Step up your masking game.
It’s a well-known fact that Korean skincare is, simply put, on a whole other level. “Korean skincare is different from American skincare not only in terms of trendy packaging and innovative formulations, but also in the approach to thinking about skincare itself. It’s a daily way of life,” explains New York City board-certified dermatologist Dr. Y. Claire Chang. “K-Beauty emphasizes hydration, nurturing your skin, and preventing damage rather than treating damage that has already occurred,” she adds, noting that that’s why hydrating, soothing ingredients are so popular in these formulas.
While mimicking the multi-step Korean skincare routine can feel daunting, reaching for a K-Beauty mask is one of the easiest ways to reap these benefits, fast. K-Beauty face masks are very versatile, as they are all formulated with different ingredients to help address various skin concerns. So, to help you narrow down your search, we conducted hours of research on the best Korean beauty face masks, evaluating them on active ingredients, how easily they absorb, feel, and how well they hydrate. After consulting with Dr. Chang and considering dozens of options, we landed on these top-rated choices.
What to Look for in a K-Beauty Face Mask
- Consider your skin’s needs: Many K-Beauty masks center around one or two key ingredients that are meant to do particular things and, as such, are best for certain skin types. Chang says to find a mask that supports your skin needs. For example, you’ll find the goal of many K-Beauty masks is to add hydration to achieve the coveted glass skin look. If that aligns with you, look for ingredients like hyaluronic acid.
- The material of the mask: Many K-Beauty masks are sheet masks, but, setting aside ingredients for a second, the material of the mask itself matters, too, says Chang. “Cotton masks tend to be non-irritating and provide rich moisture. Hydrogel masks have a cooling effect but may rip easily, while cellulose masks allow its ingredients to absorb better,” she explains.
- Consider your skin’s sensitivity: While many traditional and sheet masks are designed to be gentle on the skin, others contain potent actives that may irritate sensitive skin. If your skin is reactive and prone to redness, you might want to avoid products that contain exfoliating acids and essential oils, for example, and go with a soothing, hydrating product, like a water-based option.
Best Overall
Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask
You’d be hard-pressed to find ANY brand, Korean or not, that consistently launches products that sell out at the rapid rate that Glow Recipe does. Their newbies sell out, quite literally, within hours; this is one of the OGs, well worth all of the hype. The overnight treatment works while you snooze, loaded with hydrating watermelon extract and hyaluronic acid, as well as an AHA blend for gentle exfoliation. The result? Smoother, plumper, bouncier skin. It also feels incredibly luxurious on the skin, with a soft, fruity scent (just keep in mind that fragrance can be irritating for sensitive skin types). And it couldn’t be any easier to use: just glide an even layer across your skin as the last step in your nightly routine—no need to rinse.
Best Drugstore
Missha Sheet Mask
Prefer to shop for skincare at the drugstore? Don’t miss this wallet-friendly pick made of, wait for it, rice paper. As compared to many other sheet masks, it’s super thin and extremely lightweight, adheres well, and feels virtually undetectable. It also comes in five variants, each highlighting a different ingredient, such as soothing aloe vera1 or anti-inflammatory green tea2, so there are choices for whatever your skin needs. Rough, dry skin feels softer and smoother after regular use. The only potential downside is that these masks keep it fairly simple compared with others that are loaded with active ingredients.
Best for Boosting Radiance
Saturday Skin Yuzu Vitamin C Sleep Mask
This sleeping mask from buzzy brand Saturday Skin is packed with powerful active ingredients, like radiance-boosting vitamin C3, blemish-fighting niacinamide, and anti-aging vitamin A (retinol)4, so that you wake up with radiant, hydrated skin. Its high vitamin C content comes from the yuzu fruit in the formula, giving it anti-aging and skin protective properties. We love that it can just be applied after your night moisturizer and doesn’t have to be rinsed, although some reviewers lament that it makes their skin feel sticky.
Runner-Up, Best for Boosting Radiance
Mediheal Essential Sheet Mask
“I love the Mediheal line of sheet masks, which stay moist for a long time and stick well to the skin’s surface,” says Chang. This one, in particular, is one of her favorites: a cellulose mask that contains vitamin C and niacinamide to illuminate and nourish the skin. FYI: For this, or any sheet mask, for that matter, Chang recommends applying any remaining liquid in the pack to your neck, chest, and arms.
