Sheet masks are all the rage these days, but they are also usually at least $1–2 a piece, and you only get to use them once, and that’s a bit ridiculous. I have a few (mostly from last October’s trip to NYC) and I find myself hoarding them (like I used to do with bath bombs before I got wise to that situation!). So, I figured—what’s stopping me from DIYing this, too? And here we are!
Sheet masks are the best way to terrify your pets and housemates for twenty minutes while simultaneously delivering a serious moisturizing punch. When you buy one you’ll get a pretty foil pouch with a bit of liquid and something soft squishing around in it. Open that pouch and you’ll be greeted with a slimy “face-shaped” bit of fabric-y paper drenched in a viscous, fragrant liquid that is packed with humectants, extracts, and other things that love to drip down your chin (am I selling this yet?!). I learned on r/AsianBeauty that you can really improve the experience by pre-heating the mask a wee bit in a barely warm oven so it is at least warm, wet, and slippery instead of cold, wet, and slippery.
Anywho—you pop the pre-perforated sopping sheet on your face, attempt to line up the holes for the eyes, mouth, and nostrils (this is typically futile—choose two out three and accept your fate), and then admire how terrifying you look in the mirror as you feel bits of the mask liquid run down your neck (side note: now that North American brands are starting to catch onto this trend I’m starting to see ads featuring models wearing sheet masks that somehow don’t look like they’re about to run outside and terrorize children, which is an astonishing feat neither of us will ever achieve). Once you’ve marinated in your mask goo for twenty minutes or, remove the sheet and discard it, perhaps patting your skin down gently with a damp cloth, and voila—you have glowing, plump, hydrated skin. Woo!
Given glowing, hydrated, plump skin is what we’re aiming for, I packed this sheet mask liquid with awesome humectants. The shining star is some 1% hyaluronic acid stock, which is a magical wonder when it comes to hydration. I’ve also backed it up with other stars like vegetable glycerin, sodium lactate, and propanediol 1,3.
Rose hydrosol adds a delicious rose scent, and aloe vera brings some lovely soothing properties to the table.
A bit Olivem300 adds some richness to the blend, and some hydrolyzed silk further amps up the moisturizing goodness of this mask.
The whole thing comes together really quickly; since it’s all cold-processed you’re just measuring everything into a beaker or small cup and blending it together. The finished liquid is relatively viscous (thicker than maple syrup, thinner than honey… like warm honey, I suppose?), so it isn’t too drooly (yay!). It smells wonderfully of roses, and leaves your skin feeling amazing.
To make use of this liquid you’ll need some sort of sheet mask to soak in the liquid and apply. I purchased a package of sheet mask “blanks” from Muji, and they work really well. You could also cut a piece of cotton into the required shape and use that—as a bonus, that would be re-useable (though you’d probably want to hem it so it doesn’t disintegrate in the wash). Once you have the liquid, simply soak your sheet in some of it (I recommend partitioning off the amount of liquid you wish to use rather than adding the blank to the master batch to reduce contamination), and mask away for way less that $2 a pop. Bam.
Rose Silk Hydrating Sheet Mask
8.25g | 16.5% distilled water
1g | 2% sodium lactate (USA / Canada)
2.5g | 5% vegetable glycerine (USA / Canada)
10g | 20% low molecular weight 1% hyaluronic acid solution
1.5g | 3% Propanediol 1,3 (USA / Canada)
5g | 10% Olivem300 (USA / Canada)
10g | 20% rose hydrosol
10g | 20% aloe vera juice
1.5g | 3% hydrolyzed silk (USA / Canada)
0.25g | 0.5% Liquid Germall Plus™ (USA / Canada)Weigh all the ingredients into a small heat-resistant glass measuring cup. Stir, whisk, or blend to combine thoroughly. I used the MICROMini™ Mixer from Lotion Crafter, which is quite a lovely gadget. It’s a Badger Air-Brush Co. Paint Mixer, which you can also get on Canadian Amazon. It’s smaller than the Minipro Mixer, and well suited to less viscous projects like this one.
Transfer to a bottle or squeeze tube that is around 50mL/2 fl oz in capacity. I used a 50mL frosted squeeze tube from YellowBee.
