A sheet mask is that extra skincare step for when you want to give your face some real TLC and what many use to physically show on Instagram they are definitely having a #selfcaresunday.
Derived from South Korean beauty regimes, sheet masks are cloth based masks (usually made from non woven fibres, cotton, hydrogel or bio cellulose) soaked in serum, which promise a hydration boost and can be worn for anything between 10-30 minutes. They’ve gone from relatively unknown a couple of years ago, to flooding the beauty market, so we’ve tried and tested four options to help you choose.
The All-Star
Deets: Garnier Skin Active Range Moisture Bomb Tissue Mask, £2.99 from Boots.
Experience: The protective film for this mask was very helpful especially as there is an option to pull it around your ears, so it holds in place. Fresh smelling and labelled as being a “super hydrating revitalising mask”, this option contains pomegranate extract and hyaluronic acid and was the wettest of those I trialled and therefore the one which took the longest to dry down.
Result: This was the best of the bunch. Not only did my skin feel radiant, my eyes also looked less puffy and for the next three days my bare skin didn’t feel like it needed much else. I ended up buying three in the space of ten days.
Fits Like A Glove
Deets: Dr. Jart+ Soothing Hydra Solution, £5.50, from Selfridges.
Experience: Sheet masks tend to be one-size-fits-all, which can mean the eye, nose and mouth holes don’t always quite line up. But this one comes with a film lining that is supposed to help you position it on your face. However, rather than being helpful, I found this to be an added faff.
However, once on, the Dr. Jart sheet mask fit like a glove. Of all the masks I tested this one performed best in terms of lack of slippage, which may be because it is made from cellulose fibre. The mask promises “deep hydration” and it certainly felt like a “deep” treatment.
Result: My face felt super hydrated to the point that I didn’t feel the need to moisture the next day. Would I buy it again? Yes.
The Treat
Deets: It’s Skin Sheet Mask In Honey Firm and Glow, £3 from Beauty Bay.
Experience: This sheet mask is not packaged with an extra film around it, which meant it was soaking more than some of the others I tested and therefore took longer to dry. So one to save for when you want to take your time and relax, rather than when you want a quick fix in the morning.
An extra detail I noticed was that out of all the sheet masks on offer, It’s Skin sheet masks were slightly smaller, possibly catering to Asian features. Plus it has a yummy, distinct, but not heavily perfumed, smell of honey.
Result: The mask lived up to its promise to make your face glow. I felt as if I had applied just the right amount of highlighter all over my face, all day, which led to copious selfies taken in the sunlight to truly capture that iridescent sheen.
Beauty Bargain
Deets: Tony Moly I’m Real Nutrition Avocado Sheet Mask, £1.29 from Asian Beauty Plus.
Experience: With the avocado illustration on the very Instagrammable packaging, this mask promises to make dull skin radiant. Out of all the sheet masks tested, this seemed the most gimmicky. There was no fragrance and it dried down in about 15 minutes.
Results: My skin was certainly hydrated and for a budget option this is a good choice if you just want to try the experience of a sheet mask, but the radiance boosting effect was no more than you could get from using a thick night cream.
Any you would recommend? Let’s us know below. Happy masking.