8 best sheet masks to soothe, hydrate and brighten skin in minutes

Despite testing many luxurious sheet masks that made our list, it was this cheap as chips option from Simple that won us over entirely. Costing just £2, it surprised us in every way, with a better than expected fit that didn’t slip and slide all over our face, felt comfortable to wear and seconds to unfold and apply. We loved that it’s not dripping in serum, which is a blend of cannabis sativa seed oil and vitamin E, nor does it dry up once out of the packaging either. Instead, it left our skin feeling softer, plumper with a bit of radiance. It didn’t irritate our tester’s hormonal acne on her chin or rosacea across her cheeks and nose either. This is a great one for beginners too, as it’s not a faff to apply, and the price tag makes it a low risk buy. Bonus points are awarded for it being biodegradable, too.

This is an incredibly reasonably priced sheet mask if you’re looking for an instantly glowier, dewier complexion. It’s part of Boots’ own line, Botanics, which has recently had its own glow, with new products launched and a whole new packaging design. It’s less than a fiver and a quick-fix if your skin is feeling a bit lacklustre. It’s a tissue mask which means it’s quite slimy and a bit messy to deal with when first unfolded and applied, so keep that in mind if you’re using it without a sink nearby to clean off your hands. The vitamin C formula soaks into skin quickly however, and leaves the tissue dry, making it easy to peel off and dispose of after 15 mins.

Our tester first tried Loops last year and has been a fan ever since. Its hydrogel masks offer a variety of benefits, such as brightening, calming and plumping, but we have long loved the detoxifying green design. The gel mask contains shea seedcake extract, bambusa water, volcanic ash and aloe vera, which you’d never know as it just feels like a cooling rubber texture. It comes in two parts, one half covers your forehead, around the eyes and high points of the cheeks, while the second half covers the lower part of your cheeks, jaw, chin and around the mouth. This means it fits better than any paper or bio-cellulose mask, and properly stays put. We enjoyed using it while lying down and scrolling on our phone, but it’s just as secure when walking around. While it recommends leaving it on for ten minutes, we regularly wear it for 20 minutes or more, as it’s so comfortable and cooling, it feels fantastic on fatigued skin at the end of a long week.

It’s clear with this mask from Medik8 that they’ve taken into consideration the fit, rather than just a blank sheet in a one-size-fits-all design. It’s double sided with a film that can be fiddly to remove, first you remove one layer and apply it to your face, once secured, carefully peel the outer layer off and smooth over your face. It’s a delicate, thin, gel-like sheet texture that’s translucent in colour but isn’t wet nor sticky, and feels weightless. Designed to nourish skin in need of hydration, we were impressed to find after 15 minutes of wear, it significantly improved a dry patch on our cheek and reduced its soreness.

The Light Salon is best known for its LED masks for the face and body, but it has also created these hydrogel sheet masks to both accompany LED treatments or be used on their own. When worn underneath an electric LED mask, they can enhance its benefits (brightening, reduce wrinkles, lighten dark spots, treat acne etc) and alone, they’re a radiance-boosting cocktail of niacinamide and collagen. Unlike the other hydrogel masks we tested, this one is clear, once it’s on your skin it almost looks like glass, which is very satisfying if nothing else. Made in Korea - arguably the global sheet mask capital - it’s cooling and instantly refreshing. The only downside is it doesn’t come cheap. 

This innovative design is brilliant for going about your business while enjoying a speedy skincare treat that created a natural looking glow and dewiness that’s perfect for make-up application. It’s dry which feels odd at first, but the ear loops are a brilliant addition at keeping it securely in place. Once on, we followed instructions to massage skin gently to activate the ingredients, which at first didn’t feel like it was doing anything but we persevered for a full minute and then waited the recommended 15 minutes. When we removed it, our skin felt smoother, more even and had a dewy, but not greasy look you get from a great facial. It’s also the only one on our list that isn’t a one-time use, it can be applied up to three times as long as you store it sealed in the packaging in between.

The perfect prep step before your makeup ahead of an important day or night out, this tissue sheet mask from Erborian is a nice plumping moisture boost for your skin. It’s made from smooth cellulose fibres which have a silky soft texture and luminous but dry finish, with a slight blurring effect. It’d be ideal before a wedding, as both a bride or a guest, or when you know there'll be lots of pictures being taken and you want your skin to look effortlessly radiant. It’s neatly packed and looks the smallest among all the masks we tried, and isn’t too much of a faff to unfold and apply. It is a tad wet which can leave you with sticky hands so make sure you’re near a sink after to clean up, but otherwise this is a speedy 15-minute treatment for a glowing complexion. 

This is similar in design to the Loops mask, with a hydrogel material that stays damp and secure on the skin with a two-piece design. It keeps its cool, refreshing texture no matter how long you wear it and is a nie pick-me-up first thing in the morning. It’s soaked in a formula rich in peptides and caffeine to leave your complexion feeling fresh and we found no irritation on our typically sensitive skin. A word of warning however, it’s quite thin and very delicate so make sure to be very delicate when unfolding it from the pack to prevent it ripping.