evian

evian is a French skincare product line built around the evian Facial Spray, known in French as the Brumisateur. The spray was created in 1962 by two pharmacists who developed an atomizer able to release evian natural mineral water as an ultra-fine mist [5]. The product belongs to the wider evian brand, which is owned by the food and beverage group Danone [8]. It is manufactured and distributed under license by the Vabel Group, which also operates as Sarbec Cosmetics.

The founding date depends on which evian is meant. The facial-spray line dates its creation to 1962 [5], while the underlying evian mineral-water brand traces its origins much further back: to the 1789 discovery of the spring at Évian-les-Bains and the founding of the mineral-water company in 1826 [2][8]. Wikipedia classifies evian as a beverage brand, reflecting the bottled water; for skincare the relevant entity is the licensed facial spray, categorised as skincare and body care.

The water itself comes from Évian-les-Bains in the French Alps, on the southern shore of Lake Geneva. According to the brand, each drop begins as snow or rain on the northern Alpine peaks and travels for years through a mineral aquifer before reaching the spring.

The facial spray grew out of this water. The company says two pharmacists built an atomizer in 1962 that could deliver evian mineral water in micro-droplets, and that the product first appeared in hospitals for dermatological use, in particular to help relieve severe burns [5]. That medical origin remains part of how the line is positioned today.

The mineral-water company behind evian was established in 1826, with bottling beginning at the Cachat source [8]. The water reached the United States in 1978, when Danone Waters of America began importing it to North America.

The facial spray developed along its own track. Its packaging was refined in 1980 and 1987, and a 2007 redesign earned a Silver Award at the Packaging Oscars [5]. Between 2016 and 2017 the line released limited editions in collaboration with the designer Christian Lacroix and the influencer Chiara Ferragni. In 2023 evian introduced a certified organic facial-care mist line described as 99% natural in origin, and in 2024 it released a sport edition tied to the Paris Olympics [5].

evian is owned by Danone. The BSN Group, which later became Danone, took full control of evian in 1970 [8]. The facial spray is produced under a brand license by the Vabel Group, operating as Sarbec Cosmetics, which manufactures and distributes the Brumisateur.

evian frames the facial spray around the purity of its source water, which it describes as naturally filtered for more than fifteen years through Alpine rock [4]. The company groups its claims under four ideas: purity, safety, minimalism and innovation. It states that the formulas are dermatologically tested and developed under pharmaceutical supervision, and that the spray is hypoallergenic and suitable for all skin types, including sensitive skin.

The original product is the evian Brumisateur, a single-ingredient mist of natural mineral water sold in several can sizes. The company says it hydrates, refreshes and tones the skin in a single spritz, and that the water passes more than 300 quality tests for consistency [7].

In 2023 the line expanded into certified organic facial mists that pair the mineral water with botanical extracts: a Calm mist with helichrysum and organic jasmine, a Glow mist with white peony root and organic white tea, and a Protect mist with wild indigo and organic cornflower [7]. The original Brumisateur has also drawn a following among makeup artists, who, according to the brand, use it to dampen brushes and to set or finish makeup.

The broader evian brand has set sustainability goals around three areas it calls Packaging and Recycling, Source Protection, and the Climate Journey. It reports running its bottling sites on 100% renewable energy since 2017 and has worked toward a circular model, a commitment connected to Danone's 2017 partnership with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. In 2022 the evian water brand achieved B Corp certification [2].

In October 2022 a class-action lawsuit was filed against evian disputing its "carbon neutral" claim. In January 2024 a federal judge ruled that the suit could proceed, describing the term "carbon neutral" as ambiguous [8]. The dispute concerns the bottled-water brand rather than the facial spray.

evian is active. As a Danone-owned brand it operates globally, and the licensed facial-spray line has continued to release new products, including the 2023 organic mist range and the 2024 Paris Olympics sport edition [5].