So, you've decided to venture off into the wonderful world of K-Beauty. Welcome. South Korean skincare brands have become known for creating viral products that hydrate, nourish, repair, and deliver the glass skin texture you've seen all over TikTok. K-Beauty enthusiasts know all too well about the healing properties of snail mucin (it hydrates and promotes cell renewal, btw) and the lengthy 10-step beauty regimen that many South Korean skincare aficionados use to keep their skin radiant. If you're looking to get into Korean Beauty and don't know where to begin, try Korean sheet masks. These lightweight and affordable skincare staples are an easy way to get the bang for your buck while reaping the best benefits that K-beauty skincare has to offer.
Unlike traditional American skincare, Korean skincare "tends to value the skin barrier above all else," board-certified internal medicine physician and skincare expert Dr. Zion Ko tells Seventeen, and that's super important. The skin barrier is the outermost layer of the skin. Products that protect and nourish the skin barrier preserve your skin's natural oils and add hydration while protecting against irritation. Founder of K-Beauty e-tailer Peach and Lily, Alicia Yoon, says that "Korean skincare also offers ingredients that may not be as commonly found in non-Korean skincare products, including specific fermented extracts, snail mucin, and certain herbal ingredients."
The same can be said for Korean sheet masks. Traditional rinse-off blackhead removal masks decongest clogged pores, but Yoon, a New-York based K-Beauty skincare expert, says the sheet masks are "drenched with a hydrating formula packed with skin-benefitting ingredients, and when placed over the skin, the mask helps deliver this formula into skin." It provides all the TLC your skin needs, so she compares it to a "fast, at-home, super hydrating mini facial." Leaving the mask on your face for the recommended time on the packaging seals nutrients and maximizes "the absorption and the ability to retain all the goodness," says Dr. Ko.
The best Korean sheet masks are good for specific skin conditions as well. "There are specific masks designed for each skin type," Dr. Ko advises. You can snag a sheet mask to hydrate dry skin, nourish sensitive skin without irritation, and use one to brighten dull skin. Yoon says that sheet masks "can flood" dry skin with "abundant hydration helping to bring moisture into the skin." Because "sheet mask formulas are usually water-based and not oil based at all," Yoon says, "oily skin types can benefit by helping to balance skin's natural oils through sufficient hydration without causing breakouts or clogging pores."
Korean sheet masks are the ultimate way to give your skin a little extra TLC. Read ahead to find the best Korean sheet masks to leave skin with a radiant glow.