3. InnisFree
This brand is geared more toward natural products, such as volcanic rock, green tea and other plants. Of special interest are their items from the volcanic Jeju Island, an isle off the coast of South Korea. InnisFree offers a huge range of face masks with ingredients spanning from rice to blueberry to pretty much every fruit flavor you could think of.

 I found a lot of really great products here, particularly non-greasy and effective sunscreens (which are incredibly important for skincare).

Favorite products:
-Jeju volcanic melting clay mask
-Green tea seed cream and green tea seed eye cream
-Smoothie booties (for your feet!)
-Face masks in the It's Free and Skin Clinic series
​
Bonus: InnisFree has a product website that ships to the U.S.!

4. MISSHA
 Missha features a good range of affordable as well as higher priced cosmetics. Their BB creams (cover up and healing face products) are of particular note, as well as their wide range of sheet masks, sunscreens and cushion foundations. You can find their products on a variety of websites.

Favorite products:
-Mild Essence Sun Milk SPF 50
-Any of their BB creams (very affordable!)

​5. Nature Republic
Similar in pricing to the Face Shop (see below), Nature Republic covers a wide range of needs. I have to give them call out here for having the single best snail mucus face mask I have tried. Part of what makes this product so notable is its high percentage of snail filtrate. They also have a particular focus on aloe vera as an ingredient in many of their products.
 
Favorite product (and hands down my favorite snail-based sheet mask):
​-Snail Solution Mask Sheet (review)

So you're just venturing into the wonderful world of sheet masks and don't know where to start? Or perhaps you're like me and have bought dozens upon dozens of enticing sheet masks and are looking to optimize your usage. For either case and anything in between, read on for some handy tips that anyone can use to maximize their sheet mask experience!

What is a sheet mask?
​Sheet masks are popular face moisturizing products that are popping up in stores everywhere from Target to high-end cosmetic boutiques. These are typically a one-time use sheet made out of cotton, polymer or other material infused with a liquid concoction of skin moisturizers.

Some face mask ingredients are really far out (caviar, gold, horse fat, and snails to name a few) and materials have expanded to cotton, silk and a variety of plastics. Speciality masks are also trending, such as ones that are self-heating or bubble-forming.

My focus here is really Korean brand sheet masks, as South Korea has paved the way for sheet masks and many high-end cosmetics in general. Japan and Taiwan also have a wealth of sheet masks available and more and more European and American companies are also getting in on the action (these will be explored in a future post).

How do they work?
Though there are exceptions, for most sheet masks the use is similar: put onto a clean, dry face; leave on for 15-30 minutes; remove and voila! Moisturizing benefits galore.

Do they really help your skin?
In short, because the face-fitting sheet mask keeps moisture from evaporating and creates a mini humid chamber so to speak, the masks act like moisturizing gloves or other slimier products. But of course, as with product, your experience will depend on the ingredients and the quality of the product.

Aside from checking out the ingredient list on any sheet mask, here are my 5 simple tips to get the most out of your sheet masks:

• 1 - Put 'em in the fridge
  Seriously! Just like other perishable products, the cooler temperatures will help maintain their freshness and give you an extra cooling relief when you apply to your face. Not the freezer though--the extreme temperature can damage molecules.
  
  
• 2 - Scan the ingredient list
  When I do a quick scan of the ingredient list, I like to make sure that whatever the advertised selling point of the mask is (e.g., snail filtrate, green tea, rice, rose, etc.) is fairly high up, indicating its relative amount compared to other ingredients. My rule of thumb is, if it's at least in the first half of the ingredient list, I can feel reasonably confident proceeding with the purchase. While the verdict is out on so many ingredients and their particular benefits on skin, at least I'm getting what I paid for in these cases. 
  
  As for whether particular ingredients work for your skin type, experimentation is best. My personal favorite is snail filtrate, which I've found gives a consistently smooth and moisturizing experience.
  
  
• 3 - Check the date
  I went through a complete and utter moment of panic when I saw that several of my much anticipated sheet masks were dated from over a year ago! However, thanks to the interwebs, I uncovered that many Asian sheet masks list manufacturing date, NOT expiration date on the sheet masks. Phew! Here's how you can tell the difference:
  Production or Manufacturing Date (most commonly listed): 제조
  Use-by Date: 까지
  A lot of sheet masks only list production date and no expiration date. A good rule of thumb for how long the sheet masks last is about 3 years in a cool, dry environment. Here's a more in-depth blog post on identifying expired Korean cosmetics by Peach & Lilly.
  
  
• 4 - Put that extra liquid to use
  Some sheet mask packages will be full of excess liquid. Don't let it go to waste! I like to use the excess on my hands, elbows and other areas that need moisturizing.
  
  
• 5 - Take a picture
  Save the packaging for at least a day or take a picture of the front label. That way, if you wake up the next morning with the best skin of your life, you'll know all the details of the product!

Any other tips on making the most of your sheet masks? Feel free to add them to the comments below!