Why Your Skin Needs a Sheet Mask ASAP
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Why Your Skin Needs a Sheet Mask ASAP
By Sara Spruch-Feiner
Put away your messy face masks and prepare to meet the latest innovation in skincare: sheet masks.
Straight from Korea, where 10-step skin care routines are the norm (seriously putting our daily routine to shame), these masks are rapidly gaining popularity stateside. If you haven’t already tried one, here's why you need to.
Image via priyamaharajbridal.com
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A Facial That Won't Interrupt Your Routine
These one-time use masks come in countless varieties. It's recommended that you use them one to two times a week for 20-minute personal spa sessions. But the best part? It won't interfere with your nighttime routine, because the sheets have cutouts for your eyes, nose and mouth. You can slap one on in bed, keep watching Netflix, and peel it off at the end of the episode to find plumper, brighter skin.
Masks are often labeled by ingredient, so you might pick one with avocado for dryness or one with snail mucus (yes, you read that correctly!) for radiance. Brands like Karuna and Patchology name their masks according to purpose, making it easy to choose based on what you want (hydration or exfoliation, for example). If you’re struggling with clogged pores, try Dr. Jart’s Pore Minimalist mask, which detoxifies with charcoal, another popular ingredient.
Sheet masks vary widely in price -- a Tonymoly mask (a Korean brand known for its fun packaging) costs around $7.50 for two, while a mask from prestige brand SK-II is more like $17. While this might seem indulgent for something you can only use once, it’s still quite a bit less than the $200 you might shell out for a spa facial, so you can indulge more frequently and focus on your specific needs as they arise.
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How They Work
One of the major perks of a sheet mask is that they allow you to treat your skin to larger, more concentrated helping of nutrients. “The basic versions are made of paper which is then soaked in an essence or serum,” Megan Jones, founder of Essentielle Beauty, explains -- that means your skin is taking in a lot more product than you’d likely dole out yourself.
Linda Wang, founder of Karuna, likens sheet masks to “a deep conditioner for skin.” She explains: “They give you better results than just applying moisture and serum on your skin. You need the barrier (the sheet) to help push in the ingredients where they’re needed the most. Think about teeth whitening strips. Better results are delivered when using the whitening strip vs. just bleaching gel directly on your teeth without having a barrier to seal it on.”
“Sheet masks are a treatment where you are essentially 'forcefeeding' your skin for a boost in hydration and glow,” Christine Chang of Glow Recipe says. “You want to make sure that you are forcefeeding your skin the right ingredients...and minimize any potential irritants such as parabens and synthetic dyes.”
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For Dry Skin
If you've got dry skin, look for masks with targeted, hydrating ingredients, like the below:
Hyaluronic acid
Ginseng and olive images via Profitable Plants and Good Life Garden
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For Oily and Acne-Prone Skin
If you have oily skin, or are prone to breakouts, choose masks with the following ingredients:
Green tea
Cucumber
Blueberry
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When Should You Use Them
One of the major perks of sheet masks: You can expect immediate results. Chang notes that this is one reason a sheet mask is especially great “before an important event or date. The instant glow you get right afterwards can be addicting!” We're sold.
