Affordable face masks? Yes, please!
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Drugstore products have a place in every cosmetics category, and face masks are no exception. When you take affordability out of the equation, choosing the right one depends on your skin type, concerns, and goals. Face masks can help regulate oil production, reduce acne, exfoliate, brighten, or hydrate skin when used correctly.1
“There are so many different kinds of face masks—clay, cream, gel, exfoliating, sheet—and each one accomplishes something different,” says celebrity facialist Taylor Worden. “Using a mask can hydrate the skin, smooth uneven texture, brighten, minimize the look of fine lines and wrinkles, refine big pores, absorb excess oil, or help with breakouts.”
We conducted hours of research and tested the best drugstore face masks, evaluating each on active ingredients, targeted benefits to skin concerns, and ease of application. We then combined expert recommendations from a celebrity facialist and board-certified dermatologist with our research to compile this list of best in show.
Our Top Picks
Best Overall
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Mask
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Benefits: Hydrating, soothing | Skin Type: Dry, combination, sensitive, oily | Amount: 1–12 masks | Cruelty-Free: No
In 15 to 30 minutes, your skin will be replenished and hydrated thanks to the hyaluronic acid in this face mask that holds water molecules to the skin’s surface. This single-use sheet mask also contains botanicals to hydrate the skin such as anti-inflammatory algae and protective snow mushroom extract.23
Upon rinsing it off, you can expect supple, dewy skin, so it’s ideal for anyone with dehydrated skin. It’s also noncomedogenic, so it won’t clog your pores and you won’t have to worry about breakouts. The water-like serum in this sheet mask feels soothing and hydrates without feeling heavy.
Best Value
Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay
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May irritate sensitive skin
Benefits: Absorbs sebum, prevents breakouts | Skin Type: Combination, oily, acne-prone | Amount: 16–32 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes
Aztec Secret is a drugstore product with a dedicated following—and not just because the huge tub offers lots of bang for your buck. Containing nothing more than bentonite clay, this one-ingredient wonder does a great job at absorbing excess oil to prevent clogged pores and breakouts. During testing, we noted how well it helped to reduce the size of our pores. It needs to be mixed with water or apple cider vinegar before use so make sure you have a metal bowl and spoon to hand before getting started. Use it once a week to keep on top of congestion, and make the most of its multifunctionality by adding it to foot soaks and treating areas of irritation like insect bites. You can even use it on the body or as a clarifying hair mask.
Best Clay
e.l.f. Supers SuperPurify Clay Facial Mask
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Benefits: Refines pores, controls oil | Skin Type: All | Amount: 2.116 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes
This clay face mask by e.l.f is one-of-a-kind. With a color-changing formula that activates on application, this face mask is packed with kaolin clay and white charcoal to refine pores and reveal a smooth complexion.
Once it dries, it does not feel tight like some other clay masks tend to feel, so it is comfortable on the skin. The formulation is ideal for all skin types, but it is especially beneficial for those with excess oil, as the ingredients work to control shine without dehydrating the skin.
Best Charcoal
buttah Charcoal Detox Mask
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Benefits: Tightening, unclogs pores, absorbs sebum | Skin Type: Oily, combination, sensitive, acne-prone | Amount: 1 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes
Our favorite face mask roundup wouldn’t be complete without mention of Buttah—one of our favorite cruelty-free, Black-owned beauty brands. This mask promises to absorb excess oil, prevent clogged pores, and tighten up your complexion with activated charcoal. What’s more, it’s formulated with argan oil, shea butter, and sodium hyaluronate to ensure it won’t dry you out, leaving you with a healthy glow instead.4 Although this option is a bit pricier than others on this list, we think the inclusion of natural oils justifies the spending.
Best Vitamin C
Milani Brightening Prep Mask
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Benefits: Brightening, exfoliating | Skin Type: Combination, oily, dry, mature | Amount: 2 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes
Supercharged contains everyone’s favorite antioxidant, vitamin C, to brighten and even out your skin tone.5 Meanwhile, a blend of fruit enzymes, turmeric, ginseng, and citrus extracts, offer gentle exfoliation to address dullness and reveal a more radiant complexion.6 It also gets bonus points for being vegan, cruelty-free, and dermatologist-tested. For best results, use it once or twice a week.
