long wear claims are usually formulated with a quick-evaporating solvent and film-forming polymers,” she explains. “When the solvent, typically denatured alcohol, evaporates, it leaves behind the polymers that create a shield on the skin.”

Water-based setting sprays, like our Hydro Grip spray, on the other hand, are typically formulated with a mix of humectants and hydrating ingredients, like glycerin, hyaluronic acid, aloe vera water, and even cucumber water,” says Koestline. “These usually have some additional skincare benefits as well.”

How does Hydro Grip Set + Refresh Spray work?

Hydro Grip Set + Refresh Spray is our best hydrating makeup setting spray, so it works to—you guessed it—hydrate skin. Instead of alcohol, which tends to dry out skin, Hydro Grip relies on blue agave extract to grip and secure makeup—no touch-ups needed. It also packs major moisturizing benefits for dry skin.

Skin-loving, antioxidant-rich ingredients, like hemp-derived cannabis seed extract, hyaluronic acid, aloe vera juice, and niacinamide, work with blue agave extract to elevate hydration levels and keep irritation levels low. Together, they give skin a dewy, highlighter-less glow while keeping makeup from settling into fine lines and clinging to flakes. Niacinamide is also known for brightening skin, so if your dry skin has been looking dull, this superstar ingredient will bring radiance back to your complexion.

If you prefer a shine-free, matte finish, try Pore Eclipse Matte Setting Spray instead.

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Is Hydro Grip Set + Refresh Spray good for all skin types?

Absolutely! Although it’s the one of best setting sprays for dry skin, Hydro Grip Set + Refresh is suitable for all skin types, including sensitive skin and oily skin. The soothing formula makes skin shine in all the right ways without looking or feeling greasy—a plus for acne-prone skin.

In addition to being alcohol-free, this spray is vegan, cruelty-free, and fragrance-free, too. You can also easily spritz it on after you reapply sunscreen. (After all, SPF is essential, no matter what makeup look you’re serving for the day.)

If you’re worried about Hydro Grip Set + Refresh Spray looking too dewy on oily skin, we highly recommend Pore Eclipse Matte Setting Spray. It keeps skin hydrated while staving off shine with a soft matte finish. Alternately, you can layer a dusting of Pore Eclipse Matte Translucent Setting Powder on top of Hydro Grip Set + Refresh Spray. Even those with dry skin can benefit from this combo as the setting powder is spiked with niacinamide and nourishing avocado extract.

Otherwise, Hydro Grip Set + Refresh Spray checks all boxes as the best setting spray for dry skin and oily skin alike. There’s a reason why the dewy makeup-fixing formula has become so prolific on TikTok. If you haven’t tried it yet, there’s no time better than now.

Meet the Expert

Krupa Koestline (she/her) is a cosmetic chemist based in Orlando, FL with over a decade of experience formulating beauty products. She is the founder of KKT Consultants, a beauty cosmetic lab focused on creating clean formulations.

Sara Wren (she/her) is the Director of Artistry at Milk Makeup. In her role, she does all the makeup artistry and direction for our Milk Makeup global campaigns, educates the staff and field team on application methods, stars in the brand’s social media videos, and travels to different markets spreading Milk Makeup’s good vibes. When she’s not on set, Sara loves experimenting with DIY hair colors, eating tacos, watching basketball, and scouring for vintage cosmetics to add to her impressive collection.