Sheet Masks: The Face Shop, DearPacker, Mond'Sub & more

Hi friends,

Welcome to Vanity Sparkles.

There are so many sheet masks available in the market now a days! People have been really going on about them!

Initially when I had just joined this blogging shiz I was very intrigued by these!

I had heard about sheet masks from beauty bloggers and wanted to try out how they worked. The idea of putting a paper like thing, drenched in serum, on your face sounded very new to me then. Also, the bloggers always used to be so happy and glowing after that.

We all know about face packs that you apply on the face to remove impurities, make it brighter, cleaner and clearer. A sheet mask also helps us to do that. It also is very moisturizing as compared to a face pack.

What is a Sheet Mask?

Sheet masks are face-shaped sheet fabrics that are drenched in very beneficial solution or serum. These serums can be made of various ingredients that provide moisture, nutrition to the skin and also have other benefits.

They are different from the face packs. You just remove the sheet mask from the packet and apply it on your face and you are done. You don't need to apply other skin care products after that like a moisturizer as compared to face packs where in you apply the paste on your face, wash it off and then carry on with other skin care products. This makes it much more convenient, easy to use and provides instant glow.

What is it made of?

There are different types of fabrics used for the sheet masks. They are:

• Cotton: It is not very expensive but has a low capacity to deliver serum
• Hydrogel: Little pricey but better at delivering serum to the skin
• Bio cellulose: Expensive, all-natural material that is the best at delivering serum to your skin

The serum is made on the basis of what function you want it to serve. Some of the common ingredients include aloe vera, vitamin C, tea tree etc. We also have ingredients like sea weed, snail extract, bamboo, fruit based masks and many more available now. There are masks that now use home remedy ingredients as well.

How does it work?

We all know how expensive serums are and how much the bloggers rave about its benefits. These masks are drenched in serums and so must definitely be providing benefits to us.

When you apply the sheet mask on your face, the serum that is infused in your mask works to deeply hydrate and nourish your skin.

The serum is filled with various vitamins and minerals, and won’t dry out the skin compared to the paste-type face mask. The sheet on your face helps the serum to soak in your skin a little longer. Basically, sheet masks are inexpensive compared to going to a spa, convenient, easy to apply, and brings a glowing effect on your skin.

What are serums and how is it beneficial?

Serum is a skincare product you can apply to your skin after cleansing but before moisturizing with the intent of delivering powerful ingredients directly into the skin. Serum is particularly suited to this task because it is made up of smaller molecules that can penetrate deeply into the skin and deliver a very high concentration of active ingredients. This makes them a great tool for targeting specific skincare concerns.

Ingredients

We see so many different types and varieties of sheet masks in the market now a days. You name it and it is available. Ranging from exotic ingredients like seaweed and snail extract to more homely ingredients like turmeric and tomato, we have seen (and maybe used) them all.

Depending on what function the sheet masks wants to perform, the serum contains various ingredients.

Much like the human body, the primary ingredient in sheet masks is water. Water is a carrier and complementary ingredient. Water can make stronger ingredients more palatable to the skin.

After water, you may see a bunch of ingredients ending in -ol: butylene glycol and dipropylene glycol. You may be wondering — does that mean your sheet masks contain alcohol, a known dehydrator of skin? What is that doing in there, and does it make sheet masks a lie?

No, not all alcohols have the same characteristics. For example, butylene glycol is an organic alcohol that’s often used for conditioning, and is a humectant. It helps bind moisture to the skin and is one of the gentlest glycols. It can help cut the viscosity in sheet-mask formulas to make the texture less sticky and heavy, it can be a solvent in the formula, and it can help prevent the formula from drying out. 

Also, for prevention against bacteria/fungi contamination, most sheet masks contain chemical preservatives such as parabens and recently phenoxyethanol, which are not good for the skin.

Usage

You must have seen so many bloggers taking up the one mask a day challenge. To be honest, it just sounds like a hassle to me and plus, does your skin really need that?

