Face Mask Showdown: Sheet Masks vs. Mud Masks

How to Decide?

The concept of a “face mask” as a part of your regular beauty regimen is a good one. After all, one skincare expert wrote that “a mask is just another ‘vehicle,’ like a lotion, serum, cream, ointment, that delivers ‘actives’ to the skin to improve the appearance or quality of the skin.” As such, a quality mask can only do some good when it is applied. However, and as most consumers already know, there are always a variety of options with almost any array of products, and face masks are no different.

Yet, for the issue of masks, it boils down to two umbrella category headings:

• Sheet masks, which are shaped to fit most faces and which are laid against the skin, smoothed to ensure contact and left in place for a specific amount of time
• Wash off masks, which can comprise creams, mud and clay options, among others

Both groups contain materials that can be absorbed by the skin to deliver a lot of benefits. And as Dr. David Lortscher said, “Many masks contain butylene glycol, which acts as a delivery agent and solvent, and allows your skin to absorb more of the other ingredients.” However, it is important to keep in mind that most masks contain distinct “active” ingredients, and it is those ingredients that are the most readily absorbed into the skin’s cells.

Related: DIY At Home Facials: The Normal Skin Edition

Get Ready to Learn the Basics

Additionally, it is important to remember that the epidermis or outermost layer is a protective barrier. This keeps us safe from many compounds that could penetrate the skin and enter the bloodstream, but it also blocks a lot of ingredients. What that means to anyone eager to use facial masks is this: The active ingredients are the most readily absorbable, and particularly if there is butylene glycol or another solvent ingredient. You need to be realistic about your expectations for masks, but also know that many of the finer masks work as indicated.

In this article, we’ll compare the sheet to the mud masks as these are the two most commonly applied. And we’ll just deliver a spoiler here and let you know that this “showdown” has no winner. Instead, we will begin with this:

Neither mask is superior to the other. Your skin type and the results you desire are what determine which is the best for you. However, we strongly suggest that you learn about both types and use both on a regular basis to keep your skin looking its best.

The Basic Differences

Why recommend both? Well, let’s just look at each of the mask’s basic functions.

The sheet masks are made of paper or thick cloth-like materials. They have holes for the eyes, nose and mouth. They are usually saturated in humectants and emollients known as essences. These bind water to your skin and give it a deeply hydrated and dewy appearance. They will often have other ingredients that can include active ingredients, botanicals and even brightening agents, but they never include oils. In fact, experts say that sheet masks “target two main skincare concerns and that is whitening and hydrating”.

The mud masks, also often called “wash off masks” are meant to decongest the skin, deeply cleansing and refining pores. That is why they are so often suggested to those with enlarged pores, acne breakouts or dull skin. If you have dry skin, many mud masks can dry it out further, unless they include a moisturizing oil. As that same expert explained, “they give a much deeper cleanse than the sheet masks. They also exfoliate better.”

How do you determine which masks are right for you? Let’s find out…

Related: DIY At Home Facials: The Dry Skin Edition

Choosing Your Masks

If you ask experts about face masks, many say that they are packed with ingredients to make you look and feel great, but only if you choose the right formulas. Generally, they will be designed with the following goals:

• Moisturize or plump the skin
• Brighten the skin
• Deep clean the skin
• Refresh the skin
• Soothe the skin
• Exfoliate the skin

However, you should start with your own skin type if you wish to choose a mask that works most effectively. For example, if you have oily skin, frequent breakouts or even acne prone skin, the mud masks are for you. You can find them in formulations meant to deliver the results listed above, but the point is to ensure you’ve chosen a mud mask and one designed for skin that is oily or problematic.

You can find them with salicylic acid to remove dead skin cells and you can find them in a number of different clay and mud combinations. The most common include bentonite, kaolin, French green clay, and Rhassoul clays. They have mud-like textures that you can easily apply to the skin. As they sit on the skin, they soak up bacteria, oils and dead skin cells, and once washed away they leave the skin purified and soft. Typically, the mud should be allowed to harden or dry; or at least begin to firm and dry. Then, it is of the utmost importance to apply a moisturizer for your skin type to preserve the results and rehydrate the skin.

Related: DIY At Home Facials: The Oily Skin Edition

How Do I Choose What is Right for Me?

For those with dry or sensitive skin, large pores, and even periodic acne breakouts (as well as normal and aging skin), the sheet masks have a lot to offer. They are a staple in many Asian beauty routines and they too can be found in an array of formulations. The most common are to “cleanse, moisturize, or tighten your skin.”

Yet, if you ask the experts, most say that the sheet masks are not a replacement for traditional mud masks, and vice versa. Instead, you have to think of the sheet masks as serums, “packed full of vitamins, amino acids, and minerals”. Yet, they are not a replacement for a serum either.

