Face Masks & Sheet Masks

Why a face mask is more than just an extra step

Serum and cream work gradually, every day. A mask works differently. It seals your skin under a layer soaked in essence, collagen or clay, so the ingredients absorb faster and deeper than with your daily routine.

That's exactly why a face mask isn't an everyday product. If you use it too often, your skin doesn't have time to respond, and intensive formulas can also irritate it.

Hydrogel, sheet or clay mask

Choose the type of mask by texture and purpose:

• a hydrogel mask is thicker and cooling; you wear it for several hours or overnight, until it turns transparent;
• a sheet mask is thinner and soaked in essence; your skin absorbs it in 15 to 20 minutes;
• clay and stick masks draw out excess oil and tone down shine on the T-zone; they're cleansing face masks for oily and combination skin;
• a wash-off mask with rice or enzymes works like a gentle exfoliant; rinse it off after 5 to 20 minutes, as directed on the product.

An overnight face mask is a special type. You apply it as the last step in the evening, and it works while you sleep.

Which mask to choose for your skin concern

• for dehydrated skin, choose a hydrating face mask with hyaluronic acid, which binds moisture;
• for redness and sensitive skin, choose a fragrance-free soothing mask with panthenol or green tea;
• for acne and enlarged pores, reach for a clay or stick mask that absorbs excess oil;
• for the first signs of aging, choose a nourishing face mask with collagen or peptides that firms and hydrates your skin until morning.

The best face mask isn't a particular type, but the one with the right ingredients for your concern. The same sheet mask can be hydrating, soothing or brightening, depending on the essence.

Face masks: how to use them and where they fit in your routine

Sheet mask:

• after cleansing and toner;
• instead of your serum that evening, for 15 to 20 minutes, before it dries;
• massage the leftover essence into your skin and finish with a face cream.

Hydrogel mask:

• after cleansing, toner or serum, as the last step of your evening routine, with no cream on top;
• leave it on for several hours or overnight, until it turns transparent;
• in the morning, massage the leftover essence into your skin and continue with your usual morning routine.

Clay or wash-off mask:

• right after cleansing, before toner;
• leave it on as long as the product says: clay for 3 to 5 minutes, enzyme for 5 to 10, rice for 15 to 20;
• rinse it off before it dries, then continue with toner, serum and cream.

Use a mask once to three times a week, and a clay mask once or twice. Go by how your skin tolerates it.

What to avoid with face masks

• letting a sheet mask dry on your skin, because the dry fabric pulls moisture back out of your skin;
• taking off a hydrogel mask after 20 minutes, because it only works after a few hours;
• using a clay mask every day, because it dries out your skin and it starts producing even more oil;
• applying a mask to irritated or broken skin; calm your barrier first;
• using several masks on the same night; one mask for one concern.

The most searched-for brands

BIODANCE is our most searched-for hydrogel mask brand. Its four masks are made to be worn overnight. MEDICUBE is known for its overnight collagen night wrapping mask. You apply it as the last step, leave it on overnight and peel it off in one piece in the morning. The brand also has a pink PDRN hydrogel mask that turns transparent as you wear it.

The nine versions of MISSHA sheet masks cover everything from hydrating to soothing. NUMBUZIN has a sheet mask for pores, SKIN1004 a centella clay stick mask, TORRIDEN a hyaluronic mask for dehydrated skin, and BEAUTY OF JOSEON a rice and honey wash-off mask. ANUA offers an enzyme powder that you mix into a paste to use as a mask and rinse off after 5 to 10 minutes.

Face masks at dglow

In Korean skincare, masks are among the most popular products. At dglow you can choose from hydrogel, sheet, clay and wash-off masks and filter them by skin type and concern. If you're just getting started, choose one mask for the concern that bothers you most. Your skin needs time to show results.

A Korean face mask is an add-on to your basic routine of cleansing, toning and moisturizing, not a replacement for it. Once you find a type that works for you, you can switch formulas depending on what your skin needs that week.