I’ve always been a little bit in awe of people who can keep up a multi-step Korean skincare regimen, but on the whole, I’m pretty lax about my skincare. My face gets moisturized at least twice a day (other than the rare exception where I don’t shower until 5pm, in which case, it gets moisturized only once), and my body is slathered in hydration after every shower. But I like to apply everything all at once, and I very rarely use any of my many masks for dry skin. 

When I do, though, there are a few that I tend to reach for. My favourite of all time is the Skinfood Black Sugar Honey mask, which I used to get from Take Good Care. They’ve since stopped carrying it, but you can get it now at Ulta, which is really handy. It exfoliates and hydrates at once, and there’s nothing better for sloughing off dry skin. I love Take Good Care, though, and I kind of want to go back for some dry skin sheet masks — these three options caught my eye!

But I digress. My skin needs a lot of care in order to stay hydrated here in Alberta, and it doesn’t always get it. So, when I have the time, I like to take a few minutes during my nightly reading time to slap on a quick mask from a pot or enjoy a sheet mask. I’m re-reading The Belgariad right now, and my most recent sheet masks for dry skin adventure involved The Magician’s Gambit and Yes to Coconut. Nothing is likely ever to surpass my love for Black Sugar Honey, but I know not everyone wants their mask to be exfoliating, so here are three more options!

Yes to Coconut Hydrate & Restore Ultra Hydrating Sheet Mask

The “Yes to…” line of sheet masks are unexpectedly stimulating, and I honestly couldn’t tell you why. There’s no cinnamon oil or menthol in them, but they begin to tingle immediately, and it’s intentional. For my sensitive skin, the Yes to Coconut Hydrate & Restore Sheet Mask was too much; it went from a tingling, to a burning sensation, to an intense pain. The feeling went away after 7 minutes, but when I removed the mask at 10 to rinse, the water seemed to sear my face.

I’m not alone in this, either. 607 reviews (at time of publication) of this mask on Ulta give it an average of 2 stars, and 432 (71%!!!!) of those reviews are one-star ones. More than half of reviewers said that this mask irritated their skin. And it sucks, because despite the pain, my skin felt super plump and smooth after using the Yes to Coconut Hydrate & Restore Ultra Hydrating Sheet Mask.

I love the Yes to line. The price point is great. The packaging is adorable. They make cool, effective products, like scrub sticks, zit zapping dots, and unicorn peel-off masks, and they do it all without testing on animals. But their sheet masks need a non-tingling alternative! 

Availability: $2.99 USD at Ulta.

Bio Beauté Vitamin-Rich Detox Mask with Orange Water

Okay. I don’t mask often, but I also don’t usually spend a lot on my masks. I love the Skinfood Black Sugar Honey because it’s great, but I keep it as a staple because it’s only $16. This one from Bio Beauté is a little pricier, but as a mask in a pot, it’s a great deal.

$27 isn’t bad for a mask that’s this effective, and I swear that this pot of Bio Beauté Vitamin-Rich Detox Mask never runs out. I’ve had mine since 2014. It has magically not gone off, not dried up, and not run out. This silicone-free beauty still feels just as silky as the day I first cracked it open, and with my infrequent masking, it’s barely half empty.

With weekly use, I’d say this will last you 4-6 months. I like using it only in the areas where I really need it (around the mouth, lower cheeks, and above my brows), letting it sit for 5-10 minutes, and then massaging it in. The formula is designed to go on sort of like jelly and then break down into an oil as you massage it, rinsing off as a smooth, milky-white emulsion.

Availability: $27 CAD at Shopper’s Drug Mart.

Keep up with my masking adventures on Instagram!

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating 100% Hydrogel Mask

I’m in the mood to end things on a high note, so let’s talk about last year’s big find. I like sheet masks, but I don’t love them — unless, apparently, they’re this one. 

The Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating 100% Hydrogel Mask is a totally different experience from most sheet masks. Instead of being made out of thin, poorly-fitting cotton, this mask is squishy and luxurious. It doesn’t look like anything special (sort of like a thin layer of silicone), but it feels great. It has the texture of cushy agar agar, and it’s all I can do not to bite right through each sheet. The mask is made from a seaweed-derived polymer, so its agar agar roots aren’t entirely out of the realm of possibility, either!

Hydrogel masks come with a plastic layer that you peel off, so they’re a little more wasteful than paper masks. (I use them as a little “treat” for my skin because of it.) They’re also usually more expensive than paper ones, which is why this mask is such a unique find. At $2.99 USD, this mask fits well to the face in separate top and bottom halves without slipping off. Its serum is rich and hydrating without being sticky. My skin laps up the moisture from this mask, whose origins you can see on the Neutrogena site as they work to add ingredients for every product.

I’m out of this mask right now, but you can bet I haven’t used it for the last time yet. For those who hate paper masks, this option from Neutrogena offers silky hydration at an extra-affordable price.

Availability: $2.99 USD at Ulta, or B2GO at Neutrogena right now. $3.99-4.49 CAD.