If you wander around Seoul, South Korea, you will notice the gleam of radiant skin that seems to echo from almost every Korean’s face. How is it that many Koreans look 5 to 10 years younger than they are?
Beyond just simple genetics, the Korean stereotype of amazing skin stems from 4 different things:
1) Many visit the dermatologist like we visit a doctor. Once or twice a year!
2) A multi step skin care regime for morning and night that includes cleanser, toner, serum, and moisturizer.
3) A habit of putting sun cream on everyday, and including it in many face creams, foundations, etc.
4) A once a week sheet mask.
The question I posit today is….what is a sheet mask and why should you include it in your skin care regime?
Essentially, sheet masks are sheets made of cotton, other fibers, OR hydrogel, that are often infused with a serum or other products that are great for your skin. Setting a face mask on your face for 15 minutes gives your skin more moisture and allows for the vitamins and other ingredients to have more time to ‘work their magic”.
Not only is using a sheet mask incredibly relaxing, but they have sheet masks for every problem under the sun. Skin feeling dull? No problem! We have a sheet mask for that! Oily skin got you down? Don’t sweat it, there’s a sheet mask for that! Moisture? anti aging? acne breakout? redness? Name it, and there is a sheet mask for it. Not feeling like buying a mask? You can even buy packs of the masks that are just the face cloth and use your own serum to make one. It’s a much cheaper way to get that SK II mask you’ve been wanting to try! (Check out my “Korean dupes” post to find a Korean dupe for the SK II essence)
Sheet masks in Korea are also amazingly cheap, and often go on “buy 10, get 10” sales. Typically a sheet mask is used once a week but it can be used more often than that.
Typically a sheet masks is applied in this order:
1) wash your face.
2) Use a toner and wait 1 minute. Think of a toner as something that helps your skin to be extra receptive.
3) Put sheet mask on. Only leave it on for the 10-15 minutes (or the recommended time). If you leave it on until it is dry, it can actually wick moisture from your face.
4) Take sheet mask off and pat extra essence onto neck.
5) Pat face to help the extra essence be absorbed.
6) My last trick- put on a moisturizer. I feel it helps absorb the rest of the essence and helps with the slight “stickiness” that can happen with some sheet masks.
I suggest using before bed because some masks are sticky and it can take time for the extra essence to absorb into the skin!
But what about the purchased sheet masks make them so great? Their ingredients of course! Instead of typing out huge long lists of each mask and ingredient, I made a video that breaks down my favorite masks and sheet masks by the problems they help with, and then I also break it down further and explain some ingredients in each masks and what they do.
(Feel free to jump to the Youtube page and check the description box if you don’t feel like watching the whole thing. You can choose what your skin issue is and I listed the video start time for it!)
Note: wanting to stay more natural? The Innisfree masks are super cheap and have wonderful ingredients. Give them a try!
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