There are certain days where a speedy serum application is sufficient to give skin enough glow to get by. And then there are days where you’d need to literally bathe in skincare to see the results you’re after. On the latter kind of occasion, there’s only one beauty product fit for the job: the sheet mask.
The physical sheet mask acts as a bodyguard for an elite members only club, only allowing the ingredients carefully blended into the serum it’s soaked in to hit the skin. It also stops any of the serum from escaping while you wear, leaving it nowhere to go but into your complexion, where it’s so desperately needed. So yes, your face is basically bathing in skincare once the mask hits it.
Sheet masks also serve as valid excuses for spending a little extra time in your luxury sheets and enjoying Adam Brody’s wonderful work in Nobody Wants This, all whilst the mask works on tackling your personal skin goals.
Whether you’re looking to brighten, balance or secure a bargain, these are the sheet masks that a beauty editor (AKA someone who calls testing sheet masks a job) would repeat purchase, because the first use was just that impressive…
The Best Sheet Masks, According To marie claire:
- Best Hydrating: Aspect Intense Hydration Sheet Mask, from $59.90
- Best Balancing: Ella Baché Charcoal Foaming Mask, from $35
- Best Brightening: Go-To Skincare Transformazing Sheet Mask, from $11
- Best Gentle: La Roche-Posay Cicaplast B5 Masque, from $48.99
- Best Plumping: BIODANCE Bio-Collagen Real Deep Mask, from $30
- Best Luxury: Dior Prestige Firming Sheet Mask, from $260
- Best Bargain: Beauty of Joseon Centella Asiatica Calming Mask, from $4.49
We’ve selected one superior sheet mask per category to make sure you’re securing the absolute best option for what you’re trying to bring out in your skin: glow, bounce, silkiness, the list goes on…
Keep reading to discover the masks plentifully stocked in a beauty editor’s sheet mask drawer (yes, an entire drawer, they’re that good you can’t afford to run low). We’re big fans of setting up a solid sheet mask wardrobe, to ensure you’re ready for anything…
If ever there was a ‘legitimately looks like you got an hour-long facial’ sheet mask, this is it. For skin that’s in need of an energising serum shower, this hyaluronic acid-drenched option makes a visible difference, catering primarily to hydration whilst also packing soothing and brightening benefits. It wraps your face in a cocoon of botanical extracts and niacinamide, as well as a few moisture-attracting humectants that leave skin supple, soft and dripping with dew. Don’t dare toss the ’empty’ packet, either. Aspect are very generous with the amount of serum loaded into these masks, so make sure to empty the excess into your hands and apply across areas in need of a hydration top-up.
Pack Size: 5 Pack | Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, chamomile extract, brown algae extract
Do you deal with oil or congestion-prone skin? This purifying, balancing sheet is precisely what your mask routine is missing. It pairs activated charcoal with lemon and apple-powered Alpha Hydroxy Acids to give both pores and skin texture a good refresh, with aloe vera in the mix to soothe the skin as exfoliation occurs. The charcoal will activate once the mask hits your face, allowing it to perform its party trick: foaming up into a dense, creamy and impressively purifying mousse above and below the sheet. As a mask-cleanser-exfoliant hybrid, it’s as experiential as it is effective. And it’s extremely effective. Expect skin to feel clarified, clean and baby-soft following use.
Pack Size: 1 Pack | Ingredients: Charcoal, fruit extracts, aloe vera
Say your conundrum is that your skin is looking lifeless, and you’ve got 10 minutes left in your event skin prep countdown. This brightening option is all about adding ‘pep’ to the complexion, securing it a status as your best secret weapon for establishing a visible glow extremely quickly. As an Australian brand (and the beauty brainchild of ex-beauty editor and fellow sheet mask fan, Zoë Foster Blake), Go-To relies on all the best Aussie extracts, from brightening Kakadu plum to exfoliating finger lime. Now, niacinamide may not be native to Australia, but it’s a non-negotiable in any brightening formula, so naturally the mask is coated in a generous amount of it as well.
Pack Size: 1 Pack or 6 Pack | Ingredients: Kakadu plum, finger lime
Most sheet masks treat skin to a temporary soothing effect (that comes with the territory when cloaking a wet, cold cloth over your face). However, only select options are up to the challenge of soothing beyond the first ten seconds. On top of being dermatologically-tested for sensitive skin, this gentle sheet mask comes enriched with La Roche-Posay’s trusty Thermal Spring Water as well as barrier-supporting vitamin B5. The mask itself is even crafted from 100 per cent biodegradable cotton for an extra gentle feel on the face. Sensitive skin types may be most excited about its ability to relieve that dreaded ‘tight’ feeling, but the silky softness it imparts is also rather noteworthy.
Pack Size: 1 Pack or 6 Pack | Ingredients: Thermal Spring Water, panthenol
If ‘bouncy’ is the adjective you’re using to describe what you want your future skin to look like, you’re in need of a pack of these. It’s likely you’ve spied this particular plumping mask on TikTok, but unlike a lot of products that go viral only to later fade into oblivion, this one has the benefits to back up its Internet fame. It’s very satisfying visually, as it starts off white in colour before turning transparent once the collagen and hyaluronic acid soak into skin. It’s also the pick of the edit if you find yourself frustrated with sheet masks falling off your face with any movement—the hydrogel texture has a good amount of grip, and it adheres to skin extremely easily.
Pack Size: 4 Pack | Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, niacinamide
Does anyone else have a moisturiser they save specifically for special events? Because you have full faith that nothing else garners the same results? This is the mask version of that moisturiser. Don’t let the price tag put you off—the value is actually very strong (and if you won’t invest in your face, what do you deem worth it?). In addition to the pack housing six individual masks, each one holds the equivalent of an entire bottle of Dior serum. Suddenly it seems only fitting that your face never looks fresher, brighter or more sculpted than after allowing one of these to grace it. There are even hooks for your ears. As with any good luxury good, they’ve thought of everything.
Pack Size: 6 Pack | Ingredients: Rose nectar, glycerin
The Glass Skin Hydrogel Glow Mask by L’Oréal Paris is the fastest transformative face mask available on the market, designed to deliver a dewy, plumped, and refreshed look in record time.
This innovative hydrogel mask is formulated to release and infuse your skin with powerful actives, turning clear in just 90 minutes as it works its magic.
Pack Size: 1 Pack | Ingredients: Centella Asiatica Extract, glycerin, hyaluronic acid
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