If only everything was as easy and soothing as a sheet mask: If it would work, I’d put a sheet mask on each and every problem in my life. But I still remember the first time I used one and 2 things struck me: The first one, of course, was the awesome results. But the second one was how that a lot of essence remained in the wrapper that will just be thrown away after one use.
Obviously, you can just pour out the remaining essence and apply it to your neck, chest, hands, or any dry area. But there’s so much more you can do to get the most out of your mask.
Tip 1 – prep your skin properly
To make sure all the goodness of the essence can easily absorb into your skin, properly double-cleanse your skin before you use a sheet mask. Then apply your toner. This creates the foundation for the sheet mask to be most effective.
Tip 2 – steam your face
Once you’ve double cleansed, proceed to steam your face. Steaming before you apply any kind of mask is always worth your while. It not only is a relaxing way to treat yourself but also helps to increase circulation. More importantly in this context, it helps soften your skin, making it easier for the essence to travel into the dermis. It’s an easy way to increase the efficacy of the skincare product that follows.
Tip 3 – use a face roller
In the same vine, the simple act of massaging your face with a jade (or any other stone) roller, improves blood circulation, cools and soothes your skin, and may even release tension. Now combine this with a sheet mask to work magic for your skin.
Tip 4 – pat pat pat
You must have heard it 1001 times: Pat in your skin care products. After removing your sheet mask, pat in the remaining essence. The pressure and movement improves your blood circulation. Tips 2 to 4 increase the blood flow to your face which encourages the essence to better penetrate into your skin.
Tip 5 – change the temperature of your pack
Store your packs in the fridge or warm them up under warm water. Sometimes, a mask can feel sticky and make you feel uncomfy. If so, pop it in the fridge before you apply it. Especially in summer or when you feel hot and tired, having a cool mask on your face feels like bliss. And even better, cooling down your face helps in reducing diminishing inflammation and puffiness, and may even have anti-ageing effects.
In winter, when you don’t like something clammy on your face, run your sheet mask under warm when (when still unopened).
Tip 6 – use it again
In general, a pack of sheet mask contains around 30 ml of essence. A standard-sized bottle of serum is also 30 ml. This means, there’s undoubtedly still some essence left. To not waste a drop of this precious essence, fold the mask in half and place it on your neck or other parts of your body.
When you feel the mask has started to dry, pour some of the remaining essence from the wrapper and apply it on your neck and then replace the mask on top.
Tip 7 – create your toner or mist
Seeing that a wrapper of sheet mask contains around 30 ml of essence, you can also opt to wring out your sheet mask gently to remove any essence that hasn’t fully absorbed into the skin yet and pour it into a container. Do the same with any remaining essence in the wrapper. Depending on the container, you have a toner or a facial mist (when it’s in a spray bottle).
You can carry the spray bottle around and use it as a pick-me-up whenever your skin starts to feel tight. If the essence is too viscous, you can dilute it with a bit of distilled water or use something like Evian mist.
Tip 8 – create your own mask
The third way to max out the essence is to make your own DYI mask. Wring out the remaining essence of your sheet mask and transfer any leftover essence in the wrapper into a container or a ziplock back. Toss in a few cotton pads, then close the container and leave overnight. This way, the cotton pads has time to absorb the essence and you can use it wherever you need the extra TLC. Like a makeshift eye mask for example.
Tip 9 – Don’t bin the protective layers
Some sheet masks come with 1 or 2 protective covers that you need to remove before applying. Don’t toss these layers, they too are full of essence. Use them on any dry parts of your body.
A good sheet mask will adhere to your face like a second skin. Of course, you can multi-task. But you can also use it as an opportunity to wind down after a long day. Just remember to not leave it on longer than the recommended duration. If your mask dries up too much, instead of imparting with the goodness, it does the reverse: A reverse osmosis pulls out the moisture and nutrients back out of your skin.
If you enjoyed seeing how to get the most out of your sheet mask, I’d be delighted if you could share these tips on social media.
