I turned 41 earlier this year, but everyone presumes I’m 25. Along with a well honed skincare routine, I put this down to doing a sheet mask every day for 20 years. The best sheet masks keep my skin looking plump with hydration, along with many other benefits depending on the ingredients. I’ve tested well over 150 different masks, so have become pretty clued up on which are worth your time and money.
Consultant dermatologist, Professor Firas Al-Niaimi explains that “a sheet mask keeps the product in close contact with the skin for an extended period. This helps lock in moisture and prevents the serum or essence on the mask from evaporating too quickly. As a result, the skin stays more hydrated for longer and active ingredients have a better chance of penetrating the outer layers of the skin compared to a standard serum applied on its own.”
Aesthetic doctor Dr David Jack is keen to point out though, that it’s “relatively difficult to stabilise very high concentrations of actives in sheet masks, so they’re best thought of as a quick-acting treatment for moisture rather than a long-term corrective solution.”
In tandem with serums, they definitely have their place in your skincare routine. These are the best sheet masks that reign supreme in terms of hydration.
Read more: Best anti-ageing day creams, tested by a beauty editor in her 40s
The best sheet masks for 2026 are:
- Best overall – Sarah Chapman skinesis 3D moisture infusion sheet mask: £18, Spacenk.com
- Best budget buy – Garnier hydrating aloe sheet mask: £3.50, Sainsburys.co.uk
- Best for under make-up – 111Skin cryo de-puffing energy mask: £15.96, Amazon.co.uk
- Best for sensitive skin – Eucerin hyaluron-filler sheet mask: £7.45, Amazon.co.uk
How I tested
I’ve been a beauty editor for 20 years, and I learnt very early on just how much of a difference sheet masks made to my skin, especially to prep my skin before makeup or an important event. Given my two-decade long love affair with them, and my historic commitment to applying one daily, I’ve tested a huge variety of different masks.
I put all of my favourites through their paces again for this article, testing each one in the morning after waking up – when my skin had sleep lines, needed a moisture boost, and was looking lacklustre. It was easy to see which were the stand-out hydrating sheet masks, by how they instantly transformed my skin’s look and feel.
Read more: Best hyaluronic acid serums for hydrated skin, even in winter
