The 9 best face masks that help struggling skin – tested and reviewed for different concerns
From brightening formulas to reparative all-rounders, our beauty testers have reviewed the best face masks for various skin concerns and budgets
Sometimes our skin needs more than what our daily product lineup can provide, which is where the best face masks take centre stage. Often overshadowed by powerhouse serums, an indulgent overnight treatment or cooling mask acts as an intense targeted step that makes all the difference to a struggling complexion.
While we typically rely on the best face moisturisers and serums to hydrate and protect our skin barrier day-to-day, a mask is a great (and often, very luxurious) way to supercharge it with potent and hard-working ingredients. As Dr Yannis Alexandrides MD FACS, Founder and Surgical Director of 111 Harley St explains, "Masks are miracle workers as they sit on the surface of the skin, and flood product into the epidermis without interruption or irritation. They are an effective way to deliver an intensive burst of ingredients in one highly concentrated form."
So, if you're keen to invest in a thick, irritation-soothing overnight mask or a pore-clarifying treatment, we've tested a wide array to bring you the crème de la crème of best face masks. After much testing, here are our beauty team's reviews of the top-performing buys.
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The 9 best face masks, reviewed by our beauty team
As mentioned, the best face masks are not only a great way to target concerns like dryness and irritation, but also to pamper yourself. "Masks are great for mood-boosting," says Dr AJ Sturnham, dermatology specialist and founder of Decree, adding that: "they can put you in a calm and relaxed state while wearing them."
Thus, to help you find your perfect match, woman&home's beauty team has joined forces to share their top face mask picks, with options that are suitable for those with dry, oily, and sensitive skin types - and from best-selling brands like Elemis, Murad, and Fresh.
Best face masks for dry/dehydrated skin
RRP: £62 | Key ingredients: Padina pavonica (a brown algae), argan tree oil, shea butter
Reviewed by: Sarah-Jane Corfield-Smith and Naomi Jamieson
If you’re already a fan of the ELEMIS Pro-Collagen range (who isn’t?), then you will love this intensive mask. It has all the same wrinkle plumping capability as the moisturising cream, but in this slightly richer, mask consistency, it has been teamed with extra hydrating ingredients to give dehydrated skin that much-needed moisture hit.
I love that, as well as instantly plumping and comforting, the brown algae included works to replenish depleted skin long-term by encouraging cell turnover and collagen synthesis. When testing, I noticed that it also smells like a spa and has a beautifully spreadable texture – as with all ELEMIS products. Though pricey, you will get a truly pampering experience that also delivers on results.
Pros
- Luxurious and decadent
- Formulated with potent botanicals
Cons
- Expensive for the size
RRP: £54 | Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, moringa seed oil, red algae
Reviewed by: Sarah-Jane Corfield-Smith
This creamy and indulgent mask is everything a great skincare product should be. It has a wonderful scent, a gloriously silky, smooth texture, and it made my skin look plump and like it had been doused in hydration, which is exactly what I want from a hydrating mask.
The inclusion of facialist Emma Hardie's signature ingredient, moringa seed oil, deeply nourishes long-term, while in the short term, hyaluronic acid plumps and smoothes. Apply all over the face and either leave for as long as you like, or you can even apply it as part of your skincare night routine and sleep in it.
Pros
- Rich and nourishing
- Gorgeous texture
- Lovely scent
Cons
- Oil-based formula won't appeal to all
RRP: £58 | Key ingredients: Rosewater, hyaluronic acid and microalgae extract
Reviewed by: Sennen Prickett
This mask is one of Fresh's standout products. If you’re in the mood for some self-care, this is the rich, luxurious face mask you need. Equipped with refreshing rosewater, cooling cucumber extract and hydrating microalgae extract (alongside an abundance of hyaluronic acid), I can confirm this gel-like formula achieved all of the above sensations, leaving my skin feeling plump, soft and supple.
But it doesn't stop there, the indulgent mask which arrives in a luxe ceramic tub also works to enhance luminosity, boasting a cocktail blend of teas which proved to brighten and boost radiance within my complexion. All in all, it acts as the perfect candidate for a self-care evening at the end of a long day.
Pros
- Revitalises skin and boosts luminosity
- Works quickly – in 10 minutes
Cons
- Expensive
Best face masks for oily and combination skin
RRP: £85 | Key ingredients: Hectorite clay, Hungarian moor mud
Reviewed by: Lucy Abbersteen
Hungarian skincare Omorovicza makes some of the most lovely, luxurious feeling-yet-effective skincare products on the market. Think style and substance. This is easily one of my favourites. While wet, this antioxidant-rich, clay-based mask stretches really well to cover your skin evenly, before drying out and absorbing any excess oil stuck in your pores as it does.
