Laneige Water Sleeping Pack

One of the differences between the Asian and Western beauty markets is the abundance of home treatments out East. Face masks are seen as a ubiquitous part of the skin-care routine, so much so that mass-market options are sold at the 7-Eleven. It’s no surprise that people like Pat McGrath have caught on to the greatness of Asian face masks and use them (like this SK-II face mask) to prep models' faces backstage.

This face mask, from Korean skincare line Laneige, is consistently in Sephora China’s Top 10 Bestsellers, and made Elle Singapore’s Beauty It List for 2011. It’s called a sleeping mask because there is no rinsing required and you actually go to sleep with it on. After your usual nighttime routine, you use a little plastic spatula (provided in the product’s packaging, and meant to prevent the oils in your hands from contaminating the formula) to scoop out the light blue, water-based gel and spread it in a thin layer over your face. Like the serum contained in most masks, it feels richer than a normal moisturizer, but its gel formulation and 9-hour working time (or less, depending on your REM cycle) allows it to thoroughly sink into your skin so that you wake up looking like you had a double dose of a full night’s sleep.

Laneige Water Sleeping Pack, $21, available at Amazon.