A long-time staple in Asian beauty care, sheet face masks are now trending around the world – and the high demand is not just coming from Millennials.
Sheet face masks are great for the time-poor and women on the go. Often referred to as the 'lazy girl's facial', they can be used anytime, anywhere and are great when flying.
They are easy to apply, and you don't need rinsing. And you can pack them in your handbag when your complexion needs a little 'pick me up.
With the spotlight on K-beauty, sheet face masks burst onto the international beauty stage a few years ago. Often featuring novel colours and dizzying designs, they were the domain of the young. However, older generations are taking up the trend. And with the popularity of sheet face masks growing, a real opportunity exists to capture this market using innovative ingredients and novel formulations.
Cotton on
Consisting of thin cotton sheets designed to follow your face's contours, the original masks' main advantages were hydration. Occluding the skin decreased water evaporation, helping the skin to hydrate. However, the newfound hydration provided only short-term benefits.
Sheet face masks currently on the market are more sophisticated than their forerunners. The sheets are drenched in a liquid formula infused with unique ingredients to treat various conditions, from soothing irritated skin to sebum control, anti-aging to brightening.
As the main component of these masks is a smooth cotton sheet, previous incarnations could not exfoliate. Nowadays, masks claiming to exfoliate rough skin and remove dead skin cells are infused with salicylic acid to address this dilemma.
How to use sheet face masks
- Apply the mask to a cleansed face, starting at the forehead. Line it up with the eyes, then pat the cover onto the cheeks and chin. Applying in this order should remove any air pockets.
- Lie on your back and leave for 15-20 minutes.
- Gently remove. Don’t rinse; massage the remaining serum into the skin.
Examples of ingredients currently being used in sheet face masks to treat skin conditions
- Hyaluronic acid and peptides: hydrate and plump the skin
- Liquorice root and niacinamide: reduce dark spots
- Manuka honey: fight acne
- Aloe vera: soothe irritated skin
- Snail secretion filtrate, an ingredient widely used in Korean beauty products: stimulate collagen and elastin, repair damaged tissues and restore hydration.
- Salicylic acid: exfoliate and remove dead skin cells
Face Masque Products are available at Trulux:
Triple Action Peel: at-home peel to increase cell turnover and promote a clear and bright complexion.
Radiance Masque: hydrating masque enriched with probiotics.
Proton Glow Masque: A clay masque that hydrates and boosts mood.
More Face Masque products here.
Image courtesy of www.shemazing.net