These DIY Sheet Masks Are Super Easy To Make At Home

Ever since the trend landed in the U.S. from South Korea, sheet masks have become a big thing in skin care. As with most skin care trends, there are plenty of online tutorials and tips for making DIY sheet masks at home, and these do-it-yourself options are just as trendy as the store-bought versions. For many of these at-home sheet masks, all you need is a few tools, your favorite skin care products, and some pantry items, and you're halfway there.

Sheet masks are typically made from thin, cotton or other fiber-based materials soaked with a liquid-based formula that have a variety of healthy skin benefits. It's a quick, easy way to get glowing skin without too much effort, and they're a great pick-me-up for when you don't have time to commit to a traditional face mask. The cotton sheet allows the products to soak more easily into the skin. Just pat the mask into place and relax. No fuss needed.

Need a few tips on what skincare products you should add to your own sheet mask? Here are a few great DIYs for at-home sheet masks.

1. Rice Water Sheet Mask

According to Fanny Coste, cosmetic scientist and founder of Kinkō, rice water is a great option for DIY sheet masks. [Rice water] is a common beauty ingredient that has been used for centuries in Asia," Coste tells Bustle. "It soothes, brightens and firms skin. Rice water is loaded with vitamins B and E, various minerals, and essential amino acids. It also contains great antioxidants."

To make a rice water mask, you'll need:

• dry sheet masks
• rice

Coste recommends buying a pack of dry sheet masks on Amazon and using them as your mask base. To create the solution, measure the amount of rice you'd like to eat, rinse it, and discard the water. Next, boil water and allow it to cool to room temperature (or use distilled water). Add your rice and let it soak for 30 minutes. Strain the rice, and keep the leftover water, which Coste says should be a milky color.

Pour some of the water into a bowl, place the mask into the water, and left it soak for 15 minutes. Coste says you can store excess water in the fridge for up to five days. Once the mask is finished soaking, squeeze the excess water from the sheet, and apply the sheet to your face. Leave the mask on for 10-15 minutes before removing — no washing or rinsing needed.

2. Green Tea Seaweed Mask

Sure, sheet masks are typically made from a bit of cotton, but you also have other options. Josie Holmes, esthetician at New York City's Skinney MedSpa, says seaweed can work as a perfect base for a mask.

• two bags green tea
• nori seaweed snacks

For this DIY sheet mask, you'll need to boil water and brew two bags of green tea according to package instructions. Let the tea steep for at least five minutes, and give it time to cool down to a temperature that feels comfortable to the touch. Then, dip pieces of the seaweed snacks quickly in and out of the tea to avoid soaking them too much and risk having them fall apart. Once lightly soaked, spread the seaweed over your face, and repeat with as many pieces as necessary to cover the whole face. Leave them on for 15 minutes, then remove the sheets. (There's no need to rinse or wash afterward.)

According to Holmes, the sheet mask is designed both to nourish and clarify the skin. "Green tea is a super antioxidant," she tells Bustle. "Antioxidants are fantastic for the skin as they help to prevent free radical damage."

As for the seaweed, Holmes explains that it acts as as a humectant, drawing moisture into the skin, and has "amino acids for anti-aging, natural minerals including zinc, omega, and magnesium to help create a protective barrier and increase skin function, and antioxidants with Vitamins B and C to help clear up pigmentation."

3. Rose Water & Vitamin C Mask

For Priscilla Tsai of CocoKind, this project is all about sustainability. She recommends using a T-shirt to create a reusable and washable DIY sheet mask. For her mask, you'll need:

• T-shirt
• 1 bag green tea
• CocoKind Rose Water
• CocoKind Glow Essense
• CocoKind Vitamin C Serum

To create the mask, brew a bag of green tea according to the package directions. While your tea is steeping, take a T-shirt and draw a face-size circle with eye, mouth, and nose holes, and cut out the form.

By this time, your tea will be steeped. Add a bit of room temperature water to it so it's not too hot, ball up the mask fabric, and place it into the green tea. Next, add a few sprays of rose water and any other water-based skin care products you may have (Tsai uses Cocokind's Rose Water and Glow Essence). Let the sheet soak for a few minutes, pull it from the mixture, and squeeze out any excess moisture. Then, take a serum of your choice (Tsai uses Cocokind's Vitamin C serum but recommends choosing a product that targets any skin care concerns you might have) and apply it all over the mask. Finally, apply the sheet to your face, let it sit for 15 minutes, and remove (no need to rinse afterward).

