It is gentle and refreshing. It is £32.92 a litre at Boots. It’s water

According to the can it is a “gentle facial spritz specially formulated to refresh and hydrate. Hypoallergenic and fragance-free it instantly cools and freshens skin. Lanolin free. Dermatologically tested”. Just one small word gives the game away that this is a triumph of marketing over common sense: the only listed ingredient is “Aqua”.

Boots confirmed yesterday that it is selling water at £3.99 for little more than a cupful. Its Expert Sensitive Refreshing Facial Spritz is exactly what is says on the can: water.



The product is part of the Boots Expert Range, described as “the definitive answer to those everyday health and beauty problems we all suffer from, but keep putting off”. The back of the 125ml can boasts of the benefits of the product that it claims can protect the skin from “dryness”. But at a cost equivalent to £32.92 a litre, it is more expensive than whisky or the finest extra virgin olive oil.

Boots admits that the spray is 100 per cent water but claimed it was justified in calling the spray “specially formulated”. A spokeswoman said: “The ingredient contained in Boots Expert Sensitive Refreshing Facial Spritz is water. This is clearly stated on the packaging as ‘aqua’.”

And since yesterday, Boots have removed the product from its website.