Editor’s Picks: 15 of the Best Sheet Masks to Hydrate, Brighten and Soothe Your Skin

Since a sheet mask is all about pumping beneficial ingredients into your skin, you want to make sure you’re avoiding anything that could potentially irritate or clog your pores. This is what I look for:

• High in humectants: These ingredients draw in moisture, and include aloe, glycerin, provitamin B5 (panthenol) and hyaluronic acid.
• Low in fragrance: Since it’s a common skin irritant, fragrance should be at the end of an ingredients list or better yet, not present at all.
• Low in alcohol: Although alcohol can enhance the penetration of other ingredients, it can also be drying (defeating the purpose of a sheet mask).
• Low in silicone: As a synthetic film-former, silicone leaves a residue on your skin that can trap debris in your pores, slow down turnover and cause pilling. Another reason to avoid silicone-coated sheet masks is that it renders them non-biodegradable.
• Low in mineral oil: Similar to silicone, this ingredient is non-biodegradable and creates an occlusive seal over your skin that can hinder natural cell renewal.
• Low in PUFAs: Oils high in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are unstable and oxidize quickly, accelerating aging.
• Biodegradable: Plant cellulose, bamboo, cotton, wood pulp or viscose rayon are the ideal materials to look for (rather than plastic textiles). 

• What it does: Go-To Transformazing Mask is a hydrating and brightening sheet mask. It’s meant to be worn for 10 minutes on clean skin.
• Key ingredients: Propanediol, betaine, vitamin C (sodium ascorbyl phosphate), niacinamide, kakadu plum, finger lime, Tasmanian pepper leaf.
• Material: Biodegradable bamboo.
• Editor’s notes: If you’re looking for a juicy, well-priced sheet mask that uses only clean ingredients, this one’s for you. It quenches thirsty skin with an array of lightweight humectants, while niacinamide, vitamin C and a trio of Australian botanicals reverse dullness. 

• What it does: Benton Aloe Soothing Mask Pack is a soothing and hydrating sheet mask. It’s meant to be worn for 10 to 20 minutes on clean skin.
• Key ingredients: Aloe, green tea water, glycerin, pentylene glycol, sodium PCA, hyaluronic acid.
• Material: Biodegradable Tencel (rayon).
• Editor’s notes: This mask is saturated in an essence comprised of more than 48% aloe vera. That makes it ideal for sensitive types, or anyone whose skin needs calming from sun exposure, inflamed breakouts or product irritation. It’s also fragrance-free and oil-free.

• What it does: 111Skin Y Theorem Bio Cellulose Facial Mask is an anti-aging, brightening, repairing, hydrating and soothing sheet mask. It’s meant to be worn for 20 minutes on clean skin.
• Key ingredients: Glycerin, butylene glycol, trehalose, amino acids, provitamin B5 (panthenol), caffeine, zinc, vitamin C (magnesium ascorbyl phosphate), shea butter, horse chestnut, allantoin, lethicin, Centella Asiatica, NAC, licorice, peptides.
• Material: Biodegradable plant cellulose.
• Editor’s notes: It’s definitely a splurge, but with this sheet mask, you’re getting an all-in-one treatment created by a renowned cosmetic surgeon to target multiple skin concerns. The material acts like a second skin to push reparative and barrier-strengthening actives deep into the skin (including NAC Y², the brand’s signature complex of antioxidants and amino acids). The result is a plumper, brighter, calmer complexion in mere minutes.

• What it does: Sweet Chef Celery + Hyaluronic Acid Fresh Pressed Sheet Mask is a hydrating sheet mask. It’s meant to be worn for 15 to 20 minutes on clean skin.
• Key ingredients: Butylene glycol, glycerin, niacinamide, propanediol, celery, hyaluronic acid, Centella Asiatica, provitamin B5 (panthenol), allantoin.
• Material: Biodegradable plant fibers.
• Editor’s notes: This sheet mask is from Glow Recipe’s more budget-friendly sister brand, and the price point makes it affordable enough for frequent use. It floods your skin with all kinds of humectants for plumping, non-greasy moisture. It’s also free of oil, alcohol, fragrance, essential oils and silicones (which is a rarity with cheaper masks!).

