5 easy-to-use sheet masks you can actually unfold
At-home facials despite dexterity difficulty
Credit:
Reviewed / Chloe Toscano / ESW Beauty / Patchology / Loops
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I love sheet masks, but as someone with an upper extremity limb difference, I find they’re a nightmare to unfold and apply. I have ruined many a perfect sheet mask just because unraveling that soft glop of saturated fabric wasn’t accessible for me.
It’s a bit ironic, really, when you consider that sheet masks rose to popularity in massive part due to their practicality.
They became a portable, anywhere option for anyone hoping to hydrate their skin. With so many varieties and formulas, they’re still a great way to deliver a rapid boost of whatever nourishing ingredients are present in your sheet of choice, like on-the-go home facials. On the contrary, they can be challenging to use for anyone who has an upper extremity difference or disability.
Watching my mother, who struggles with arthritis in her hands, face a similar issue while trying to apply a sheet mask, I realized I wasn’t alone. Therefore I conducted some personal research to find the best sheet mask options and tricks that might allow these beautifying gems to be more universally enjoyed.
While my fridge is usually a pretty desolate place, it’s since been filled by my new favorite sheet masks (it beats grocery shopping). Below, you’ll find five sheet masks that are accessible enough to make your nourishment experience a bit more pleasurable and easy—just as sheet masks were always intended to be!
1. Loops Hydrogel Face Masks
Loops Sheet Masks come in two pieces, making them a cinch to apply. They also stay in place as you work through your skincare routine.
I quickly became obsessed with these hydrogel gems. Each Loops Hydrogel Face Mask comes saturated with essence and splits into two parts: one part for the upper half of your face, and the other for the bottom half. I found that having two mask parts was significantly more manageable than having one big mask to unfold and slap on my face right-side up.
And unlike some other hydrogel varieties, these don’t continuously slide off your face the minute you sit up. Because, I mean, it’s nice to lay down for 10-15 minutes while it sits. Still, sometimes you have stuff to do and need to be able to multitask without continuously readjusting your slippery mask.
I suggest buying a sheet mask variety pack to get a sense of what you like before committing to one type. My favorites were the Sunrise Service (I throw this on in the morning and follow it with a light moisturizer and sunscreen; it leaves my skin so glowy all day) and the Clean Slate. The latter is a perfect end-of-day pick, especially if you’ve had a long day in the sun or at the beach.
These masks come in two pieces, which makes them easier to apply and adjust.
2. Patchology Serve Chilled Bubbly Hydrogel Brightening Face Mask
Get radiant skin after a single use with Patchology's Brightening Mask. Their backing is easy to grip, which makes application simple.
Truthfully, during my testing, I became partial to hydrogel masks. The material is more accessible to unfold than traditional fabric masks because, often, they come in two parts (or more) and are folded in half, versus the complex origami folds many sheet mask manufacturers typically go for.
The one downside is that the material is as slippery as an eel, so you need to keep that in mind when picking up your hydrogel pieces. To combat that issue, they usually come lined with a backing that allows you to get a better grip on it.
You then stick the jelly part to your face and peel off the sticker once it’s in place. The plastic backings on these Patchology masks helped make placement more accessible. It gave me a more rigid piece to work with instead of a wispy husk to grip that could just as quickly recrumple as I to align it into place. I loved the Bubbly mask, but another favorite of mine was their Chill Mode mask, which was super soothing.
These masks have a plastic backing that prevents dreaded sheet mask collapse.
3. ESW Beauty sheet masks
ESW Beauty's face mask collection has a variety of healthy elements to boost your skin's overall appearance. And there's extra essence in each mask to make sure you maintain a healthy glow.
One problem I’ve encountered with sheet masks is not knowing how many active ingredients I’m actually exposed to by the time I’m done battling to unfold it. Using one hand to unfurl a sheet of fabric soaked in essence means I’m not going about it very delicately. Even if I can flatten the mask out, I’ve usually lost a significant amount of the liquid meant to hydrate my skin instead of landing on the sink or floor, where most of it gets wasted.
With the ESW sheet masks, I end up with plenty of serum still on the mask when I lay it on my skin, even after sometimes laying it down flat on a smooth surface to unravel it. This, their founder tells me, is because ESW intentionally packs a surplus of essence into each packet, more than most other companies typically include. These are among the best sheet mask options to try if you like the feel of a fabric sheet mask but struggle to unfold one in mid-air.
ESW packs a surplus of essence into its masks, so you can lose a little and still get the full sheet mask effect.
4. The Crème Shop Printed Sheet Masks
The Crème Shop's face masks are printed with adorable characters and cute colors. This makes it easy to deduce how the mask should be applied.
Aside from providing an extremely cute way to lock in moisture, the fun prints on Crème Shop Printed Sheet Masks offer a hidden accessibility benefit. If you’re already struggling to unfold a globbed-together serum-saturated mask, it doesn’t help that you can’t tell which side is which. These prints help you delineate what’s what, so you know you’re working towards flattening it instead of tearing it in half by mistake.
I’ve ended up with an unintentional two-part mask more often than I care to say. Now I only want sheet masks that feature Sanrio characters and other adorable animals.
The fun prints on these sheet masks make them easy to unfold without tearing.
5. Julep Beauty The Multi-Masker sheet mask system
Julep Beauty Multi-Masker sheet masks comes in three parts, allowing wearers to focus on the parts of the face that need the most attention.
This concept is so simple, yet for some reason it hasn’t picked up steam in the skin care world. Instead of one big sheet mask that covers your entire face, this set comes with three individual masks with targeted pieces for your jawline, under-eye, cheek area, and t-zone. You can use all three together if you want the full-face experience, or use just one or two to combat dry skin in specific areas.
It’s a customizable system that, from a physical standpoint, I found way more accessible with one arm. Working with fragmented masks is just more manageable. I feel way more in control of the application process, which is very empowering.
This system of masks targets different facial zones with separate masks for each zone.
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