Face the truth
Popular DIY masks can give skin a healthy, vibrant glow
These days, it seems like every time I turn around I'm looking at another new at-home sheet mask. Whether it's at the local pharmacy, the mall, a friend's house or online, there's always some new contribution to this huge DIY (or, rather, semi-DIY) trend. But do they actually work well? And what kinds of benefits do they have?
The great thing about most of the sheet masks out there is that they're designed to keep their ingredients active (which is why they come in a sealed envelope), so they can deliver the most beneficial elements directly to your skin, for the best effect. And they do all kinds of things, from brightening to moisturizing and exfoliating, to soothing and replenishing with vitamins.
One I really love is the Patchology Smartmud No Mess Mud Masque ($30 for four at nordstrom.com). It's a fantastic detoxifier — as are most mud-based masks — except it has none of the icky mess that most do. Just pat the sheet on your face after cleaning, and its mixture of charcoal and clay absorbs excess oil and cleanses pores.
For huge hydration,
I go for Shiseido's Benefiance Pure Retinol Intensive Revitalizing Face Mask ($65 at sephora.com). That's a really long name for an incredibly simple-touse product. In about 10 to 15 minutes, it plumps up even the most parched complexions in a jiffy. Skin in desperate need of repair (thanks to damage from the sun, cold winters and any other environmental factors you can think of) does well with Estee Lauder's Advanced Night Repair Concentrated Recovery Power Mask ($80 for four at saksfifthavenue.com). It comes backed by foil that keeps the mask lubricated as its serum revitalizes your face, so you get the most infusion possible.
Peter Thomas Roth has been one of my favorite beauty lines for years, and its 24k Gold Intense Wrinkle Sheet Mask ($68 for six at sephora.com) just makes me love them even more. Whenever you feel like your skin needs a big fix — whether it's from inflammation, too much sun or even just fatigue — pat this baby on and watch its gold-infused formula bring you back to life.
Then there are options for the truly maskobsessed, like facetory. com, to which you can sign up for a monthly membership, starting at $5.95. They specialize in masks from Korea that include sheets, all wrapped in fun and funky packaging. Subscribe and they'll mail you a selection of masks that have different missions for different skin — whether that means brightening, feeding it with vitamin C and D or boosting collagen, and leaving you with a new, dewy glow.