Sheet masks are most often associated with Korean skincare but in recent years they have shown up in more and more American drug stores and cosmetic stores. In 2018 it was estimated that the market value of sheet masks worldwide was around 283 million U.S. dollars, a figure that is expected to nearly double by 2026. Between 2016 and mid-2017, about 40 percent of sheet mask launches occurred in South Korea, while only two percent of sheet mask launches were from American companies, showing that the U.S. market has a lot of catching up to do in order to rival the South Korean market.
In the United States, the market value of face masks doubled in value between 2002 and 2017, from 100 million U.S. dollars to about 200 million dollars. Although there are countless U.S. companies that produce face masks, the three leading American face mask brands are Mary Kay, SK-II and Neutrogena. A December 2017 survey found that 42 percent of American women prefer facial masks that contain clay, making it the most popular ingredient for facial masks followed by apple cider vinegar and probiotics.
Although the staples have maintained their popular status, there are always new and exciting face masks entering the market and drumming up interest in the online beauty community. Between 2015 and 2016 the Google search engine queries about “carbonated clay mask[s]” had grown in volume by over 5000 percent, pointing to a significant amount of buzz surrounding that product.
