Korean Beauty: Masks

Mostly the formats. Alongside the familiar cotton sheet you will find hydrogel masks, which are a jelly-like sheet that clings closely, and wrapping or overnight masks that you sleep in.

The other difference is how they are used. In Korea a mask is closer to a regular habit than an occasional treat, so the formulas tend to be gentler and aimed at hydration rather than a deep clean.

Start from what your skin needs rather than the format.

• Dehydration and dullness: Biodance Bio-Collagen Real Deep Mask or Anua Rice Water + Collagen Hydrogel Mask
• Firmness and overnight repair: Medicube Collagen Night Wrapping Mask
• Uneven tone and brightness: Medicube Kojic Acid Turmeric Brightening Gel Mask or Medicube Deep Vita C Daily Quick Mask
• Redness and reactive skin: Dr. Althea 345 Cream Mask or Dr. Althea Jelly Seal Dewy Mask
• Congestion and blackheads: Beauty of Joseon Red Bean Refreshing Pore Mask or Medicube Zero Pore Blackhead Mud Mask

Most people are better off with one hydrating mask they use weekly than a drawer of single sachets.

Three formats doing three different things.

• A sheet mask is cotton soaked in serum. Ten to twenty minutes, then remove and press in what is left
• A hydrogel is a jelly sheet that sits tighter to the face and does not dry out as fast. Biodance Rejuvenating Caviar PDRN Real Deep Mask 4 Pack and COSRX Peptide Collagen Glow Hydrogel Mask are this type
• A wrapping or overnight mask goes on last thing at night and stays on while you sleep. Medicube Collagen Night Wrapping Mask and Medicube PDRN Pink Caffeine Night Wrapping Mask work this way

Sheets and hydrogels are a top up. Overnight masks replace your usual night cream.

Once or twice a week suits most skin, and hydrating masks can go more often than that without any harm beyond the cost.

The ones to hold back on are the clay and peel types. Medicube Kojic Acid Turmeric Peel Shot and I'm From Peel Off Rice Mask are once a week at most, and less if your skin is dry.

A mask is a top up, not the thing doing the work. Your daily routine matters far more.

Fifteen to twenty minutes for a sheet or hydrogel. Take it off before it starts drying out.

Leaving a mask on until it goes crisp works against you, because a drying sheet pulls moisture back out of your skin. Longer is not better.

Do not rinse afterwards. Press the leftover serum in with your fingers, then carry on with moisturiser to seal it.

Sheet and hydrogel masks are usually sold in multipacks because they are meant to be used regularly. A single is there so you can try one before committing.

Some products here only exist in one of the two. Biodance Bio-Collagen Real Deep Mask comes both ways, while Biodance Rejuvenating Caviar PDRN Real Deep Mask 4 Pack and Biodance Hydro Cera-nol Real Deep Mask 4 Pack are multipack only.

Tub masks like Beauty of Joseon Ground Rice and Honey Glow Mask and Purito Multi PDRN Collagen Real Glow Mask last months, so they work out cheaper per use if you mask often.