How to use TikTok's viral hydro-setting powder? Everything to know about the product

Hydro-setting powders, also known as water-based setting powders, are TikTok’s latest makeup obsession. These setting powders are saviors for matte, oil-controlled skin that is imperative to create dryness, and chalkiness.

While these powders come in jars looking like fine-milled dust similar to most setting powders, they are also available in liquid form. These setting powders offer mattified yet hydrated skin with a dewy and blurred finish.

Houston-based makeup artist Rose Sirad went viral for testing out one of the most popular water-based setting powders in the beauty arena right now- the Uoma Beauty Hydroblast Finishing Powder ($39).

The powder appears wet on touching and melts into the skin like a liquid, only to mattify and blur the skin later. Sirad’s video garnered almost half a million views and one of the top comments on the video stated how their brain can’t comprehend how the hydro-setting powder works.

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Hydro-setting powders help in hydrating the skin

Microencapsulation provides a straightforward explanation for why hydro-setting powders are both water-based as well as powder-based. The powder particles present in traditional setting powders are talc and silica which are hollow. However, with hydro-setting powders, water is encapsulated within the powder particle, releasing the water when friction is applied.

Popular hydro-setting powders such as the Refy Skin Finish ($32) and Uoma Beauty Hydroblast Finishing Powder feature the same mechanism. The only difference is that Uoma offers five skin-tone matching shade options while most water-based setting powders are only available in a single translucent shade.

These water-based setting powders have multiple benefits. They let beauty enthusiasts enjoy water-soluble active ingredients that are difficult to find in such formulations. Additionally, they also add a boost of hydration without disrupting the makeup.

Since niacinamide and hyaluronic acid are micro-encapsulated in these setting powders, the active ingredients effectively penetrate the skin. However, it is important to know that these setting powders are not a replacement for niacinamide and hyaluronic acid serums. They just have an extended efficacy of active ingredients collaborated with makeup.

According to cosmetic chemist Ron Robinson, who founded the Best of Beauty-winning skincare brand BeautyStat and is based in New York City, these water-based setting powders have significant water content and feel ultra-refreshing as one sweeps them onto the face. Using these setting powders on a hot day will impart hydration and ensure a flawless makeup look.

The inclusion of water in the formulation of these setting powders prevents the foundation from looking cakey and minimizes shine from sweat. The powder absorbs like a traditional setting powder but offers a more natural finish to the skin.

Since water-based setting powders melt onto the skin, they don’t emphasize any dry and flaky areas or fine lines and wrinkles. These water-based setting powders are fantastic for all skin types, but they are especially helpful for those with dry skin. Using a hydro-setting powder won’t settle into the fine lines and wrinkles.

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Simple ways of using water-based setting powders

Water-based setting powders are easy to apply and blend. Hence, one can use them on bare skin for mattifying moisture or as a makeup primer since these powders are multi-functional.

One can lightly dust the powder on the skin during skin prep as it enhances the wear time for most complexion products and helps the skin retain moisture.