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While interviewing K-pop group (G)I-DLE last year, one of the members, Minnie, mentioned sheet masking every day for a month is her secret to getting the clearest, dewiest skin possible before a big performance. In Korea, this is often called the “one day, one pack” method. Although it seems like it would be too much for your skin, dermatologists in Seoul swear by it too.
Redditors on the Asian Beauty subreddit also indulge in the daily skincare habit. (This is the same part of the Internet that brought us the heated sheet mask hack.) A user who goes by yasSkin wrote that using a sheet mask every day “is literally the only way [she] can keep [her] skin soft, radiant, and acne-free.” I can’t imagine doing one sheet mask every day, let alone two. Getting a facial once a week for a month was exhausting enough.
Time constraints aside, the beauty editor in me wondered what all that sheet masking really does for your skin. Just one every day, seven days a week seemed like it would irritate skin. So I posited a couple of dermatologists with a question: “Should you use a sheet mask every day?” The short answer is sure, go ahead. However, there are a couple of catches.
“Yes, it’s fine to use a sheet mask every day as long as it’s not a glycolic acid-containing sheet mask,” Elizabeth Tanzi, founder and director of Capital Laser & Skin Care and associate clinical professor for the department of dermatology at the George Washington University Medical Center in Washington, D.C., tells us. Why? Using sheet masks formulated with exfoliating acids, like glycolic, are too strong for daily use and can cause irritation.
Debra Jaliman, a New York City-based dermatologist, agrees. However, her caveat is those who are acne-prone shouldn’t sheet mask every day. “It can sometimes aggravate acne because it is occlusive and can block pores,” she explains. This can cause bacteria to grow on skin. Instead, she recommends using a sheet mask only once a week if you have are susceptible to breakouts.
Not acne-prone? Using a sheet mask every day can help boost your skin’s hydration levels, Jaliman says. “It helps push the ingredients into the skin,” she adds. With this in mind, Beverly Hills-based dermatologist Ava Shamban compares daily sheet masking to “using a super-powered moisturiser every day rather than a regular moisturiser.” Also, if you have sensitive skin, sheet masks are a good option because they have fewer preservatives and have fewer chances of causing irritation, Tanzi adds.
Ready to challenge yourself to use a sheet mask every day? First of all, you probably want to set an alarm on your phone to remind you to slap one on. As for which sheet masks to use, Jaliman suggests looking specifically for ones with ceramides, like the Lapcos Ceramide Derma Sheet Mask. Squalene is another star ingredient to seek out. You can find it in the Mediheal D.N.A Hydrating Protein Sheet Mask. Also on her list is intensely hydrating hyaluronic acid. I’m a fan of the Innisfree Hyaluronic Acid Skin Solution Mask. Rice bran and macadamia oils are also essentials. All of these ingredients help to deeply moisturise and nourish skin.
If you’re hoping to brighten your skin, though, she recommends daily sheet masking with ones that include niacinamide, vitamin C and licorice root extract. The Rael Vitamin C Sheet Mask includes two out of three, as well as soothing allantoin.