So, to choose a mask:

• Start with your skin type
• Select your desired result
• Use the product, but with the caveat that you may have to moisturize or apply other treatments afterward to preserve the results and restore balance to the skin

Now, that leads many to wonder just how often you should use a mask, and there are a few realities to consider.

How Often to Use Masks

In an article on the topic of how often you can safely use masks, the answers were surprising. Most experts consulted agreed that “as long as your mask-of-choice is a hydrating one, you can use it every single day if you wish.”

As for the rest, you need to limit use based on the ingredients. For instance, “antioxidants, hyaluronic acid, aloe, vitamins, and niacinamide… are great to use every day. Products with heavy fragrance or exfoliating, anti-aging, or anti-acne properties could be too irritating to use more frequently than once or twice per week.”

This applies to all types of masks, but where the subject of mud masks is concerned, the experts agree that they can be too strong to use safely on a daily basis. Instead, it is best to limit their use to once or twice per week. If you feel you must use a product on a daily basis, then reduce the time of application to five minutes and then rinse it away (in other words, don’t let any mud masks dry and harden if you are applying them daily), and always top with a hydrating cream or serum.

The Pros and Cons of Sheet Masks and Mud Masks

So, that tells us that there are pros and cons for both sheet and mud masks. Let’s briefly review them.

The pros of the sheet masks include:

• Easy
• No mess
• Ideal for almost all skin types
• Can be done each day if chosen correctly
• Fast
• Affordable
• Portable
• Deeply hydrating

The cons of the sheet mask include:

• One size fits all design may not work for everyone
• Not a good solution for deep cleaning
• If they contain glycolic acid they can be irritating if used too often
• May aggravate acne prone skin

The pros for mud masks include:

• Ideal for those with acne prone, oily or dull skin
• Deep clean the skin
• Ensure optimal coverage
• Work on other areas of the body, including chest, hands, neck, and so on
• Remove dead skin cells and impurities

The cons for mud masks include:

• Messy to apply
• Require post-application moisturizer
• Can be very drying
• Time consuming as the clay or mud needs to dry for the best results
• Cannot be used daily
• Not suited to all skin types

Clearly, though, you can do as the experts suggest and combine the use of daily sheet masks to ensure optimal hydration and a once or twice weekly mud or clay mask to deep clean and slough away dead skin cells.

There are also DIY options that can deliver some great results.

DIY Masks

Suited for all skin types and any sort of goal, the homemade masks are similar to the ancient masks that men and women have used for centuries. They are usually created from supplies found in the kitchen and bath, and are often capable of delivering results nearly as impressive as professionally formulated blends.

For example, one skincare professional said that raw honey blended with turmeric reduces inflammation, brightens and hydrates the skin. Other experts point towards the use of bananas can ensure softer and more supple skin. Just mash a banana and apply it to the neck and face, leaving for 20 minutes and rinsing with cold water. You can also blend that banana with 1/4 cup yogurt and 2 tbsp raw honey for a clarifying mask.

Vinegar is often used by those with acne prone skin or oily conditions. A 1/4 cup of cider vinegar blended with an equal amount of water is a natural facial mask that tightens and tones. Milk is another mask ingredient noted for softening, and if dabbed on and allowed to dry fully before rinsing leaves the skin rejuvenated.

However, you should note that whether using a sheet or mud mask or a DIY formula, you might be dooming yourself to failure if you don’t take all of the necessary steps.

Top Tips

One of the biggest mistakes made when using masks is to fail to do proper facial prep. Most of the masks require that you gently cleanse the face before using the mask. If cleansing is not stipulated, it is generally best to apply any sort of mask to a face that is damp and slightly warm as it allows the ingredients to penetrate and cling to the skin a bit better.

You might also want to steam your face in advance of using any sort mask as this opens the pores and ensures you get the best results. A bowl of steaming water, a hot wash cloth or a few moments in the bathroom with the shower on will do the trick.

Additionally, exfoliation at least once a week and especially just before the use of a mask can also help obtain the best results, and even if you are using an exfoliating mask! Just be sure it is a mild exfoliant.

Related: How to Exfoliate Your Skin

And of course, there are the cucumbers. It might seem like a cliché, but the use of two thick slices of cucumber over the eyes really does reduce puffiness and discoloration around the eye area. Plus, it is incredibly soothing.

Always remember to use the masks for your specific skin type, leave the mask in place only for the amount of time indicated, and follow up with a moisturizer if a mud mask is used.

Ideal for any sort of skin problem, there is no “better” or “best” when it comes to masks. There are only those ideal for your particular skin type and goals, and once you find them and start to use them, you may wonder why you waited so long to get started with them!

More Great Face Masks Resources:

Do Face Masks Actually Work? 4 Dermatologists Weigh In

How Often Can You Use Face Masks Each Week To Help & Not Hurt Your Skin?

10 Face Mask Mistakes You Could Be Making