Here at the Strategist UK, we like to think of ourselves as crazy (in the good way) about the stuff we buy, but as much as we’d like to, we can’t try everything. Which is why we have People’s Choice, in which we find the best-reviewed products and single out the most convincing ones.
And while we’ve written about hair products before — including the best-rated hair dryers and the best-rated hair straighteners — here, we’ve rounded up the best sheet masks, as praised by the most enthusiastic reviewers on Amazon.co.uk.
Best-rated overall sheet mask
This 24-pack of assorted sheet masks from Korean beauty brand Dermal was the highest rated overall, with 79 percent of reviews being five stars. Though it comes in a number of different scents (from cucumber and aloe to red wine and vegetable placenta), reviewers said the scents all worked as well as each other. One five-star reviewer, who has a seven-step Korean skin-care regime, said these had a brightening effect, and calmed their redness down after double cleansing each night. On the other end of the spectrum, a woman who bought these for her husband, a skin-care novice, said they had gone down a storm. Seven reviewers commented on the excellent value — one said they made a note to buy a set every month, while another, who had been using them for three months, said their skin has never been so refreshed. The masks are full of a collagen serum, which several reviewers said made a noticeable difference, especially during winter. These sheet masks are also cruelty-free; Dermal doesn’t test the product on animals, and they are ISO (the International Organization for Standardisation) and GMP (Good Manufacturing Processes) certified.
Best-rated (less expensive) sheet mask
With 12 different kinds of masks included, this set by Glam Up is the best-rated and best value, and has 76 percent five-star reviews. They impressed one reviewer, who said that often face masks at this price are not worth the money, but conceded that these offered short-term hydration and plumped up the skin. Another said that as long as you don’t expect aesthetician-level changes in your skin then you’ll be more than happy with the set, which includes scents such as tomato, peppermint, and shea butter. One five-star reviewer said they loved these masks, and because the price meant they could afford to do two to three each week, they noticed their skin feeling hydrated and softer after just a few uses. These masks are cruelty-free and ISO-certified.
Best-rated ultrahydrating sheet mask
This mask by Garnier, which contains a week’s worth of hydrating serum, was popular with customers — 80 percent of the reviews are five stars. Twenty-eight reviewers said their skin felt very hydrated after using this, including someone who uses this once a week and a sheet-mask skeptic who said it fixed the dry patches on their face. A further 17 reviewers said it was easy to apply, though one person said it was so slippery that they had to sit perfectly still while it worked. Another eight reviewers commented on the cooling effect of the mask, including someone with sensitive skin who enjoyed the tingling feeling afterwards.
Best-rated sheet masks with serum shot
Eighty-two percent of the reviews of this Garnier mask are five stars. The mask is different to the others featured in that the serum is in a separate sachet, which you activate by squeezing and then massaging into the mask while it remains in the packet. According to one mum, who has two children under 2, wearing this mask made her skin feel like she’d had a week of sleep, as well as reducing lines on her forehead. And a 42-year-old who described her skin as “ultradry” said this mask succeeded where lots of moisturisers had failed, adding that she recently got mixed up with someone in their 20s. The hyaluronic acid, which helps hydrate the skin, helped make the skin feel refreshing, according to nine reviewers, while several customers noticed there was so much serum left over that it could be applied to the skin the following night. Though ten reviewers called this easy to apply, around the same amount of reviewers said they found the extra step infusing the mask slightly redundant, and wished it had come already soaked in the serum, like other masks. [Editor’s note: This product is currently sold out.]
Garnier’s vitamin C–infused serum shot mask contains AHA fruit acids. This mask has 77 percent five-star reviews in total, including one from a 50-year-old man who said he was shocked at how good his skin was after using his mask for 15 minutes. Reviewers were mixed on the scent; one said it was unbelievable, while another complained that it smelled of “cheap perfume” and they had to take it off immediately. Five reviewers with sensitive skin wrote that this mask made tired, blotchy, and acne-prone skin instantly feel relieved, while a line chef who worked in kitchens for seven hours at a time said it made their greasy skin feel brand-new. There were also nine reviewers who noted that this mask contained a lot more serum than others; in fact, one woman ended up wringing excess serum out and using it on her neck as it was dripping over her sofa.
Best-rated sheet mask for acne
This tea-tree mask from MediHeal has 80 percent five-star reviews, including one by a woman who said it flattened her cystic acne overnight. It came recommended by nine reviewers for treating flare-ups and acne, and a further eight people said it was the best mask for treating redness and inflammation. The tea-tree scent is pleasant but not overpowering, according to three reviewers, and it even helped reduce the appearance of one woman’s acne scars.
Best-rated charcoal sheet mask
Garnier’s charcoal-and-algae sheet mask has the highest percentage of five-star reviews, with 82 percent. One woman, whose skin has sore patches of skin due to menopause, was impressed at the hydrating properties, noting that after a day her skin was less red, and likened the “warm” feeling in her face as being like that of a clay mask. Another said she looked brighter, smoother, and well moisturised within minutes. Overall, five reviewers with sensitive skin said this was a particularly pleasant sheet mask, with no irritation whatsoever, while 12 people spoke positively about the cleansing nature of the charcoal.
Best-rated sheet mask for men
Though sheet masks aren’t made exclusively for men or women, this one, from L’Oréal’s Men Expert range, comes highly rated. L’Oréal says it’s designed to combat oilier skin, which is more common in men, and customers ranging from middle-aged men to teens were happy with the results. In total, 67 percent of reviews were five stars, with many customers buying them as gifts. One grandmother bought several for her teenage grandson, who she said had been struggling with skin-care since getting spots. And one mum said her son loved the purifying charcoal, which helped mattify his skin (men’s skin typically produces twice as much sebum as women’s). According to one reviewer, the mask was more durable than others he had tried, meaning he could adjust it without worrying about tearing it.
Another sheet mask we like
Our beauty columnist Rio is a fan of Belei — Amazon’s in-house skin-care range. She wrote about its hyaluronic-acid serum (she likes it even more than Drunk Elephant’s). But as that product is not currently available in the U.K., its hyaluronic-acid sheet masks are a good alternative.
The Strategist UK is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Read about who we are and what we do here. Our editors update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.