If you want a little bit of luxury and to give your skin a hydration hit, sheet masks are a great product for an at-home beauty boost—but what if we told you that you've been using sheet masks wrong?
Yes, it's true. In fact, you could have been throwing away some serious skincare goodness without realizing it—a warning Vivian Yun's mom told her years ago, which she's now shared on TikTok.
The viral video showed Yun applying a sheet mask, sharing her Korean mom's method of taking the excess serum from the packaging to ensure you're getting the most out of the product, and cutting the mask to lay flat on her face.
Speaking to Newsweek¸ the 23-year-old influencer from San Diego, California, shared that, "I have been using sheet masks like this ever since I was around 13 or 14 years old. Growing up, I would always see my mother take care of her skin every night and as I grew older, I noticed that I naturally adopted her skincare routine and her skincare tips.
"I never knew that my mother's skincare hacks were unique to Korean culture until I shared my tips with my friends in America and they were all super interested! I am so grateful to inherit all my mother's beauty tips and I think it is a beautiful thing to share with the world."
It's no secret that the Koreans know what they're doing when it comes to skincare, with K Beauty slowly taking over the world and sheet masks often at the center of their skincare routines.
"Sheet masks have been a staple in Korean skincare for many years, so naturally I incorporated it into my skincare routine," shared Yun.
"My mom told me that there is so much extra product in the sheet mask's packet that goes to waste if you do not squeeze out the product, so to put the extra product on my neck and to always take care of my neck how I take care of my face."
The tip is one that skincare expert Fiona Brackenbury thinks everyone should be doing, as she told Newsweek: "Sheet masks are so effective and perfect for that instant skin boost, there isn't a skin type that wouldn't benefit and especially if you experience dehydration this is a quick win as it can gorge the upper layers of the skin with the hydration hit it needs.
"You can add all the contents from the packaging to the skin before applying the sheet mask, however, I like to apply the extra contents to the neck and decolletage and all the areas the sheet mask doesn't cover."
For those who find their sheet mask doesn't lay flat, or cover all the areas it needs to, Yun shows how to quickly troubleshoot this with a pair of scissors.
By cutting the mask at the top of the nose, around the mouth, and anywhere else it may be slightly away from the face, you can lay it flat to ensure the product has direct contact with the skin.
Brackenbury explains: "You can cut or fold over the sheet mask especially if any areas don't fit smoothly to your skin, either works. As the sheet mask is pre-soaked with all the hydration, it's best laid as close to the skin as possible."
While the comments section revealed how long some beauty lovers leave their sheet mask on, with a few even admitting to sleeping in theirs, Brackenbury warns that you should "never let the sheet mask fully dry out - remove the sheet mask just before the skin has absorbed all the hydration from the mask.
"The hydration on the skin needs to be sealed in with either a good moisturizer or facial oil to prevent this hydration from evaporating and being pulled straight out as a dry atmosphere will zap all the hydration."
As for Yun's mom's other top K Beauty skincare tips? Yun shared how, "When I was little, I would always see my mom lightly pat her face after she finished her skincare routine and I never understood why.
"She told me that by lightly patting your face, it "wakes your face up", creates blood flow in the area, and can even help produce collagen (or at least that is what her mother told her). Without asking any questions, I found myself tapping away at my face after my skincare routine.
"Another tip my mother taught me is to apply sunscreen on the tops of my hands, since often people will put sunscreen on their faces and necks but forget to put it on the tops of their hands, which will prevent them from having heavy wrinkles when I am older."
What Do the Comments Say?
Commenters shared their own sheet mask hacks, with one adding: "I just save the extra liquid for the next day to apply on my face or sometimes use it on my hands and arms."
Others save up the excess serum, as one user asked: "Is it just me but I use the extra product and put it in a little container and add cotton pads to make toner pads?"
Another added: "I'm putting the extra product in an empty moisturizer jar."
One commentor said: "I love this!! Also, when I squeeze out the serum, I make sure to like wipe off the packet since other people have touched it and I don't want to get bacteria on my hands when I'm putting serum on."
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Lollie is Newsweek's Beauty and Self Care Reporter based in London, U.K. In her role, she covers a range of ... Read more