To use
Soak a blank sheet mask in some of the liquid. I found it took a while for the mask to fully hydrate—longer than it does with less viscous solutions. Each of my sheet mask blanks weighs 1.3g when dry, and I ended up adding 10g of the sheet mask liquid to hydrate it. Be patient; it’ll take about 15 minutes. Turn the blank over and spoon the liquid over it to help it soak in, and once you can unfurl it, do that to ensure the whole mask is saturated before putting it on. Smooth it over your face, leave it for about 20 minutes, and then discard. I like to pat my face down with a damp microfibre cloth afterwards.
This recipe makes enough liquid for approximately five sheet masks.
Shelf Life & Storage
Because this sheet mask liquid contains water, you must include a broad-spectrum preservative to ward off microbial growth. This is non-optional. Even with a preservative this project is likely to eventually spoil as our kitchens are not sterile laboratories, so in the event you notice any change in colour, scent, or texture, chuck it out and make a fresh batch.
Substitutions
As always, be aware that making substitutions will change the final product. While these swaps won’t break the recipe, you will get a different final product than I did.
- As I’ve provided this recipe in percentages as well as grams you can easily calculate it to any size using a simple spreadsheet as I’ve explained in this post. As written in grams this recipe will make 50g.
- You can replace the sodium lactate with additional glycerine
- If you don’t have hyaluronic acid you can replace it with more water, but that is going to seriously impact the performance of this mask
- Propylene glycol should work well in place of Propanediol 1,3. You could also replace it with more water.
- You can try water soluble shea butter in place of the Olivem300
- You can use a different hydrosol
- You can replace the aloe vera juice with more water
- Hydrolyzed oat protein will work well in place of the hydrolyzed silk. Sea kelp bioferment (Canada / USA) would also be a good alternative. You could also replace it with more water.
Hello
I would appreciate it if you do a video on how to use the HLB calculator.Thank you
I’m afraid that’s not something I’ve ever used.
Hi! I love your videos and the products you make. It had me wondering if you can do a remake
of a product called Egyptian Magic? It’s a natural based face cream I found at Walmart that has beeswax, olive oil, bee pollen, bee propolis and honey. The problem is the smell. It’s awful! The product itself is nice, though a little oily. I also think they may use white beeswax and not yellow which gives it its awful smell. White beeswax smells hideous. I add essential oil to mine which masks the smell a little bit it’s still there.
Check out Marie’s recipe from May 21, 2015.
http://www.humblebeeandme.com/egyptian-magic-lotion/
I’m pretty sure she’d do some things differently at this point in her DIY journey, but it would be a good place for you to start.
: )
Ty Esther! I’ll definitely give that recipe a go. I love the ingredients of the original cream but the smell and the oily content turn me off to it.
In addition to the lotion Esther linked I also have this 🙂 If you search “egyptian magic” on the site you might be surprised at how much turns up!
Marie,
This is so wonderful. I have a pack of sheet mask blanks in my basement from literally YEARS ago that I got on a whim and had no idea what to do but use them with aloe gel and have too much fun peeling glued on bits of paper from my skin.
Can’t wait to try this out. I don’t have Propanediol, but I might add a wee bit of panthenol or argan oil as I’ve got…matureish skin.(The Bestie lovingly tells me I’m pulling 40 instead of pushing it >.>)
I may have to go visit The Mister at work in the paint department one day and get that little mixer or something like it. So smart!
The mini mixer thing is SO much fun! I’ve been using it a ton in my work on DIY liquid lipsticks, too 🙂 Happy masking!
While I like a hardworking clay mask, this is much more like a luxurious, spa like treat. I found the mask utterly relaxing and my skin felt so good afterwards. Thank you for another ingenious (and cheap) DIY recipe!
Yay, I am so glad! I feel like a clay mask is like a workout for my skin while this is, as you said, a spa day 🙂 Much like the rest of me, spa days go over much more easily haha!
How long is the shelf life of this rose silk hydrating sheet mask? Thanks!
I’ve updated the post, but you should also check out this FAQ post.
What is the best preservative should be added in this ingredient to make it last long?
The preservative called for in the recipe is excellent.
Hi marie where did you get your hydrolized silk?
Mine is from New Directions Aromatics.
Could I use the liquid as a mask with out the sheets?