Best for Acne-Prone Skin
Mediheal Healing Solution Mask Sheet
Per our point above, Chang also recommends this option from Mediheal. “It’s ideal for red, inflamed, or acne-prone skin,” she says, citing the use of ingredients such as naturally antibacterial tea tree oil5 and extra-soothing, healing centella asiatica.6 The formula is hydrating as well and touts protective antioxidants also. Though it contains actives that are tough on breakouts, the formula is balanced with soothing ingredients to be gentle on the skin. We would prefer it if the formula were a little less watery so the skin could soak it up more easily.
Best Customizable
Innisfree Squeeze Mask
No matter what your complexion concern may be, Innisfree makes a mask for it. “The 100%, naturally-derived cellulose sheet masks come with a variety of ingredients to suit your skin needs,” says Chang, who adds that tea tree (for purifying), aloe (for soothing),7 and manuka honey (for moisturizing)8 are some of her top picks. Those with sensitive skin should be aware that these particular masks contain fragrance, which is nice for the nose but can be irritating to the complexion.
Best Overnight
LANEIGE Water Sleeping Mask
It may be the overnight lip mask from this brand that gets the most buzz, but don’t sleep on (pun intended) this face mask. The gel-based mask is like a tall glass of water for your skin, packed with hyaluronic acid and water infused with moisture-maximizing minerals. On top of all of that, it also uses an exclusive technology to trap all of this hydration in your skin for up to eight hours, AKA, while you get a good night’s rest. However, reviewers with sensitive skin complain that the strong fragrance in this formula aggravated skin issues.
Best Soothing
Nature Republic Aloe Mask Sheet
As the name suggests, a hefty dose of aloe is the star of the show in this sheet mask, another one of Chang’s picks. She says the mask not only helps soothe the skin but also provides long-lasting hydration and points out that the brand also has a ton of different options that offer everything from more lightweight hydration to heavier moisture.
Best Purifying
innisfree Volcanic AHA Pore Clearing Clay Mask
Clogged pores don’t stand a chance against this purifying mask. This mask is great for absorbing excess sebum. Couple volcanic lava and exfoliating lactic acid,9 and you’ve got yourself a great formula to reach for when you want to give your skin an extra deep clean. Some reviewers noted that the mask leaves a sticky residue behind, but we don’t think that’s a deal breaker by any means.
Best for Strengthening the Skin Barrier
Dr. Jart+ Skin Barrier Moisturizing Mask
If you suspect your skin barrier might be damaged (signs include increased sensitivity, itching, hyperpigmentation, and dehydration), this fortifying mask can help restore it. The focus is on boosting your skin barrier, the secret to keeping moisture locked in and irritants locked out. At work are ceramides,10 lipids that hold the skin barrier together, as well as panthenol, a soothing and moisturizing ingredient that also helps support the skin barrier. The point is that this pick is ideal for those with sensitive, compromised complexions, although the strong scent might be off-putting to some.
Best Value
The Face Shop Facial Mask Sheets
Ringing in at just slightly over a dollar apiece, this set of eight different masks is a great way to get your hands (erm, face) on some great K-Beauty goods. Each is centered around a different natural ingredient that offers a unique benefit; think olive for moisturizing, kelp for purifying…
you get the picture. They can be a little sticky but consistently pull in rave reviews with shoppers talking about how well they work (and how affordable they are).
Best Patch
COSRX Acne Pimple Master Patch
Okay, so it may not technically be a mask, but this stick-on patch from Korean mainstay COSRX is next-level good at significantly reducing the look of pimples overnight. To Chang’s point that K-Beauty products shouldn’t irritate skin, this pick doesn’t contain any harsh actives. Instead, the adhesive hydrocolloid bandage works by covering the skin, protecting the blemish from any additional bacteria, and speeding up the time in which the skin can heal itself.
Best for Dark Spots
CosRx Ultimate Nourishing Rice Overnight Mask
We love waking up to flake-free, smooth skin. Dry, rough skin needs extra exfoliation and hydration, and this overnight treatment featuring rice extract13 delivers both. It also contains niacinamide to help with skin cell turnover,14 a plus if you have hyperpigmentation or uneven skin tone. It’s a great choice if you want your skin to feel nourished without being greasy, and it sinks into the skin without leaving a noticeable residue.
