How to choose the best Leaders sheet mask for your skin

Korea is big on skincare so it’s no surprise that get-fresh-quick sheet masks are extremely popular. The quality and variety of Korean masks can be a bit overwhelming, so we decided to focus on a staff favorite: sheet masks from Leaders! 

To start with, sheet masks are not just limited to the face. Leaders also has masks for other concerns like damaged hair, dry hands and feet, dark eye circles, and even acne spots. When it comes to facial masks though, it can be tough to choose from the whopping 50+ variants that Leaders has available here. (Yes, I counted!)

Locally, Leaders has three sub-brands that are developed for different objectives:

• Insolution is a cosmeceutical brand that actively deals with skin troubles with special formulas made by skin specialists who study skin mechanism.
• Stepsolution is a more professional and functional cosmeceutical brand that adopts special usage steps based on actual clinical know-how of skin specialists.
• Mediu is a more trendy cosmetic that provides fun and pleasant solutions for young women who are troubled with their skin.

When masking, it's important to first know what problem you want to address using sheet masks. There’s practically a sheet mask for every skin concern out there, so you should make sure to use the type that suits your needs best. To save you the trouble of researching all 50+ masks from Leaders, we've put together a list that categorizes mask variants according to common skin concerns!

ANTI-AGING

Sadly, wrinkles and sagging skin aren't just for old people. You can experience these skin issues even when you're just in your 20s! Whether you're just beginning to see fine lines or have had them for years, you'll be turning back the clock with the Insolution Coconut Bio Mask with Tomato and the Mediu Amino Lifting Mask, which promise to firm up the skin and reduce the appearance of wrinkles. To do its job, the former enlists the help of tomato extracts, and amino acids are used for the latter.

WHITENING OR BRIGHTENING

We tend to think of whitening products as something that makes your skin lighter. However, I read in The Little Book of Skin Care by Charlotte Cho of Soko Glam that it’s not always the case; sometimes it actually refers to brightening or evening the skin tone. One mask you can use for this concern is the Insolution Mela-Tox Skin Clinic Mask that has a “whitening effect” and a “skin brightening compound” that evens out your skin. I noticed that their Mela-Tox masks under different sub-brands deal with this concern as well. Another mask you can try is the Insolution Whitening Cell Skin Seed Mask that uses Niacinamide, Super Berry, and Sea Buckthorn Seed for a similar whitening and brightening effect on the skin.

HYDRATING AND MOISTURIZING

Boosting skin hydration is one of the primary concerns of sheet masks in general, so new releases are often made with improvements towards increasing moisturizing ingredients or allowing skin to better absorb nutrients. Another thing I noticed was that if you see Aqua or other variations like Aquaringer on the label, there’s a good chance it has a moisturizing function. These include the Insolution Moisturizing Aqua Mask and the Stepsolution Aquaringer Mask.

SOOTHING SENSITIVE SKIN AND ACNE TREATMENT

I grouped these two issues together since the first condition is often prone to the second. Mask recommendations include the Insolution Teatree Relaxing Skin Renewal Mask, the Bio Medi-curing Calming Dressing Mask, the Derma Soul Anti-Sebum Mask with Pine Oil, and the Insolution AC Balancing Control Mask. The key effects in these masks include calming irritated skin, controlling excess oil production, tightening pores, and having anti-bacterial properties.

BONUS MASKS

Some of the Leaders masks are really interesting in terms of concept, like the Mediu 2 Step Double Effect Masks. Having a facial V-line (a defined, V-shaped chin and jaw) is a popular trend in Korea, so Leaders created a line just for that purpose! What you get is two masks: a common sheet mask, and another specifically for your jaw. The second mask supposedly helps to slim your face by firming, shaping, and lifting the area. There are variants for Whitening, Pore Tightening, Wrinkle-Care, and Moisturizing as well.

I also took note of the Stepsolution 2 Step Plus Masks which consists of an ampoule and a sheet mask in a pack. You apply the ampoule after cleansing your skin and before using the mask. The four variants of this line (the Mela-Tox Plus, the Wrinkle Off Plus, AC-Dressing Plus, and the Aquaringer Plus) aim to intensify the effects of the ampoule with the sheet mask.

If you want an all-in skincare pampering session, the Mediu 3-Step Vitamino Mask is what you should get. Each pack comes with an essence, a sheet mask, and a cream that you apply in that order.

Image via sokoglam.com

More and more sheet masks variants are being released by Leaders, like the Daily Wonders Masks that I’ve only encountered in the Leaders US website. But with the few suggestions here, you can already choose where to begin your sheet masking journey. When you’ve tried a lot already, you can actually use a combination of masks from the different sub-brands and lines to address multiple skin concerns. And after applying and using up your sheet mask, don't forget to follow our tip for maximizing each usage!

So are you excited to embark on your sheet mask journey? Have you tried Leaders Sheet Masks? What’s your go-to mask for an instant skin boost?

Leaders boutiques can be found in Lucky China Town and Festival Mall. They also have department store stalls in SM Makati, SM North Edsa, SM Manila, SM San Lazaro, SM Cubao, SM Cebu, SM Davao, and Robinsons Ermita. You can also order online from BeautyMNL.com and Leaders.ph.