Photo: Courtesy of La Mer
Lackluster skin in need of a pick-me-up? Enter the best sheet masks. Rough patches you find your make-up clinging to? Smooth a sheet mask on and consider them solved. In fact, there aren’t many ills the right sheet mask won’t quell: a puffy face, dry skin, sensitive redness, breakouts, and even a stressful day are all allayed under its skincare-soaked veil. Easily ported from lounge sofas and saunas to planes and poolside sun loungers, wherever you go, for a radiant complexion, you ought to have a good sheet mask in tow. Ahead, a look at Vogue‘s edit of the best sheet masks you can buy in 2024. Scroll on for Vogue’s tried-and-tested picks, plus everything you should know about using them correctly.
Our Top Picks
In This Story
Best Overall: 111Skin Rose Gold Brightening Facial Treatment Mask Set
- Why We Love It: 111Skin’s Rose Gold Brightening mask has saved my life on numerous occasions. And while this may sound like hyperbole, its true. Red-eye flights where I needed to land looking meeting ready; late night party to an early morning call time; post-treatment irritation—no matter the skin concern, this somehow provides a solution and delivers better-looking and feeling skin in just a 20-minute treatment. And considering co-founder Dr. Yannis Alexandrides’s background as a plastic and reconstructive surgeon, it’s no surprise one of his bestsellers works as a sort of skincare magic trick.
- Key Ingredients: Rose extract, colloidal gold, pomegranate seed cell culture, peptides, glycerin, allantoin, silk amino acid, hydrolyzed collagen
- Mask Type: Hydrogel
- Best For: Brightening, hydration, soothing irritation
- Size: 5 masks
Best Post-Treatment: SkinCeuticals Biocellulose Restorative Sheet Mask
- Why We Love It: There are few things more frustrating than stressed, irritated skin. When your skin is feeling particularly sensitive and tender, SkinCeuticals Biocellulose Restorative Mask to the rescue! Here, a fine network of absorbent biofibers is impregnated with water to instantly cool and alleviate discomfort. That said, it’s excellent for use post-in-office treatment (say, laser procedures or chemical peels), which leaves skin feeling hot.
- Key Ingredients: Impregnated Biocellulose Fibers
- Mask Type: Biocellulose
- Best For: Post-treatment, sensitive skin
- Size: 6 masks
Best Korean Sheet Mask: CosRx Advanced Snail Mucin Power Sheet Mask
- Why We Love It: There are many great face masks that come out of Korea, but CosRx is one of the most acclaimed. Powered by the buzzy ingredient snail mucin (35,000 ppm to be exact), this promises to “to hydrate, repair and heal the skin” as dermatologist Dr. Y. Claire Chang previously told Vogue. Plus, it’s made from a skin-hugging cellulose that sits flesh on the face and reveals a dewy gleam once removed.
- Key Ingredients: Snail mucin, allantoin, hyaluronic acid, tea tree leaf oil
- Mask Type: Cellulose
- Best For: Hydration, skin barrier repair, brightening
- Size: 10 masks
Best for Acne: Mediheal Tea Tree Essential Blemish Control Sheet Mask
- Why We Love It: Mediheal proves that even acne-prone skin types can benefit from the best sheet masks. Here, tea tree extract, water, and oil are paired with 4-Terpineol—soaked into a biodegradable bamboo-derived sheet to control blemishes, while keeping skin calm and balanced.
- Key Ingredients: Tea tree extract, tea tree leaf water, tea tree leaf oil, 4-Terpineol, glycerin, lactobacillus ferment, glutamic acid, allantoin
- Mask Type: Bamboo-derived
- Best For: Blemishes, acne-prone skin, oil-control
- Size: 5 masks
Best Hydrating: Medik8 Ultimate Recovery Bio-Cellulose Mask
- Why We Love It: Medik8 is an editor-favorite when it comes to results-driven skincare, and the brand’s bio-cellulose sheet mask is no exception. Ideal for use after aesthetic treatments, this mask is designed to nourish and soothe skin, with the help of zinc, hyaluronic acid and rockweed algae. Perfect for that “I’ve just got back from a yoga retreat” glow.