Crucially, what it doesn't do – which clay masks are notorious for – is really dry out your skin, leaving it tight and uncomfortable once you remove it. You are just left with smoother, clearer, even-looking skin. If, like me, you struggle with blackheads and clogged pores thanks to oily skin, it is an incredibly helpful and effective little jar to have on standby; I really love it. However, being a luxury brand, it is unfortunately very expensive – even if it lasts a long time.
Pros
- Helps to decongest pores
- Smooth skin
- Non-drying
Cons
- Very expensive
RRP: £60 Key ingredients: French green clay, salicylic acid
Reviewed by: Aleesha Badkar
If your skin is being problematic or has become too congested, then the Soho Skin detox clay face mask is your best option. It helps to clear pores, minimises their appearance and gently exfoliates the skin, without drying the skin out and keeping it balanced. This would work for all skin types, but it’s particularly great for congested skin because of the way the clay and salicylic power duo clears pores.
I was really impressed with the ingredients list; this is not your typical clay mask. It has added plankton extract, which works at minimising blemishes, while the added probiotic encourages cell renewal. Plus, it doesn’t contain any acne-exacerbating ingredients.
Pros
- Feels luxurious
- Helps to balance skin
- Probiotic formula
Cons
- Suits congested, blemish-prone and oily skin best
RRP: £27 Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, green tea, zinc
Reviewed by: Sarah-Jane Corfield-Smith
Hormones can play havoc with our skin, and no more so than around that time of the month when even the clearest of complexions can suddenly become oilier and more breakout prone. Step in this clever mask that contains everything your skin needs – zinc to target breakouts, white willow to minimise pore size, and lavender to help balance oil.
When testing, I loved the calming, cooling feel of this mask, the funky packaging and cute hair clips included to keep strands out of the way, all of which would make this one of the best face masks for gifting. The brand says this mask, "Can’t stop cramps but it can help keep skin clean and clear", and after testing it, I agree! The perfect addition to any self-care session around your period, it will work wonders on angry breakouts and won't be quite as heavy-duty as exfoliating masks.
Pros
- Ideal for hormonal skin
- Works to rebalance skin
- Hair clips included
Cons
- Only suits those whose skin struggles with hormonal issues
Best face masks for glowing skin
RRP: £88 | Key Ingredients: Vitamin C, salicylic acid, lactic acid, glycerin
Reviewed by: Fiona McKim
This mask was designed by doctor-owned brand Murad to replicate professional microdermabrasion (intense exfoliation, to you or I) and in many ways, it succeeds. It combines a holy trinity of exfoliants - physical, enzymatic and chemical - plus, it's also got brightening vitamin C in its most potent form, ascorbic acid.
And how does it perform? As long as you're not sensitive to acids, brilliantly. When testing, I found that the combination of exfoliants, while intense, left my combo-skin smooth, decongested and glowing. It's a cinch to use in the morning; I applied pre-shower, left it on while I washed my hair, et al, and it was ready to rinse by the time I finished. There is something addictive about how satisfying this feels and the results it offers. Although it's a pricy product, you only need the tiniest little teaspoonful each time, so one tube will last a while.
Pros
- Exfoliates and brightens
- Gets to work in a flash to refine texture and tone
Cons
- Won't suit sensitive skin
RRP: £23 Key Ingredients: Colloidal gold, peptides, amino acids, rose
Reviewed by: Fiona McKim and Naomi Jamieson
Fiona: Bang for your buck treatments don't come much better than this biodegradable mask. The bio-cellulose material is flooded with beneficial ingredients, namely peptides to re-energise sluggish skin cells, hydrating sodium hyaluronate and colloidal gold (tiny particles that help other actives get where they need to be). You'll also get bags of potent botanical extracts, including soothing Rosa Damascena and brightening licorice.
Science aside, one of the best things about this face mask is using it. When testing, I found that it felt very cooling and quenching when applied. Then, when I removed it, my skin had this dewy quality that really helped my makeup to sit nicely, even on dry patches. I also love how the slippery material hugs the skin like no papery sheet mask could ever hope to. This is useful in terms of motivating you to get it out of the drawer and use it in the first place, which is half the battle with masks. You could sit happily wearing this for an hour of Netflix without checking the clock once.
