At REAL SIMPLE, we’re all about keeping it—you guessed it—simple. As a beauty editor, I love experimenting with all the skin care bells and whistles—liquid exfoliators, face oils, and red light masks—but after interviewing top dermatologists over the past 18 years, I’ve learned that in order to get (and maintain) great skin, you really only need to use the basics. They all agree that keeping your routine simple can actually be the key to getting a clear, glowing complexion. Most derms recommend face wash, maybe an antioxidant serum, moisturizer, retinol at night, and most important of all, sunscreen. But anyone who has perused the skincare aisles knows that there are so many other options. Do you need ’em? Probably not. But skincare is a form of self-care, so of course it’s fun to try new products, and face masks just might be the most relaxing category of them all. We asked three derms if we should be reaching for sheet masks or rinse-off formulas.
- Mona Gohara, MD, board-certified dermatologist and the associate clinical professor of dermatology at the Yale School of Medicine
- Joshua Zeichner, MD, board-certified dermatologist and director of cosmetic and clinical research at Mount Sinai Hospital Department of Dermatology
- Kavita Mariwalla, MD, a double board certified dermatologist and Mohs surgeon in New York City
What Are Sheet Masks?
Sheet masks are made from thin fabrics (think: cotton, hydrogel, biocellulose, and microfiber) that are soaked with active ingredients and housed in individual packages. They are applied by lining up the mask’s holes with your eyes and mouth, and then smoothing along the contours of your face; they are worn for about 20 minutes. While they’ve been popular in Korean culture for centuries, the pre-selfie beauty step gained global traction over the last decade and can be seen in GRWM videos all over social media. They are especially popular on planes to help people combat dry skin when flying.
“In its most basic form, it is a substrate on which actives or moisturizing ingredients are infused and then placed on the skin,” explains dermatologist Kavita Mariwalla. “A sheet mask is just a fancy way of placing something occlusive on the skin. Think of it like slugging sans the Vaseline. Any time you place an ingredient on the skin and then you use something to cover it, it will drive that ingredient further into the skin.”
Who they are good for
So who can benefit from a sheet mask? Basically anybody looking to hydrate their skin, says Mariwalla. “If you have have dry or combination skin, a sheet mask can help provide moisture without adding an oily feeling. Sheet masks can calm skin and also temporarily brighten facial skin by infusing ingredients like vitamin C.”
What Are Rinse-Off Masks?
Wash-off face masks, on the other hand, are concentrated skincare treatments made out of cream or clay that you apply with your fingertips or a brush, leave on for 20 minutes or so, and then rinse off with warm water. Depending on the active ingredients used, the benefits range from hydration, exfoliation, pore cleansing, brightening, and soothing.
Who they are good for
“If you are trying to dry the skin or fix a specific problem, then reach for a wash-off face mask,” recommends Mariwalla. “For example, I prefer clay masks for my acne and rosacea-prone patients. These patients have areas on their face that are oily, and for that they tend to do better with a regular mask compared to a sheet mask. For men and teens, skin tends to be more oily and regular masks do better for this patient group as well.”
What Derms Think
“At the end of the day, it is a tomayto-tomahto situation,” says dermatologist Mona Gohara. “But if they’re environmentally-friendly, I prefer a sheet mask over a wash-off face mask because the pre-infused products make sheet masks easy to use. Plus, because they’re single-use, they’re more sanitary,” she adds. Her favorite way to use them: “I love them as a step in a triple-moisturizing routine where I use hyaluronic acid serum, a sheet mask on top, and then after I remove it, I apply my moisturizer to lock in.”
“Both sheet masks and traditional masks can be equally effective,” explains dermatologist Joshua Zeichner. “Some ingredients like clay and charcoal, for example, cannot be formulated into a sheet mask so it really depends on your goal.” So if you’re looking to hydrate and brighten dry, dull skin, Zeichner says sheets masks are probably a better option for you. On the other hand, if you’re looking to help clear pores and reduce breakouts, the charcoal and clay in wash-off masks is your best bet. “I think of sheet masks as super potent serums that allow you to deliver highly potent actives evenly to the skin,” Zeichner adds. However, if they’re left on too long, they can dry out and pull moisture from the skin so follow the directions.
Another point for team sheet mask: “Since they’re individually packaged, they help maintain the stability of active ingredients, as well as offer portability because you can easily pack a single sheet mask in your bag and travel with it.”
The Bottom Line
“Sheet masks revolutionized the way we experience self-care for facial skin,” says Mariwalla. “If I had to choose, I would decide what skin issue you are trying to solve for: Need a quick glow? Sheet mask. Need to calm a breakout? Regular mask.”
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