Best Multipurpose
Then I Met You Rosé Resurfacing Facial Mask
While we’re all for a product that works overnight, it’s nice to get results quickly, too. Then I Met You’s Rosé Resurfacing Mask works in 15 minutes to reveal glowier, clearer skin. Exfoliating glycolic and lactic acids work together with illuminating resveratrol15 and moisturizing damask rose petals16 to soften and boost radiance of skin, as well as tone, resurface, and strengthen its barrier. So, although the price is a bit steep, this product fulfills several skincare needs. Be aware this will tingle upon application, so if your skin is sensitive, you might want to test it out with just a dab or find a gentler option. This is a great pick if you have textured skin or roughness and uneven tone you’d like to even out.
Best for Dry Skin
Peach Slices Snail Rescue Intensive Wash-Off Jelly Mask
Formulated with 95% snail mucin—AKA one of the most popular ingredients in K-Beauty—this rinse-off mask is able to deeply hydrate rough, dry complexions for skin that feels soft and smooth to the touch. With consistent use, you’ll notice that your skin is more hydrated and healthy, as well as more radiant and even (thanks to the licorice root in the formula). To use, just apply for 15 minutes and then rinse for a complexion that looks nourished and glowy. Unsurprisingly, given that snail mucin is the main ingredient, the mask has a slimy texture that some reviewers couldn’t get on board with.
Best Pore Detoxing
Wolf Project Korean Gentle Mud Mask
Congested, clogged pores can quickly turn into stubborn blackheads, which can enlarge pores over time. This bentonite and kaolin clay-infused sheet mask promises to clear out any debris from excess sebum and skin cells, leaving your skin clear and blemish-free. While similar products can be drying, this vitamin E-rich formula leaves your skin feeling hydrated. It’s even gentle enough for sensitive skin types. The only downside is that the mask can be messy to apply, and it can slide off the face easily, so we recommend lying down while it works its magic.
Best With Probiotics
LAPCOS Pearl Sheet Mask
This K-Beauty favorite gives skin the kind of lit-from-within glow that garners lots of compliments. Amino acid-rich pearl extract17 illuminates skin, probiotics18 support collagen production, and soothing chamomile extract19 adds a big dose of hydration, leaving your complexion looking noticeably luminous. This mask has a strong scent, but if fragrance doesn’t bother you then be sure to scoop up all the serum from the packet and dap it onto your face and neck until fully absorbed.
Best Youth-Boosting
Seoul Ceuticals Snail Mucin & Turmeric Mask
This hardworking mask from Seoul Ceuticals blends cruelty-free snail mucin with anti-inflammatory turmeric to revive tired skin, improve signs of aging, and boost collagen production. In addition, it contains clarifying kaolin clay, wrinkle-preventing sea buckthorn oil, and protective rice bran,13 resulting in a potent formula designed to give skin a youthful glow. Although we love to see so many effective ingredients on a label, especially when 97% of them are naturally derived, this mask isn’t the best choice for sensitive skin.
When should you use a K-Beauty face mask?
Generally speaking, you can apply a K-Beauty face mask after cleansing your skin. This can be either in your morning routine or evening routine. Some opt to apply their masks after they shower since the steam can soften pores and allow your skin to absorb the product better.
Is it okay to use K-Beauty face masks every day?
It depends on the type of mask you use. A K-Beauty face mask with hydrating and nourishing ingredients (think aloe, hyaluronic acid, etc.) can be used every day if you feel like indulging yourself or your skin needs some extra TLC. However, if you’re using an exfoliating mask (think AHAs, BHAs, etc.), then it’s best only to use those moderately to avoid over-exfoliation. If your skin is especially sensitive and reactive, you might want to do a patch test first and work up to regular usage as your skin’s tolerance gradually increases.
Should you wash your face after using a K-beauty face mask?
In short, no. Most masks are made to be used after cleansing, and you can continue with your skincare routine afterward. Plus, you don’t want to wash away the mask’s benefits. However, some masks are made to be washed off with warm water (think purifying masks, like clay or charcoal). If you’re unsure, check the product directions. These will give you the recommended time to leave on the mask and what to do afterward.
What is Korean glass skin?
Glass skin was coined to mean the dewy, fresh, glass-like appearance of skin after it’s been pampered and properly moisturized, typically with a multi-step skincare regime. While there’s plenty of shine and bounce, glass skin is meant to look fresh and clean, not oily and greasy.