Best for Sensitive Skin
Simple Hydrating Sheet Mask
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Benefits: Hydrating, plumping, soothing | Skin Type: Sensitive, dry | Amount: 1 mask | Cruelty-Free: Yes
Simple Water Boost is the best drugstore mask for sensitive skin and is formulated to help prevent the five signs of skin dehydration: dryness, dullness, dry dehydration lines, tightness, and roughness. This fragrance-free sheet mask contains glycerin and hyaluronic acid for plumping hydration, plus soothing botanicals like allantoin and mallow extract.78 We like to stock up on a few of these when we’re at the drugstore so we have them on hand for Sunday facials, early mornings, and effectively hydrating our skin before a night out.
Best for Dry Skin
Garnier Hydrating Sheet Mask
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Benefits: Hydrating, soothing | Skin Type: Dry, sensitive, combination, mature | Amount: 1 mask | Cruelty-Free: Yes
For parched complexions, we recommend Garnier’s Moisture Bomb. This sheet mask contains go-to humectant hyaluronic acid to draw moisture from the air and into the skin, plus naturally calming chamomile for good measure.98 This is a particularly good pick during the winter months or a long-haul flight as it helps to prevent moisture loss throughout the day. Its wallet-friendly price also means it’s ideal for stocking up on and applying whenever your skin feels like it needs some extra love.
Best for Oily Skin
Cetaphil Pro DermaControl Purifying Clay Mask
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Benefits: Absorbs oil, unclogs pores | Skin Type: Oily, combination, acne-prone, sensitive | Amount: 3 oz | Cruelty-Free: No
If you’re dealing with greasy skin or an oily T-zone, go with this pick from Cetaphil. This noncomedogenic clay mask combines kaolin and bentonite to absorb excess sebum and unclog pores, while a small dose of natural plant oils helps balance oil production.410 While this is a great pick for oily skin types, it’s also gentle enough for sensitive skin thanks to apple fruit and cucumber seed extracts. These gentle ingredients help to maintain hydration in the skin while brightening the complexion. Clever, huh?
Best for Acne-Prone Skin
ZitSticka Pore Vac Unclogging Clay Mask
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Benefits: Unclogs pores, soothing, gently exfoliates | Skin Type: Acne-prone, combination, oily, sensitive | Amount: 2–3.4 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes
Those battling breakouts should consider ZitSticka’s Pore Vac. As the name suggests, this clay mask gets deep into your pores and sucks up sebum—but it doesn’t stop there.10 Alpha- and beta-hydroxy acids offer gentle exfoliation to prevent more pimples from forming, while chamomile and aloe vera calm redness and soothe inflammation.1112 This product is a bit more expensive than others on this list, but we love that it contains ingredients that are clinically proven to give results.
Best for Combination Skin
Bliss Marshmallow Mask
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Benefits: Calms redness, evens skin tone, hydrating | Skin Type: All | Amount: 1.7 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes
If your skin can’t decide if it’s dry, oily, or sensitive, this multi-beneficial face mask might be your best bet.13 It provides gentle physical exfoliation while zinc PCA balances oil production, and a blend of antioxidants including olive leaf extract and lemon oil offers a brightening, tone-evening effect.14513 This is a great pick for days when you want your skin to look fresher and brighter—perhaps after a bad night’s sleep or when life just got busy. Another plus is the whipped, lightweight texture, which makes it fun to apply and doesn’t feel too heavy on the skin.
Best Soothing
Sun Bum Restoring Facial Mask
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Benefits: Calms redness, hydrating, brightening | Skin Type: All | Amount: 2 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes
What about red, reactive skin? Sun Bum’s Restoring Mask soothes irritation with brown algae and aloe while glycerin and antioxidants hydrate, brighten, and protect.5122 What we love about this mask is that it has a cooling effect that soothes the skin thanks to one of its key ingredients: banana. This formula is also great at giving the skin a great boost of hydration. We also love that it’s effective on all skin types—pack it on your next vacation and apply after a day on the beach for instant comfort.
