Hi everyone! Today’s post is all about one of my favorite ways to pamper the skin: sheet masks. The sheet mask trend has finally found its way to America, and I am thrilled that places like Sephora and Ulta are beginning to sell them. As someone who has followed this trend from Korea for several years, I’m here to share a bit of knowledge on getting the most out of this essence-soaked sheet!

For those of you who are completely new to the sheet mask trend, here’s the rundown. Sheet masks hail from the skincare Mecca of the world, Korea. Instead of applying your typical goopy mask and washing it off, a sheet mask is a thin paper sheet soaked in essence or serum. The goal is to give your skin a targeted dose of beneficial ingredients. Instead of washing off the mask, you leave the sheet on your face for 10-20 minutes and let the ingredients soak in. The best part is that these masks come in a huge number of types for every kind of skin issue!

I start with a couple of steps to prep for a sheet mask. I usually only use them once a week or so. The most important thing is to have a freshly cleansed face. There shouldn’t be any makeup or dirt blocking the essence from getting into your pores. I like to take a shower at the end of the day and wash my face. Then I use a toner as usual to prep the skin to absorb anything I put on afterwards. Sometimes I also use my AHA exfoliator right before as well. The goal is to use the mask to replace your essence if you use one. This means that you should hold off on moisturizer until after using the mask.

I chose a mask from The Face Shop. This one came from a lovely 15-pack with a bunch of different types. Each one has a handy description on the front telling what it does for your skin. This one is Shea Butter and is good for firming and moisturizing. If you buy your masks in America, there will be English instructions on the back. Many popular Korean brands like this one also have English as well as Korean. The general gist is that you put the mask on your face and wait 10-20 minutes before removing it.

Just remove the sheet from the pack and unfold it to find the eye, nose, and mouth holes. Start from the middle and smooth the mask across your face. If you have a smaller face like me, the mask might pucker and have wrinkles. As long as it is touching your whole face, this is fine. You just want to get as much essence on your face as possible! Sometimes I fold the corners down to help it fit my face as well, as you can see in the unfortunately blurry picture.

Now, all you have to do is wait! You might creep out your roommates with your mummy face, but the feeling is worth it! The mask is usually cooling and soothing as you wear it. It is also hard to talk (and sneeze eek!), but that’s ok. I usually just watch a YouTube video and chill for a little bit.

Once you remove the mask you can get a little extra oomph out of it by rubbing it all over your arms, neck, or legs. You can even use the extra serum in the package! This is a nice way to treat the rest of your skin and make it nice and soft. You can also increase the effectiveness by gently pressing your hands to your face and pushing the serum into your skin. Finally, apply your moisturizer or finish your routine. The mask will leave your face looking and feeling awesome for a few days afterwards!

As someone who is comfortable shopping online for masks, I don’t like to spend more that 2-3 dollars on each one. The Face Shop pack is nice because the masks are wicked cheap and high quality. Sokoglam.com also has some great curated choices. Generally, if you shop Korean you can find cheaper masks for a high quality (Try Etude House, InnisFree, or Missha!). If you’re just looking to test out a couple masks easily, I know that Sephora has their own cheap brand and Ulta sells some Korean products as well, like TonyMoly. You can even buy cute ones that look like pandas or masks just for your eyes!

I hope this post was enlightening for anyone who wants to try sheet masks! They are one of the easiest ways to pamper yourself and give your skin a little help. Let me know what your favorite mask brand is in the comments below!

-Kate