So, i think it’s safe to say we all are aware that i really have enjoyed upping my skincare game in the past year or so. I wash my face twice a day, make sure to never sleep with my makeup on, and apply SPF every day. I also have had the pleasure of being such a workaholic that my face doesn’t usually see the sun, so i’m not really exposed to UV rays all that much regardless of the SPF I apply before i put my makeup on. One thing i haven’t used much of until recently are sheet masks. I just didn’t think i had time, or I used them as a special treat when hanging with some girlfriends and a glass of wine.
You’ve probably seen them in line at Sephora, or Shoppers… Or even at Bare Essentials on the retail wall. You likely don’t give it much thought, or see it as a gimmick-y kind of thing. Yeah, I get it — i thought the same until i had all this time on my hands to do whatever, and i started using the sheet masks i had stockpiled over the past couple of years. You know what i mean — you get one as a freebie, you pick one up cause it had a cute package, it was part of a gift set… yeah. same. So here’s a quick rundown of what sheet masks are, what they do, how often you should use them, etc.
Sheet masks are face shaped bits of material, soaked in a serum. If you were to take serum and slather it on your face, the liquid when exposed to air would evaporate eventually. The reason why a sheet mask is beneficial here, is because it doesn’t have that evaporation factor. The liquid is locked into the fabric, the fabric is sitting on your face, your face is absorbing the goodness of the serum. You let it sit on your face for 20 minutes, and then peel the fabric off and chuck it. Pat in any leftover serums into your skin/neck/decolleté. Theoretically these things shouldn’t fall off your face because the serum sticks it onto your skin, so you *could* potentially do stuff while you’re masking, but put that mask on, throw on an episode of Schitt’s Creek or The Office, and fuggedaboudit.
Sheet masks can target a plethora of skin concerns — hydration, brightening, hyperpigmentation, inflammation, acne, really the possibilities are endless. If you can get your hands on a Korean sheet mask, these can tend to have experimental and weird sounding ingredients that could have surprising benefits.
Korean skin care is top notch, and amazing stuff. I say these things but i don’t know exactly why. I did a quick google skim to see why Korean skincare has the rep it does, and i think based on what i’ve found, is that: they don’t have as strict regulations so they can experiment with things like snail slime to see the effects it has on skin; they focus on hydration because hydration is key to plump, radiant skin; they act preventatively, so they’re not worrying about how to get rid of problems they prevented from earlier on; they are focused on being squeaky clean (think double cleansing, and never going to bed with makeup on).
There are a few different kinds of sheet masks as well, in terms of the material the mask itself is made of. I bring this up in case you’re looking at different masks, and wondering why “a” is more expensive than “b”. Let’s compare:
– cotton/non-woven fiber masks are inexpensive, but not the most amazing delivery of serum into the skin. so these are the ones that are good for girls nights with wine.
– hydrogel masks are a little more expensive, but great delivery of serum into the skin; they usually come in 2 pieces, top and bottom of the face.
– bio-cellulose masks are the priciest, but best absorption properties and delivery of serum.
You can use sheet masks as often as daily, every two or three days, or even just once a week on a Sunday night. But with all skincare, or any kind of routine, consistency is key. You can’t expect to ignore all skincare rules, pop on a sheet mask, and look like (insert skincare goddess’ name here).
Got a favourite sheet mask? Have you tried the ones in my store? Let me know! I’d love to hear about it!