Sheet masks are one of the hallmarks of Korean skincare culture. You only need to step foot in an Olive Young, the beauty retailer that appears on almost every street in Seoul, to see just how popular they are, with floor-to-ceiling displays devoted to the endless options available.
Vogue’s top Korean sheet masks at a glance:
Sheet masks usage differs in K-beauty practices when compared to Western markets. While they may be viewed in the UK as a special occasion or self-care treat, they are more regularly applied as part of the widely dissected 10-step routine. This suggests sheet masks should be used multiple times a week. While they are not as fundamental as cleansing, moisturising, hydration or sun protection, they remain a supercharged stage for concerns from hydration and soothing to ageing.
“They’re a treatment step, not a daily essential,” confirms dermatologist and Korean skincare expert Dr Christine Hall. “In a Korean routine, your cleanser, toner or essence, serums, moisturiser and SPF are doing the heavy lifting every day. The sheet mask comes in as a boost, before an event, after a flight, after a day in the sun, or any time the skin’s looking flat and needs a quick lift. It sits after cleansing and toning and before your moisturiser, so you’d mask, press in whatever essence is left, then seal it all in with your cream.”
How Korean face masks differ from the ones you’ll find formulated in other places around the world comes down to three things: fabric, formula and function. “Korea is the most competitive skincare market in the world, so brands have pushed the materials much further than most,” explains Dr Hall. “Where a cheaper mask uses thick cotton or pulp that sits on top of the face, Korean masks tend to use microfiber, cupro or bio-cellulose that moulds to your contours and holds far more essence against the skin.”