Hydrating, soothing, smoothing... There's one for everyone
The world of Korean beauty gave us essences, BB cream and of course, the very best sheet masks. They might look a bit unusual (bubble face masks are even more terrifying), but they deliver just the right amount of skin nourishment while you wear them.
Simply smooth one on, watch whichever TV show you’re currently binge-watching and let it work its magic – the mask acts as a barrier to seal in the ingredients so that your skin has to soak them up, rather than any evaporating from the surface.
Once you’re done, simply massage any excess into your skin and let it soak up the goodness for a complexion that instantly looks and feels better. Keep reading to find out where to buy the best sheet masks, from Korea and beyond.
What are the best sheet masks made of?
Sheet masks are soaked in solution that’s packed with skin-loving ingredients like hyaluronic acid, retinol or glycolic acid, depending on your skin’s needs. Many are made using paper or cloth, though hydrogel or biocellulose options are often better at moulding to your face shape and staying in place.
And as each comes in its own individual sachet, they’re easy to throw in an overnight bag or suitcase. Portable and great for your skin.
Best Korean sheet masks
Pretty much every skincare brand under the sun now offers some kind of sheet mask, but the originals were born and raised in Korea itself, with some even using niche ingredients like snail and jellyfish extracts. Below are some of the best loved SoKo sheet mask brands (and the good news is they’re all pretty affordable!).
Dr Jart+
Where to buy: ASOS, from £5.50
Belif
Where to buy: Sephora, from 7€
Innisfree
Where to buy: Asian Beauty Plus, from £1.39
It’s Skin
Where to buy: Beauty Bay, from £6
HOLIKA HOLIKA
Where to buy: Feelunique, from £3.35
Of course, sheet masks are so popular now that you’ll now find them lining department store beauty halls and pharmacy shelves just about everywhere, from both skincare and make-up brands.
Keep scrolling for our handpicked edit of the ones you should shop now.
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Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Hydrogel Mask, £3.50, Boots
An easy and affordable post party pick-me-up for skin, these masks can deliver the equivalent of 30ml of serum to skin while you wear them.
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Erborian Bamboo Sheet Mask, £6, Fabled
French-Korean brand Erborian is famous for launching the first BB cream into Europe and, unsurprisingly, they also make excellent sheet masks. Soothing Bamboo is known for its moisturising ability and this cellulose mask will leave your skin smooth and refreshed.
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Lancôme Advanced Génifique Light Pearl Eye Serums Mask, £55 for 6 pairs, Fabled
Undereye sheet masks can help brighten the area as well as smoothing and plumping the area. Lancôme's are pretty famous as some of the best in the biz.
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Medik8 Ultimate Recovery Bio-Cellulose Masks, £60 for 6, medik8.com
Made from biocellulose and formulated with soothing algae, these great masks by Medik8 are great if your skin is feeling a bit irritated or unhappy, and a firm favourite of Team MC.
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Shiseido Benefiance Pure Retinol Intensive Revitalizing Face Mask, £63, Fabled
Pure liquid retinol (a derivative of vitamin A) penetrates the skin and works to re-plump it from the inside out. With regular use you'll see softened lines, well moisturised, vibrant and smooth skin. It also comes in two pieces, so you can use it over cleansed skin with ease once a week and leave on for 15-minutes.
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Sarah Chapman Skinesis 3D Moisture Infusion Mask, £46.50, Amazon
Chapman originally developed this mask for use in her facials. Her clients loved it so much that luckily it's available to all of us now. Which is brilliant because trying to get an appointment with the woman herself is TRICKY. It is indeed pretty special. The mask itself is 440 times finer than fabric masks so you can be sure you're getting the max out of the ingredients. It re-hydrates, plumps and smoothes - which is music to our ears.
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La Mer The Hydrating Facial, £200, Fabled
Yeah we know, bit pricey, but it's La Mer. Your skin will love you for treating it to this. It's celebrated Miracle Broth is super-rich in nutrients and so tackles dryness, firmness and texture. This mask comes in two parts - one for the top half of your face and one for the lower - just leave it on your skin for eight minutes to work its magic and then massage the residual product into your skin. There are six in the packet.
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Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Concentrated Recovery Power Foil Mask, £17, Fabled
Another overnight wonder mask, Estée Lauder's foil mask will deeply moisturise your skin. This is definitely one to wear for Instagram.
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Charlotte Tilbury Instant Magic Facial Dry Sheet Mask, £18, John Lewis
So this is a bit different; this is a dry sheet mask. Which for some of you, will be a bit of a relief as some of them can be a bit drippy...
Charlotte Tilbury's makes you look a little bit like Jason for the Halloween movies, but it's worth it because it's intelligent. It has this super smart technology that releases exactly what your skin needs and where. Dry on the chin? Let CT sort that out for you...
