INGE HAS ISSUES… Dry masks: seriously good sheet

If slapping a soggy sheet mask on your face and lying back gingerly to prevent it slithering right off is not your thing, dry sheet masks offer a snugly fitting, drip-free alternative. What’s that going to do?! Moisturise. Really, really well. The mask is cunningly infused with solid oils – simply place on your face and the heat will make them melt into your skin. What’s wrong with a hydrating wet mask? You may be paying over the odds. “Fifteen minutes with a super-saturated hyaluronic acid sheet mask is said to ‘drive in the ingredients’ and ‘seal in the hydration,’” says Paula Begoun of Paula’s Choice Skincare. “In my opinion, that’s nonsense, as a good hyaluronic acid will sink in immediately. Piling on loads and ‘sealing’ it won’t make it work better. A few drops of well-formulated serum from a bottle will have the same benefits.” So, if dry masks are powered by oils instead of serums, won’t a few drops of face oil work just as well? Apparently not.“Dry masks don’t just comprise oils, they contain a blend of lipids, fatty acids and butters identical to the skin’s own lipid composition,” says Karine Théberge, whose biotech company formulates dry masks. “When they melt, skin will ‘recognise’ them and draw them in to its deeper layers, along with any active anti-ageing molecules.” Is that actually true? My skin, for one, emerges extremely glowy, super-smooth and well-nourished; dry masks seem to ‘feed,’ rather than simply hydrate. Any more benefits? Because there is no water, you can reuse the Charlotte Tilbury mask up to three times without bacteria building up. I tried that and, indeed, it did keep getting results (but didn’t go smelly, thankfully).