As fall eases into the depths of winter, our skin becomes as dry as our bank accounts after buying holiday gifts for friends and family. It can be tempting to double down on moisturizer after a long day of battling harsh winds and call it a night, but your skin deserves better. A face mask can give your pores some much-needed TLC during the winter if you’re choosy with your ingredients.
Luckily, we found the perfect masks for worn-out winter skin. Keep scrolling for the 10 best winter face masks for when your skin doesn’t feel merry or bright.
Best Heating Mask
This mask is pretty much the magnum opus of winter masks because it literally heats your face. This mask uses ancient, nourishing minerals from Hungarian thermal springs to moisturize, replenish, and even out your skin. Perfect for when you have a serious case of the chills.
Shop now: Peter Thomas Roth Thermal Water Mineral-Rich Atomic Heat Mask ($58)
Best Calming Mask
When winter winds make your cheeks a little too rosy, it’s time to bring in the calming ingredients. This mask has plenty, including willow bark and centella asiatica extracts. Reach for this one when you’re feeling the need for a soothing night in.
Shop now: Klairs Midnight Blue Calming Sheet Mask ($3)
Best Trendy Mask
When Glow Recipe’s now unmistakable pale pink gel hit stores this year, it sold out on its launch day and waitlisted thousands of customers. The watermelon dynasty is still going strong, now with a moisturizer and a sheet mask, but there’s nothing quite like the OG. Treat your skin to this cult favorite and let it work its magic over a good night’s sleep.
Shop now: Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask ($45)
Best Affordable Mask
This is one of the best winter face masks, and you can find it in a drugstore. It’s a K-Beauty gem that you’ll definitely keep going back to. For just $3, this mask moisturizes and plumps like a higher-end product. Its essence is a bit thicker than most other sheet masks, so feel free to leave it on for longer to absorb the mask’s winning ingredients, like bamboo water, lavender flower water, and anise fruit extract.
Shop now: Ariul 7 Days Bamboo Water Sheet Mask ($3)
Best Exfoliating Mask
Honey masks are a staple of luxury beauty right now, but this one is the cheapest on the market with the same ingredients. Harsh exfoliants like scrubs tend to irritate skin during the winter, but the high sugar content in this mask acts as an exfoliant without any abrasive effects.
Shop now: Mizon Sweet Honey Mask ($13)
Best Plumping Mask
Mario Badescu’s facial sprays make a great addition to every Instagram flat lay, but the face masks are worth a try as well. If you’re missing your plump summertime skin, go for this mask from every influencer’s favorite affordable skincare brand.
Shop now: Mario Badescu Super Collagen Mask ($18)
Best Hydrating Mask
When it comes to knockout ingredient lists, Kiehl’s has the market cornered. This mask, based on their best-selling Ultra Facial Cream, contains Antarcticine, a glycoprotein found in Antarctica’s glaciers known to protect against freezing. If this stuff can defend an actual glacier, then defending your skin’s natural barrier is child’s play.
Shop now: Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Overnight Hydrating Mask ($35)
Best Novelty Mask
If you loved making soap volcanoes and DIY slime in third-grade science class, then this mask is for you. It comes in packaging that looks like a mini shake bottle with a straw (spatula) and the ingredients are activated when shaken together. It isn’t all show and no substance, though. This mask’s ampoule contains vitamin B5 and rich amino acids to strengthen your skin’s moisture barrier.
Shop now: Dr. Jart Shake & Shot Rubber Hydro Mask ($12)
Best Brightening Mask
From the brand behind the K-Beauty favorite Low pH Good Morning Cleanser, this sleeping pack hydrates and brightens while you get some shut-eye. Packed with 65 percent rice extract, niacinamide, and sunflower seed oil, this mask can refresh dull skin overnight.
Shop now: COSRX Ultimate Nourishing Rice Overnight Spa Mask ($18)
Best Weird Mask
We’re not sure who the first person was to look at snail slime and think, “Gee, I’d sure like to slather that stuff on my face,” but tbh, we’re glad they did. Snail mucin not only firms, hydrates, and does all the things a good skincare ingredient should do, but it also encourages cell regeneration for healthier skin texture. Try this odd ingredient that beauty gurus swear by in a non-committal way with this sheet mask set.
Shop now: Skinfood Hydro Fitting Snail Mask ($14)
What are your favorite winter masks? Show us your mask selfies on social media, and don’t forget to tag @cfashionista!
