How BTS and other K-pop idols are putting their faces to good use – getting mask sales to soar

A decade ago, sheet masks weren’t a necessary step in the daily skincare routine. They were nothing more than an additional option once in a while when you wanted extra hydration. Other than that, little attention was given to sheets that were handed out free on the streets of Seoul.

While the beauty brands still offer them as free samples these days, they are now an essential beauty item in every home. A new “1-sheet-mask-a-day” skincare regimen among Korean women has emerged.

The sheet masks have also become the most popular K-beauty product across the world in little more than a decade. What prompted such global growth?

Korean beauty experts attribute the overwhelming success of the sheet mask to its functionality, approachability and the influence of Hallyu (Korean Wave).

“As we entered the new millennium, Hallyu fervour started to spread in the Chinese-speaking regions due to the influence of Korean entertainment and culture,” said Kim Ji-eun, team manager of M Project team at Amorepacific, the Korean beauty conglomerate which owns Sulwhasoo, Laneige, Mamonde, Innisfree, Etude House, Hera and Iope. The M Project team leads the research and development of beauty masks within the company.

“Among the things that grabbed their attention was Korean women’s skincare rituals which involved several steps, including the 1-sheet-a-day routine. This started to be viewed as the beauty secret to Koreans’ flawless skin.”

The popularity of sheet masks has since spread to Europe and North America.

Sheet masks weren’t big until the early 2000s. However, market growth in the mid to later stages of the decade, propelled by the advent of MediHeal, a local sheet mask manufacturer which was launched in 2009, helped to popularise the masks. MediHeal has sold 1.6 billion sheet masks to date. The brand which started exporting to China, Hong Kong and Singapore, now exports sheet masks to over 26 countries.