Pros
- Rapidly imparts glow
- Hydrates the skin
- Luxurious formula with colloidal gold and peptides
Cons
- Single-use mask
RRP: £75 | Key Ingredients: cherry blossom, glycerin and an omega-9 complex
Reviewed by: Naomi Jamieson
Beauty Pie's cherry blossom-infused Micro-Caviar Overnight Moisture Mask is a true treat for dry skin. It boasts an indulgent and ultra-nourishing blend of glycerin, shea butter, saffron extract and of course, cherry blossom, along with '100,000 Omega-9 bubbles' (which give this mask its 'caviar' look), to deliver intense hydration to your skin.
As someone with dry and often tight-feeling skin, I could not wait to slather my face in this formula. First things first, despite normally steering clear of fragranced products, I found that this delicately floral mask didn't upset my sensitive and temperamental skin at all. On the contrary, I found the scent very comforting, while the mask itself left my complexion feeling quenched and looking noticeably more radiant when I woke up. Its serum-gel-like consistency feels so cooling, and I just love how the teeny tiny bubbles melt against my skin.
Pros
- Very hydrating and nourishing
- Cooling gel texture
Cons
- Designed for overnight use; not a quick treatment
How we tested the best face masks for this guide
Every face mask in this guide has been thoroughly tested by our beauty team, with many of them marking our personal favourites that we have used for years.
In order to make the cut during the testing (and re-testing) process, each mask had to offer a pleasant user experience and, of course, noticeable results. We also researched the ingredients, assessed the packaging for its stability and overall user experience, and ensured each formula was tested on the skin type it was designed for.
"It’s always good to look out for key ingredients that work with your skin type," agrees Dr Sturnham. Speaking of which, these are the go-to ingredients you should be on the lookout for, according to Dr Sturnham...
- Dry skin: "If you have dry skin look for hyaluronic acid, ceramides, Vitamin E, and amino acids."
- Oily skin: "If you have oily skin, then ingredients such as salicylic acid, lactic acid, clay, and zinc all work well."
- Sensitive skin: "You’re going to need hyaluronic acid, glycerin, niacinamide, and vitamin E.”
How to choose the best face mask for you
The right face mask can be transformative for your complexion, so it is worth taking time to choose the ideal one for your skin's needs. While there are almost countless face masks on the market, it is actually fairly easy to navigate if you work with the following criteria.
- Skin type: Go in to your face mask-finding quest with knowledge of your skin – is it dry? Oily? Combination? Sensitive? The product's key details will help to steer you towards one that's been formulated to work with your complexion – not against it.
- Results: Think about your end goal after using your face mask. Do you want to improve dullness? Deliver a generous dose of hydration? Decongest pores? Help smooth fine lines? Again, look at the product's USP in line with your desired results.
- Budget: While it's nice to have a treat from time to time, if this is a product that you hope to have in your skincare routine longer-term, it's smart to ensure it's in line with your budget so that you're able to re-purchase it.
Once you know your skin type, you can keep an eye out for the skincare combinations that are best suited to you. Most face masks will state what skin type they cater to, so it is pretty easy to filter out ones that won't work. As for how much you want to spend, you can filter by price when shopping online to ensure that you are working within your budget - there are brilliant face masks available at both ends of the price spectrum to choose from.
The final (and perhaps the most important) step is establishing what results you hope to see from your face mask. If you have dry skin, but want a more radiant complexion, you will want to seek out masks that are hydrating and also contain Vitamin C. If you have very oily skin that's in need of exfoliation, you will want to opt for formulas equipped with AHAs or BHAs. Face masks also tend to state the results they give on the packaging, so this is another easy thing to establish.
Our expert panel
Sarah-Jane Corfield-Smith is an experienced journalist who has worked in the beauty industry for more than 15 years and, along with woman&home, has contributed to titles such as Stylist, The Daily Mail and The Times. Having tested dozens – if not hundreds – of face masks over the years, she was the main tester and reviewer for this guide.
Naomi is Digital Beauty Writer at woman&home, where she covers everything from skincare to makeup but specialises in fragrance and nail trends – sharing her expertise on the latest beauty buys and must-have manicure styles. As well as showcasing her beauty knowledge, she reviews products and shares personal shopping recommendations.
Sennen is Digital Beauty Writer at woman&home, where she shares the latest beauty launches, trending buys and personal product recommendations, from makeup and hair to skincare and nails.
Fiona McKim has been part of the woman&home beauty team for more than a decade. During that time her work has included interviewing countless experts, reporting from backstage at Fashion Week and judging the woman&home Beauty Awards.
Dr Yannis Alexandrides is a multi-board-certified plastic surgeon and the Founder & Medical Director of 111 Harley Street. In this guide he shared some of his expertise in face masks and how they work.
Dr Anita Sturnham is a GP with dermatology training and the founder of skincare brand DECREE. In this guide she has explained the function and key ingredients that go into a good face mask.