- Key Ingredients: Zinc, hyaluronic acid, rockweed algae extract, glycerin
- Mask Type: Biocellulose
- Best For: Hydrating, dullness, post-treatment, plumping
- Size: 6 masks
Best Plumping: La Mer The Treatment Lotion Hydrating Mask
- Why We Love It: Think of this as a supercharged version of La Mer’s coveted Treatment Lotion. Here, the brand drenches carefully spun, soft fibers in nearly a full ounce of precious liquid packed with nourishing agents like sea minerals, botanical extracts, peptides, and of course—Miracle Broth. Nutrient-rich, rejuvenating, and deeply hydrating, this has the ability to impart a dewy glow, plus skin that appears visibly bouncier after a single use. And if you’re like me, you’ll scoop out any remaining serum from the package before disposing. Every drop counts!
- Key Ingredients: Miracle Broth, algae extract, peptides
- Mask Type: Microfiber
- Best For: Hydration, plumping
- Size: 6 masks
Best Drugstore: Neutrogena Hydro Boost 100% Hydrogel Mask
- Why We Love It: Dry skin doesn’t stand a chance against Neutrogena’s beloved mask. As goes for its entire Hydro Boost line, this is like a drink of water to the skin where hyaluronic acid quells dryness and locks in moisture following a 30 minute wear. Pick up a set at your local drugstore and store in your bag for use on the go.
- Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, hydrogenated castor oil
- Mask Type: Hydrogel
- Best For: Hydration
- Size: 12 masks
Best Variety Pack: Tonymoly Ready, Set, Glow! I’m Sheet Mask Set
- Why We Love It: One of the reasons I’m a big sheet mask proponent is that it’s quite hard to use them incorrectly, making them excellent for skincare newbies or as a gift to a loved one. If you’re not sure which sheet masks will best suit you or your giftee, consider a mask set crafted to alleviate a wide range of concerns. Tonymoly’s is excellent and oft-raved about. This set features ten, 3-layer pulp sheet masks soaked in natural ingredients like green tea, honey, and lavender, to refresh dull skin.
- Key Ingredients: Avocado, green tea, charcoal, lavender, honey, aloe extract, lotus flower, peach, red wine, lemon (one per mask)
- Mask Type: Pulp
- Best For: All skin types, beginners
- Size: 10 masks
Best for Dull Skin: Decorté Moisture Liposome Mask
- Why We Love It: Skin in need of a serious moisture shot is served exceptionally well by this mask from luxe Japanese label Decorté. Using cutting-edge science to inform its skincare innovations, the brand’s mask employs time-released liposomes for deep hydration. These liposomes fuse with your skin cell membranes, delivering moisture where it matters most: at the dermal layer. The result? Radiant skin that’s hydrated from the inside out, with a smooth texture, youthful plumpness, and tightened pores.
- Key Ingredients: Proprietary Multilayered Liposome Technology, Murasaki-kuromai (purple rice), royal jelly extract
- Mask Type: Cotton
- Best For: Brightening, smoothing skin texture, hydrating
- Size: 6 masks
Best for Enlarged Pores: SK-II Facial Treatment Mask
- Why We Love It: If there’s one thing that has helped me retain a somewhat poreless complexion, it’s SK-II’s Pitera essence—named one of our favorite toners. Derived from the fermentation of rice used to make sake, Pitera (or galactomyces ferment filtrate) is the brand’s trademark, known for its ability to hydrate, soften, and smooth one’s complexion. That said, anyone looking for a potent, anti-aging treatment should consider incorporating this makeup artist-loved mask.
