Clay Mask VS Sheet Mask: Which one is better for you

Are you looking for a solution to solve your skin issues? Masks provide refreshing ingredients to the skin in the form of skin care products to soothe the skin and provide relaxation. Clay mask and sheet mask are two different kinds of masks. Clay masks are better for oily or acne skin that pores are clogged and blemish prone, while sheet masks are preferred for dry skin that needs to be hydrated.

Discover more about masks and other related skin care products

Clay mask

Clay facial masks are used to treat prominent skin or dermatologic issues such as acne and hyperseborrhea, and to enhance skin barrier (Velasco et al., 2016; Zhang et al., 2023). It appears usually in a paste form that requires rinsing the face to remove the mask layer. There are several functional ingredients that make clay masks effective on oily skin and acne.

They are:

1. Kaolin (hydrated Aluminium Silicate) and bentonite (Aluminium Magnesium Silicate): These two ingredients are known for their effective oil-absorbing and impurity-extracting abilities. Also, it can attenuate sebum production and decrease the risk of pore blockage.
2. Cellulobeads: It can be often found in clay masks. As the hydrophilic microspheres possess a high capacity for moisture absorption, cellulobeads help regulate the skin’s moisture balance. A significant increase in stratum corneum water content was observed in Zhang and colleagues’ study.
3. Thermal spring water: This ingredient offers soothing and anti-inflammatory benefits, which could assist in alleviating scene-associated inflammation and promote skin healing
4. Vitamin B5 (panthenol): This element plays a role in skin soothing and anti-inflammatory properties, which is able to contribute to the acne-reducing effects of the mask.

Sheet mask

There are a wide range of sheet masks which serve diverse skin demands with various ingredients. Moisturizing is an essential function of sheet masks. In the market, there are also functions such as anti-aging and brightening. It comprises different types of fabric, for example cotton, hydrogel, bio-cellulose, and the most common textile, nonwoven.

The common ingredients of sheet masks are:

1. Water: Water is the essential ingredient but it is utilised along with other ingredients which help in binding the water to the skin.
2. Glycerin: Glycerin is a natural moisturiser that also consists in our skin. Having a sufficient amount of glycerin keeps the skin lipids between skin cells in a healthy state. It also protects against irritation and helps to restore skin barrier.
3. Hyaluronic acid: Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring substance that helps retain moisture in the skin and eyes and lubricates the joints. It helps skin stretch and flex and reduces skin wrinkles and lines. Hyaluronic acid is also proven to help wounds heal faster and can reduce scarring.

Facial sheet masks are available as dry masks and wet masks, which have different manufacturing techniques and application (Latif et al., 2022). A dry sheet mask is separately wrapped and soaked in a liquid with essence. After some time, it absorbs moisture and is then applied to the skin. A wet sheet mask is a mask that already contains the required ingredients for the face.

Comparison in their advantages and shortcomings apart from skincare function

Clay masks have two main advantages in their utilisation. Firstly, they are relatively more environmentally-friendly than facial sheet masks as they are produced in the form of paste which are packed in one container while facial sheet masks might be individually packaged which create more carbon footprint. The second advantage is their ability to adjust and customise their amount for one consumption, and their area covering the skin. As clay masks are in paste form, they are flexible to be adjusted in accordance to your skin condition and shape, and your consumption habit.

Nevertheless, clay masks are weak in their convenience in usage and hygiene. As the mask is in a paste form and is used to remove unwanted impurities on skin, it requires consumers to rinse their face after use and to remove the mask layer. Moreover, although it is remarkable that it produces less carbon footprint than sheet masks, its hygienic rate is a concern as it is not disposable and needs to be stored until it is used up. Bacteria can be facilitated to grow during its storage.

For sheet masks, they are more hygienic to be consumed as they are mostly produced in individual packages, which decreases the growing rate and risk of bacteria. In addition to their hygiene condition, it is convenient to use as sheet masks as they are disposable and do not require (or even do not suggest) consumers to wash their face after use. The only thing consumers need to do is to peel it off and throw it in the bin.

However, this leads to a concern in the environmental aspect. As the fabric of the mask can be only consumed once and packed individually, this has caused environmental organisations and experts to show their concerns on its sustainability, and its production in more waste and pollution.

Bibliography:

Khalid, H., Naeem, M. S., & Ahmed, F. (2022). Development of Skin Care Sheet Masks. Journal of Applied and Emerging Sciences. 12(1).

Morganti, P., Morganti, G., Chen, H. D., & Gagliardini, A. (2019). Beauty mask: market and environment. J. Clin. Cosmet. Dermatol. 3(10.16966), 2576–2826.

Velasco, M. V. R., Zague, V., Dario, M. F., Nishikawa, D. O., Pinto, C. A., Almeida, M. M.,Trossini, G.H.G., Coelho, A.C.V., Baby, A.R. (2016). Characterization and Short-Term clinical study of clay facial mask. Revista de Ciencias Farmaceuticas Basica e Aplicada. 37(1).

Zhang, X., Zhang, Z., Tao, H., He, X., Hsu, K., Wang, W., Fang, X., Steel, A. (2023). Comprehensive assessment of the efficacy and safety of a clay mask in oily and acne skin. Skin Research and Technology. 29(11).