Face Masks — Types, Key Ingredients and How Often to Use Them
Sheet masks, clay masks, overnight masks — a comparison of face mask types. Key ingredients, how often to use them and matching them to your skin's needs.
How are masks different from everyday skincare?
A face mask is an intensive-action product — it is left on far longer than a moisturiser or serum (from 10 minutes to the entire night), which gives the active substances more time to penetrate. Masks don't replace your daily routine; they supplement it as an intervention step.
The key difference: you apply a cream or serum in a thin layer twice a day, whereas a mask is applied in a thick layer 1–3 times a week. It's an intensive dose of ingredients that the skin makes use of in a short space of time.
Sheet masks
Sheet masks are thin sheets (made of non-woven fabric, bio-cellulose or hydrogel) soaked in an essence rich in active substances. You leave them on your face for 15–20 minutes, then remove them — patting the remaining essence into the skin.
Key ingredients
The most common active ingredients in sheet masks are Hyaluronic Acid (hydration), Niacinamide (brightening, sebum regulation), Centella Asiatica (soothing), Adenosine (anti-ageing) and Aloe Vera (calming). The concentrations of active substances tend to be lower than in dedicated serums, but the longer contact time partly compensates for this.
Benefits and limitations
Benefits: convenience, an instant hydrating effect, ideal before an important event. Limitations: single-use (an environmental issue), active-ingredient concentrations are often lower than in serums, and the hydrating effect is short-lived (24–48h). Sheet masks are a supplement, not a substitute for a good serum.
Check the formula of your favourite mask in our ingredient encyclopaedia — compare the concentrations with the serum you use every day.
Clay masks
Clay-based masks are adsorbent products — their job is to soak up excess sebum, draw impurities out of the pores and mattify the skin. They are left on for 10–15 minutes, until they partly dry out (but not completely — a fully dried mask can irritate the skin).
Types of clay
- Kaolin (white clay) — the gentlest, suitable even for sensitive skin. It adsorbs sebum delicately without over-drying.
- Bentonite — strongly adsorbent, ideal for oily skin. It can be too intense for dry skin.
- French Green Clay — strong adsorption plus minerals. For combination and oily skin.
- Ghassoul (Moroccan clay) — rich in minerals and gentler than bentonite. Versatile.
Key usage rules
- Don't let the mask dry out completely — spritz it with water or a hydrosol during application.
- Use it 1–2 times a week, no more — excessive sebum adsorption damages the skin barrier.
- After a clay mask, apply a hydrating toner and a moisturiser — the skin needs to be replenished with moisture.
Browse clay masks in the facial care category, comparing the clay content and additional active ingredients.
Overnight masks
Sleeping masks (overnight masks) are products with a thick, creamy or gel-like consistency that are applied as the last step of an evening routine. They work all night long — 6–8 hours of contact with the skin allows for intensive hydration and regeneration.
Formula and action
Typical ingredients in overnight masks are occlusives (dimethicone, squalane), which seal in moisture, humectants (hyaluronic acid, glycerin, trehalose) and regenerating ingredients (ceramides, niacinamide, adenosine). Some overnight masks contain AHA at a low concentration (1–3%) for gentle exfoliation during sleep.
Who are they for?
Overnight masks are especially recommended for dehydrated, tired and dull skin. They come into their own in winter, when low humidity and central heating dry the skin out. They are used 2–3 times a week, in place of your evening moisturiser.
Other types of masks
Peel-off masks
Peel-off masks form an elastic film on the skin that, once dry, comes off in a single piece. They are popular but controversial — peeling them off mechanically can irritate skin prone to redness or sensitivity. Peel-off masks with activated charcoal (Charcoal) have an adsorbent action, but the mechanical force involved in removing them is more of a hazard than a benefit.
Enzyme masks
These contain proteolytic enzymes — papain (from papaya), bromelain (from pineapple) — which dissolve dead epidermal cells without any mechanical scrubbing. They are gentler than masks with AHA acids and suitable for sensitive skin. They work best in a warm, humid environment (a bathroom after a shower).
How often should you use them — how many times a week?
- Hydrating sheet masks: 1–3 times a week (safe even more often, but the effect is short-lived).
- Clay masks: 1–2 times a week. More often = a risk of over-drying.
- Overnight masks: 2–3 times a week, in place of your evening moisturiser.
- Acid/enzyme masks: once a week, not combined with other active products on the same evening.
- Peel-off masks: at most once a week, avoid on skin prone to redness.
What to look out for in a mask's formula?
Whatever type of mask you choose, a few rules are universal:
- Avoid masks with alcohol (Alcohol Denat.) near the top of the INCI list — it damages the barrier, especially with prolonged contact.
- Look for humectants and soothing ingredients — glycerin, panthenol and allantoin reduce the risk of irritation.
- Check the clays in masks — kaolin is gentler than bentonite. For dry skin, choose kaolin.
- Read the full formula, not the marketing slogans — a "vitamin C mask" may contain only trace amounts of ascorbate at the end of the INCI list. Check this in our search tool.
Summary
Face masks are an intensive but optional skincare step. Sheet masks work best as a quick hydration boost, clay masks keep sebum in check, and overnight masks regenerate the skin while you sleep. The key is to match the type of mask to your skin's needs and not exceed the recommended frequency — intensive care used too often has the opposite effect.
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FAQ
Not in the long run. Sheet masks usually contain lower concentrations of active substances than serums and deliver a short-lived effect (24–48h). Treat them as a supplement to your routine, not a substitute for a daily serum.
Ideally 1–2 times a week. Using one more often leads to excessive sebum adsorption, which weakens the hydrolipid barrier and can paradoxically increase sebum production.
Yes — an overnight mask is applied instead of a night cream, as the last step of your evening routine. There's no need to apply a cream underneath an overnight mask.
It isn't recommended — peeling off the film mechanically can irritate sensitive skin and skin prone to redness. A better alternative is a gentle enzyme mask, which exfoliates without any mechanical scrubbing.
Check products
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