• What it does: SK-II Facial Treatment Mask is a hydrating and brightening sheet mask. It’s meant to be worn for five to 15 minutes on clean skin.
• Key ingredients: Fermented yeast, butylene glycol.
• Material: Biodegradable cotton.
• Editor’s notes: This Japanese sheet mask has been a cult-favourite for as long as I can remember. It’s drenched in the brand’s star ingredient, Pitera, a mix of amino acids, vitamins and minerals derived from yeast fermentation. (Fun fact: Pitera was discovered when scientists noticed the brewers in a sake factory had remarkably youthful-looking hands!). Oh, and get this—each mask is loaded with as much as one third of a small bottle of Facial Treatment Essence.

• What it does: Magicstripes Hyaluronic Intensive Treatment Mask is a hydrating and anti-aging sheet mask. It’s meant to be worn for 20 to 30 minutes on clean skin.
• Key ingredients: Glycerin, algae, betaine, aloe, hydrolyzed collagen, rose, hyaluronic acid, vitamin E.
• Material: Biodegradable cotton.
• Editor’s notes: If your skin needs intensive moisture, stat, look no further than this concentrated, gel-like sheet mask. Not only is it packed with ingredients that bind and lock in moisture, it also has a firming, line-softening effect. It needs to be left on for a longer duration than most masks (up to 30 minutes) to allow all the goodness to fully penetrate. 

• What it does: Farmacy Brightening Coconut Gel Sheet Mask is a brightening and hydrating sheet mask. It’s meant to be worn for 10 to 15 minutes on clean skin.
• Key ingredients: Glycerin, niacinamide, propanediol, betaine, coconut water, echinacea, collagen, broccoli, allantoin, provitamin B5 (panthenol), hyaluronic acid.
• Material: Biodegradable plant cellulose.
• Editor’s notes: This cooling, dewy sheet mask gets you glowing with clean ingredients (or as the brand calls them, “farm-to-face skincare”). It has a slightly thicker gel texture, and is high in niacinamide, one of the most proven brighteners. You’re also getting plenty of hydration, thanks to humectants like collagen and hyaluronic acid.

• What it does: COSRX Advanced Snail Mucin Power Sheet Mask is a hydrating and repairing sheet mask. It’s meant to be worn for 10 to 20 minutes on clean skin.
• Key ingredients: Butylene glycol, glycerin, snail mucin, betaine, provitamin B5 (panthenol), allantoin, hyaluronic acid.
• Material: Biodegradable plant cellulose.
• Editor’s notes: This mask is drenched in the same intensive essence as the brand’s beloved Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence—but the sheet format helps to push it even deeper into your skin. Besides its humectant and emollient properties (which give it a gooey texture), snail mucin also repairs damaged skin and even lightens acne scars.

• What it does: Dr. Dennis Gross C + Collagen Biocellulose Brightening Treatment Mask is a brightening, hydrating and anti-aging sheet mask. You’re meant to wear it for 10 to 15 minutes on clean skin.
• Key ingredients: Glycerin, pentylene glycol, vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid), niacinamide, collagen amino acids, CoQ10 (ubiquinone).
• Material: Biodegradable plant cellulose.
• Editor’s notes: Think of this sheet mask as an alternative to vitamin C serum, working to restore glow, repair environmental damage and revive your complexion. It’s got the most potent and active form of vitamin C, L-ascorbic acid, along with collagen to plump dehydrated skin and niacinamide for barrier support. The second-skin fit ensures that all the actives penetrate deeply.

