Do Sheet Masks Really Work?

With Korean skincare all the rage, one of the most popular items are sheet masks.

Everyone from Chrissy Teigen to Gisele Bündchen love a good sheet mask, and high-end beauty lines are infusing them with everything from soothing sea algae to 24K gold.

But do these fabulous sheet masks actually work, and do they benefit the skin at all? Fact of the matter is, sheet masks do work, sort of.

When it comes to absorbing products your skin can only take in so much at once. That’s why it’s important to layer skincare products on your face in the right order so they absorb properly and benefit your skin.

Sheet masks, on the other hand, are soaked in serums that can and will penetrate your skin, but usually only to the epidermal layer and not as deep as the dermal layer of your skin.

In other words, they are a great tool for quick hydration and calming or soothing properties, but they probably won’t provide any amazing results on their own.

The other thing to keep in mind when using sheet masks is that only the top ingredients will be the most potent and absorbed into the skin. So if you have a mask with a long list of ingredients, know that the top line will be all your skin gets.

That’s because, as mentioned, your skin can and will only absorb so much of the serum, and the most active ingredients are the first in line to your epidermis.

That means when picking out sheet masks make sure you target specifically what you want to achieve with the mask. If you are in need of hydration, choose a mask that has hyaluronic acid and aloe as some of the first ingredients listed.

If you need to calm redness, reach for a mask that has green tea extract and cucumber at the top of the list. Or if you want to brighten your skin grab a mask that has vitamin C listed first.

Sheet masks are fun and easy to use, and they do add a splash of quick hydration to the skin. You can even use the excess serum to massage into your neck and hands for an added boost of moisture.

Love sheet masks? Let us know which ones are your favorite in the comments below.