- Key Ingredients: SK-II’s Pitera (galactomyces ferment filtrate)
- Mask Type: N/A
- Best For: Brightening, smoothing skin texture, evening skin tone, plumping
- Size: 6 masks
What is a sheet mask?
“A sheet mask is a pre-cut face-shaped fabric soaked in a nutrient-rich serum,” celebrity facialist Ian Michael Crumm tells Vogue. “It is designed to be placed on the face for a set amount of time, typically 15-20 minutes, to allow the skin to absorb the beneficial ingredients.”
Do sheet masks actually work?
Delivering a concentrated cocktail of skin-loving ingredients, sheet masks aid the absorption of moisture and actives for skin that’s immediately plumped and refreshed. It’s why they’re the skin prep weapon of choice for professional makeup artists, and you’ll find an assortment of them in the stash of many a Vogue beauty editor. More than just a relaxing self-care ritual, sheet masks promote deeper penetration of your skincare, and regular sheet masking confers long-term benefits for your skin. The key here, as with all skin treatments, is a targeted, consistent approach. You’ll gain a temporary glow-up with single use, but for the best results (think clearer, smoother and brighter skin) make them regular additions to your routine.
What are the benefits of sheet masks?
According to dermatologist Dr. Carolyn Stull, sheet masks are best for single-use treatments. “Many are formulated to infuse hydration-boosting ingredients, reduce puffiness, and improve skin texture and tone.”
What to Look for in a Sheet Mask
- Ingredients: Murphy-Rose instructs to “look for a mask with quality ingredients tailored to your skin concerns and skin type.” For example, someone seeking hydration should use a sheet mask with hyaluronic acid or glycerin, which she says attracts moisture and plumps the skin. “If acne-prone, choose masks that are non-comedogenic and oil-free, and be careful not to irritate skin with hydroxy acids,” she instructs. “For post-procedure, look for calming and moisturizing ingredients like cica and green tea.” Or, if the skin looks a little dull, look for masks with vitamin C and niacinamide.
- Material: “The material can affect how well the mask adheres to the skin and how effectively it delivers the serum,” Crumm explains. Hydrogel and biocellulose masks are the most popular, cited positively by Murphy-Rose and Crumm, who tells Vogue that the former “provides a cooling effect and excellent adherence, allowing for better absorption of the serum,” whereas biocellulose is “effective in delivering active ingredients deeply into the skin.” Other types of sheet masks include cotton, which Crumm calls “comfortable and breathable but can dry out quickly,” while microfiber masks are “soft and adhere well to the skin.”
- Fragrance: Murphy-Rose tends to recommend the use of fragrance-free, hypoallergenic ingredients that will be less likely to cause unwanted effects—particularly those with sensitive, irritable skin.
- Fit: How a mask fits on your face certainly factors into its efficacy. “A good fit ensures better contact with the skin and better absorption of ingredients,” says Crumm.
Which ingredient sheet mask is best?
With a seemingly infinite variety of sheet masks available, it can be hard to decide on the best one for you. There is no one mask-fits-all answer – rather, the best ingredients for a sheet mask depend on the skin concern you want to address. To smooth lines, restore lost volume, and boost skin elasticity, look for firming masks powered by collagen and peptides. Tackling acne and inflammation? Choose purifying masks that refine pores with exfoliating AHAs, or calm angry skin with soothing ingredients like chamomile and allantoin. Parched skin does well with hyaluronic-heavy formulations, and if you have the good fortune of contending with all the above, its worth keeping a few masks of each kind in your beauty arsenal.
Meet The Experts
- Ian Michael Crumm is a celebrity esthetician and co-host of the BeautyCurious podcast.
- Blair Murphy-Rose, MD, FAAD, board-certified cosmetic and surgical dermatologist at the Laser & Skin Surgery Center of New York and clinical instructor of dermatology at Weill Cornell Medical College
- Carolyn Stull, MD, FAAD, is a New York-based board-certified dermatologist and fellowship-trained dermatologic surgeon.