Both the mask's green tea and rose water are meant to soothe skin thanks to their anti-inflammatory abilities. Tsai uses Cocokind's Glow Essence as an added hydrator, but you can try any water-based essence.

4. Cucumber Water Mask

While cucumber water is often sitting on the countertops of salons and spas, it's actually useful as a skin care ingredient too. According to Dr. Hadley King, cucumber water makes a great, soothing mask. To create one, you'll need:

• 1 cucumber
• grater
• cotton sheet

Using a bit of thin, cotton material (like a T-shirt or an old sheet), cut eye and mouth holes like a normal sheet mask. Next, grate the cucumber. Then, using cheese cloth or paper towels, squeeze the water from the grated vegetable, and soak the cloth in the water. Dr. King adds that you can place the mask in the fridge for 20-30 minutes for an extra cooling effect. Wear the mask for 15-30 minutes, then apply your regular serum and moisturizer.

The mask is particularly suited to those with sensitive or irritated skin. According to a 2013 study, cucumber can be used as an anti-inflammatory, and the soothing ingredient has been shown to aid in sunburn relief. The vegetable has also been shown to help aid in hydration and combat dark spots.

5. Tea Tree Oil Sheet Mask

Dr. Joshua Zeichner, director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital, tells Bustle that you can customize your sheet mask in order to treat whatever issues you're having with your skin. He specifically recommends a tea tree oil mask for those with acne or for anyone prone to blemishes.

Anyone with acne-prone skin probably won't be surprised to hear that tea tree oil is the way to go for a blemish-fighting sheet mask. The oil has been proven to have antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties that help prevent and fight breakouts.

You'll need:

• cheese cloth
• tea tree oil
• water

To create the mask, Dr. Zeichner recommends cutting the cheese cloth to the shape of your face, then creating holes for eyes, nose, and mouth. Once you're done, drop five drops of tea tree oil into the water, and mix the solution (Dr. Ziechner says you should start with fewer drops if you have sensitive skin and to increase the amount of oil as your skin acclimates to it). Next, drop the cheese cloth sheet mask into the mixture, and let it soak for five minutes. When it's thoroughly saturated, squeeze out the excess liquid and apply it to the face. Leave it on for 10-20 minutes, then finish with your normal skin care routine.

Experts:

Fanny Coste, cosmetic scientist and founder of Kinkō

Josie Holmes, esthetician at Skinney MedSpa

Priscilla Tsai, founder of Cocokind

Dr. Hadley King, Hadley King Dermatology

Dr. Joshua Zeichner, Director of Cosmetic & Clinical Research in Dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital

Sources:

Binic, I., Lazarevic, V., Ljubenovic, M., Mojsa, J., Sokolovic, D. (2013). Skin Ageing: Natural Weapons and Strategies. Evidence Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3569896/

Marto, J. Neves, A., Gonçalves, L., Pinto, P., Almeida, C., Simões, S. (2018). Rice Water: A Traditional Ingredient with Anti-Aging Efficacy. Cosmetics. https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9284/5/2/26/htm

OyetakinWhite, P., Tribout, H., Baron, E. (2012). Protective Mechanisms of Green Tea Polyphenols in Skin. Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3390139/

Jesumani, V., Du, H., Aslam, M., Pei, P., Huang, N. (2019). Potential Use of Seaweed Bioactive Compounds in Skincare—A Review. Marine Drugs. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6950024/

Mukherjee, P., Nema, N., Maity, N., Sarkar, B. (2012). Phytochemical and Therapeutic Potential of Cucumber. Fitoterapia. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23098877/

Murad, H. (2016). Evaluating the potential benefits of cucumbers fro improved health and skin care. The Journal of Aging Research & Lifestyle. https://www.jarlife.net/3050-evaluating-the-potential-benefits-of-cucumbers-for-improved-health-and-skin-care.html#:~:text=Aside%20from%20their%20cooling%20effect,for%20reducing%20inflammation%20(3).

Carson, C.F., Hammer, A.K., Riley, T.V. Melaleuca alternifolia (Tea Tree) Oil: a Review of Antimicrobial and Other Medicinal Properties. Clinical Microbiology Reviews. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1360273/