I generally have a pamper session every week and only use sheet mask then. I do not have the time nor the motivation to do it everyday,

Now, where does it fit in your routine? After you cleanse your face, apply a toner and then a sheet mask and then your moisturizer. A sheet mask, like we discussed last time is basically serum drenched sheet. So, it comes in the routine where your serum fitted in.

How long do you keep it for? It is very important to remove your mask before it dries up completely on your skin. Initially the sheet mask is working to moisturize and hydrate your skin by giving it the necessary moisture. But after it dries up, it starts to work the other way. It starts to suck the moisture and so makes the face dry. So, do not keep it on for more than 15-20 mins.

I generally apply it at night, then complete my routine and sleep. I do not like the sticky feeling that some masks give and so that helps me bear it. I wake up with soft and supple skin. You can also apply sheet mask before applying makeup as a prep step.

Quick How-To on Sheet masking

1. Remove mask from the package.
2. Unfold the sheet mask and place it on your face aligning the holes to your eyes, nose, and mouth. If there is any remaining essence left in the bag, pat the extra essence all over your neck, arms, elbows, knees, etc.
3. Sit back and relax for 15-25 minutes.
4. Peel off the mask and discard the sheet mask.
5. Gently pat the essence into your face for maximum absorption.
6. Moisturize afterwards to seal in all of the nutrients.

Prices & Availability

The sheet masks are widely available online on almost all the websites. There are a variety of benefits and ingredients that are mentioned on it. There are face sheet masks, lip masks, eye masks, T-zone masks, feet mask and neck masks available.

The range varies anywhere from 99 to 300 mostly depending on the ingredients of it. There are also many luxury brands that have much more expensive sheet masks but I frankly do not believe in spending so much on them.

There are many offers and discounts available from time to time which help you to stock up on your sheet mask stash in affordable rates.

There are a bunch of varieties like hydrating, brightening, anti-aging, soothing, nourishing, revitalizing, acne care, firming, purifying, pore care etc.

You can search what your skin needs at that time and get it easily!

Recommendations

I am not big on sheet mask but I love trying out new ones. I have obviously not tried many but based on my personal experience and also based on how much I have read about others experience, I have come up with some recommendations.

I started with the face shop sheet masks because those were the most widely available. I like them but I do not think that they are the best out there. I like innisfree better than them.

I have also used Mondsub masks and I loved them. They provide such a nice glow and make my skin so much brighter.

The dear packer masks were the first to come up with ingredients that were more Indian home based. This intrigued me and I personally love them. The garnier and Mirabelle sheet masks are also good, though not the best.

I have also used the O3+ mask and hated it really.

I have heard so many good things about the organic harvest masks and can not wait to try them They sound really good.

The nykaa sheet masks are very mediocre and I have heard pretty mixed reviews but mostly negative.

The tony moly masks are great and have one of the best packaging I feel. They also have those spot masks that you can apply to particular areas of your face that need more care.

Jumiso nourishment mask is bomb. Love it.

I have not tried the forest essential masks but I also have no intention of trying it because hello! have you seen the price!

Are there any that I have missed? which one is your fav, let me know in the comments down below!

Hacks

Lets talk about sheet masks hacks today. We all know what sheet mask does, but add more to that. Read on.

• We all know that sheet mask packets contain a lot of serum even after you remove and use the mask. You can of course apply the serum over your mask for extra nourishment, but you could also apply the remaining serum over other parts of your body. I generally apply it on my hands or feet, my elbows or knees. They seem to be the most dry parts at times and so the excess serum helps.
• You could also pour the excess serum in a small bowl, save it. Probably refrigerate it. Then, use another dry mask. Like the diy mask sheets available in Miniso. And soak it in that. Another mask is ready in no time!
• You can use the used mask somewhere else on your body. One side of the mask is unused and untouched. So you can just put it on some other part of your body that needs that nourishment.
• You can keep your sheet mask in the fridge before using it. Freeze it for at least 10-15 mins as it just gives a very cooling effect to your face.