• What it does: Avène Soothing Sheet Mask is a soothing and hydrating sheet mask. It’s meant to be worn for 10 minutes on clean skin.
• Key ingredient: Thermal spring water.
• Material: Biodegradable plant cellulose.
• Editor’s notes: This is the sheet mask version of the brand’s famous Thermal Spring Water. As such, it offers an optimal delivery system for the prized mineral-rich water, which works to reduce inflammation, irritation, dryness and redness. With few other ingredients (and no fragrance), it is especially suitable for sensitive, reactive skin.

• What it does: Joanna Vargas Forever Glow Anti-Aging Face Mask is a brightening, hydrating and anti-aging sheet mask. It’s meant to be worn for 15 to 20 minutes on clean skin.
• Key ingredients: Glycerin, butylene glycol, rose water, calendula, provitamin B5 (panthenol), ginkgo biloba, niacinamide, olive, hyaluronic acid, kelp, peptides.
• Material: Biodegradable bamboo.
• Editor’s notes: This concentrated, spa-quality sheet mask is the next best thing to a facial with celebrity esthetician Joanna Vargas herself. It firms and smooths the look of fine lines and wrinkles with the help of peptides, antioxidant-rich botanical extracts and hyaluronic acid. It also boosts your skin’s moisture levels and overall radiance.

• What it does: Dewytree Cica 100 Mask is a soothing and hydrating sheet mask. It’s meant to be worn for 15 to 20 minutes on clean skin.
• Key ingredients: Centella Asiatica.
• Material: Biodegradable eucalyptus, cotton and seaweed.
• Editor’s notes: This single-ingredient sheet mask is soaked in Centella Asiatica (a.k.a. “cica”), one of the most popular ingredients in Korean skincare. In addition to moisturizing—the brand’s called “Dewytree,” after all!—it’s great for reducing inflammation, calming irritation and strengthening the skin barrier. All skin types will benefit from this mask, but especially sensitive and acne-prone skin.

• What it does: Rael Tea Tree Purify + Soothe Facial Sheet Mask is a purifying and soothing sheet mask for oily and acne-prone skin. It’s meant to be worn for 10 to 20 minutes on clean skin.
• Key ingredients: Glycerin, butylene glycol, tea tree extract, arginine, plant sugars, allantoin, provitamin B5 (panthenol), Centella Asiatica.
• Material: Biodegradable bamboo.
• Editor’s notes: This sheet mask was designed to treat and prevent the breakouts and oily skin that many women get before their periods (although you could certainly use it at any time of the month!). The antibacterial tea tree is combined with plenty of hydrators and soothing Centella Asiatica, so it’s not harsh, irritating or drying.

• What it does: Consonant HydrExtreme Charcoal Sheet Mask is a hydrating and soothing sheet mask. It’s meant to be worn for 20 minutes on clean skin.
• Key ingredients: Propanediol, glycerin, cassia angustifolia seed extract, tall reed extract, mushroom extract, gotu kola.
• Material: Biodegradable bamboo.
• Editor’s notes: This charcoal-infused sheet mask is soaked in my all-time favourite hydrating serum, HydrExtreme, along with botanical extracts that soothe and strengthen the skin barrier. Not only is it 100% natural, the serum has also been clinically proven to outperform hyaluronic acid for long-lasting hydration (even after 24 hours!).

• What it does: Arcona Starchild Moisture Infusion Firming Mask is a hydrating, brightening and anti-aging sheet mask. It’s meant to be worn for 15 to 20 minutes on clean skin.
• Key ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, lavender water, green tea extract, marine collagen, peptides, vitamin C (magnesium ascorbyl phosphate), algae, provitamin B5 (panthenol), allantoin.
• Material: Biodegradable plant-derived hydrogel.
• Editor’s notes: What makes this gel-like sheet mask unique is that it utilizes microencapsulation technology to deliver freeze-dried collagen into the skin (where it can do more than just hydrate). With an array of other actives, including multiple peptides, hyaluronic acid and a stable form of vitamin C, it promises to brighten, firm and reduce the look of fine lines and wrinkles after just one use.