Best Hydrating
Freeman Hydrating Gel Cream Mask
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Benefits: Hydrating, calms redness | Skin Type: All | Amount: 1 mask | Cruelty-Free: Yes
This gel mask from Freeman contains hydrating ingredients for restoring the skin barrier: glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and botanicals. What’s more, it also protects the skin from pollution and other environmental pollutants that can cause skin damage over time. We also like that the versatile formula can be rinsed off after 15 minutes, left on as an overnight mask, or used as a daytime moisturizer.
Best AHA
Mad Hippie Microdermabrasion Facial
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Benefits: Gently exfoliates, brightening | Skin Type: Dry, sensitive, combination | Amount: 2.1 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes
Prefer chemical exfoliation? Board-certified dermatologist Dr. Debra Jaliman, M.D., recommends this alpha hydroxy acid-rich mask from Mad Hippie. “It can be used twice weekly and really gets rid of all the dead skin because it has six different acids,” she tells Byrdie. “It doesn’t dry your skin out because it has hyaluronic acid as well as squalane, which are both super hydrating.” There’s also a probiotic ferment in the formula called Lactococcus Ferment Lysate that’s great at soothing dry, sensitive skin. Yes, this pick will run you more, but the derm-recommended formula has clinical results—and that justifies the spending in our book.
Best Overnight
CosRx Ultimate Nourishing Rice Overnight Mask
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Benefits: Hydrating, soothing, brightening | Skin Type: All | Amount: 2 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes
CosRx’s Overnight Spa Mask gets to work while you get your beauty sleep. The creamy formula flaunts 68% rice extract and antioxidants to hydrate, soothe, and brighten your skin.515 Niacinamide also helps to soften fine lines and strengthen the skin barrier. As such, this is a great option for the winter months when the cold weather outside and the central heating inside can leave the complexion feeling dry and flaky.
What to Look for in a Drugstore Face Mask
- Hyaluronic acid: Hyaluronic acid is a moisture binder, which means that it will attach itself to the water in the cells—thus, the plumping effect. Although it’s found naturally in your body, adding hyaluronic acid to your skincare routine can have huge benefits. This little molecule can hold up to 1,000 times its weight in water and is considered a hydration superstar.16
- Vitamin C: This antioxidant does everything from protecting skin from future damage to helping create a more even skin tone and promoting collagen production.17 Since we can’t produce it on our own, you’ll have to add vitamin C to your routine—like in a face mask—to reap its benefits.
- Vitamin B3: You may have heard of this ingredient under the names niacinamide and nicotinamide. It’s used to help treat skin issues including acne and dark spots and can help improve the skin’s barrier function.18 Needless to say, it’s the perfect addition to a face mask.
- Charcoal: It was popular years ago as an internal ingredient, but charcoal is also excellent at removing impurities from your skin’s surface, in addition to inside your body. Experts generally recommend using wash-off masks that have charcoal as an ingredient, rather than the harsh peel-off charcoal masks that may be too irritating for some.
FAQ
Are store-bought face masks good for you?
Store-bought face masks are a wise choice to boost up your skincare routine. They can’t solve all your problems at once, but they can provide a hit of moisture, remove impurities, and help to brighten your skin and give you a healthy glow, depending on the ingredients. Sheet masks are particularly easy to use.
Do dermatologists recommend face masks?
Dermatologists generally agree that the beneficial ingredients in face masks can provide a quick upgrade to your routine. But like all things, moderation is key. Doing them too often can result in over masking, which should be avoided. Use face masks occasionally, not daily.
Do V line face masks work?
V-masks are used for face slimming more so than cleansing. They’re used on just the lower part of your face, unlike the standard full face mask. They’re useful for a temporary improvement in the appearance of your face, particularly through your jaw and chin areas; as for long-term changes, dermatologists say those results are more subtle.