The face mask sheet has an older ancestor than K-beauty. In 1875, Helen Rowley of Ohio received a patent for a mask made of flexible india rubber, meant to be worn during the hours of sleep to soften and clarify the skin, and Snopes found her Toilet Mask Company advertising in New York and London. The idea was the same one sheet masks use now: hold something against the skin long enough that it cannot evaporate away.

That is how a face mask sheet works. A cotton, cellulose, hydrogel or bio-collagen sheet is soaked in serum and pressed onto the face for 15 to 20 minutes, so water and ingredients stay on the skin instead of drying off. The result is plumper, calmer, more hydrated skin for the evening, which is why people use them before events and on flights.

Materials matter more than most people think. Classic fabric sheets are thin and quick. Hydrogel and bio-collagen masks cling tighter, and bio-cellulose, originally used to treat burns, fits like a second skin.

The first grid is classic sheet masks. The second is bio-collagen, hydrogel and luxury masks. My tip: put the mask on right after cleansing and toning, take it off before it dries out, and pat the leftover serum in instead of rinsing it off.

SK-II Facial Treatment Mask is the most reviewed sheet in this grid, soaked in the brand's PITERA for moisture, and it comes as a pack of ten. Sephora Collection Hyaluronic Acid Masks are compostable, second-skin sheets and the easiest way to try masking. Laneige Cream Skin Milky Sheet Mask layers hydration with ceramides and peptides for dry skin, and it has the best rating here.

Sulwhasoo First Care Activating is a biodegradable single mask made with paper mulberry for the barrier and signs of aging. innisfree Retinol Green Tea PDRN is a five-pack inspired by the viral Korean PDRN treatment, for firmness and smoothness. Dr. Dennis Gross Vitamin C Lactic is a biocellulose mask with vitamin C and lactic acid for brightness and redness.

Dr. Jart+ Cryo Rubber is a two-step mask: you apply an ampoule, then a rubber mask cools skin and seals it in. Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Jelly Sheet is a hydrogel with centella and hyaluronic acid for dehydrated skin, though it has the lowest rating in the grid.

What I would skip: an acid mask like the Dr. Dennis Gross on the same night as a peel or retinol. Use a plain hydrating sheet on those nights instead.

Biodance Bio Collagen Real Deep Mask is the most reviewed mask in this edit, a concentrated gel mask made to improve elasticity and hydration and the look of pores. The Biodance Caviar PDRN mask is a four-pack with caviar and PDRN for firmness and redness. Hanyul Korean Red Rice Hydrogel masks turn transparent on the skin as they work, with ceramides and peptides, and they have the best rating here.

Peace Out Overnight Bio-Collagen is a single-use mask that supports the barrier and improves the look of stressed, tired skin by morning. Rejuran Turnover Mask is a five-pack with c-PDRN and ceramides for dull, dry skin, a good pick if you want to mask a few times a week.

The luxury picks are for a special night. 111SKIN Y Theorem is a bio-cellulose mask that founder Dr. Yannis Alexandrides chose for its second-skin fit. Augustinus Bader Hydrogel Face Mask is cooling and molds to the face for fast hydration and radiance. NakedBeauty MD BioPeptide is a firming hydrogel with ten peptides, vitamin C, niacinamide and ferulic acid.

What I would skip: reusing a mask or saving the leftover serum in the pouch for days. Masks are single-use, and the serum is meant for that one session.

I think a face mask sheet is the easiest skincare treat there is. It takes twenty minutes, needs no skill, and makes skin look rested before a big day. Use classic sheets for a quick hydration boost, hydrogel or bio-collagen when you want something that clings and cools, and save the luxury masks for special nights. Helen Rowley patented a mask worn while you rest in 1875, and the idea still works, with much better materials.