Just for hydration of the skin
You can, but I find it to be unpleasantly sticky on it’s own as a leave-on.
Hello there! I just want to say thanks for always having such detailed and awesome content. I know you don’t recommend premaking clay masks but I was wondering your thoughts on this…is there any type of face mask we can pre make that you don’t have to add anything to? I’m wondering if I could make a simple clay, vegetable glycerin and preservative combo?? I tried looking for answers elsewhere and failed. I always find my answers through you! Thanks in advance for your input!
Without the ability to test such a thing for stability the only way I recommend making big batches of face masks is dry, or moistened with just oil.
Okay the famous korean sheetmasks are tempting to buy and try with all the advertisements and cute packaging, but the price makes it a turn-off and this seems way fun to put on my face.
I happen to have access to some active ingredients Korean beauty companies commonly put in their skincare products (bee venom, pitera, snail extract), so I might try adding one to this.
But which one should I try first? Hmmm … ❤
How fun! Make sure you’re looking at recommended usage rates & pH, solubility, and any potential conflicts—and have fun!
I know I already raved about this in my comment on the sugar plum facial lotion page but I just need to write another one because oh my goodness this stuff is utterly amazing!! My skin is GLOWING every time after using this. I kid you not I had to stop by the mirror several times just to admire that glow! It even shows on camera! Like seriously, this stuff is just WOW! I know I probably sound a bit dramatic over a sheet mask but this has made my skin pretty darn happy:) Thank you so much Marie! And we need more recipes like this lol
You know what Marie’s Fan?
It is never overly dramatic to be pumped about something that is making you stop and admire the skin you’re in! I’m all about tactile sensation so when something makes my skin feel utterly amazing, I spend time feeling my face up! I get you!
hahaha I totally agree with you Barb! This sheet mask makes me feel like a glowing princess Though I have grown pretty strict about not touching my face in order to prevent acne. Sometimes it sure is tempting!
I’ve had zillions of versions of this: closely similar but without olivem 300, with HEC and with different emollients which felt quite sticky (never tried Olivem 300). Another lovely old favourite. Emollient made a huge difference in absorbency! I have an idea that I’m going to try: light, runny sheet mask with ecogel (no oils or very little of them). It could work or separate because of the electolytes. I let you know if it works. xx
OOooh! Have fun 😀
Hi Marie.
After my sheet mask experiments I’m sharing my results, favourite modifications and one recipe. No one doesn’t propably care, ha, but anyway. I didn’t want to hot process valuable ingredients in this project (so no ecogel, scent needs masking too) but I’ve noticed emollient being usefull (but sadly I haven’t found suitable one yet). I liked olive glycereth-8 esters most – or emulsifier polyglyceryl-4 laurate with some carrier oil. It creates light lotions too.
I’ve however thickened my sheet masks lately with konjac glucomannan or HEC. At first I always added too much or too little of gum so I made stock solutions to help with that (leaving empty water space to the end). Too thin and it dries quickly on skin and doesn’t hydrate enough. ~ 0,3 % konjac was great in many similar sheets. Also, I’ve enjoyed this recipe a lot with 0,3-0,4 % HEC, cucumber glycerite and na pca instead of propanediol. Both silk and betaine worked great! I ended up useing plain deionised water working instead of emollient. Brilliant recipe for almost any skin type.
Some preservatives and extreme pH may sometimes act weird with HEC (or gels in general). Here’s one toner sheet mask that I’ve used lately. It’s complicated but multitasker. I got inspired when I read Barb’s skincare formulas! I’m currently playing with eye hydrogel patches – any ideas for thickening? I’ve noticed xanthan creating crazy thick gels with konjac. Thanks so much. xx
Sheet mask (super, targeted for me :p)
15 g aloevera
10 g rose hydrosol
10 g cucumber glycerite
10 g LMW HA stock 1 %
1 g deionised water
0,5 g B3, 0,5 g B5, 0,25 g prebiulin FOS
0,5 g SAP
0,25 cosgard 221/ often with chelator pa-3
to 60 g konjac stock solution 0,6 % (so it has 0,12 % konjac gum)
– citric acid adjusting ph to 6-6,3
Do you have a formula for a jelly-type peel-off mask?
Not at this time.