Sale alert! From today through this coming Sunday, March 26 – March 29 EST, Etude House is having a Spring Weekend Sale with free shipping on orders over $50! And since I’ve been falling more deeply in love with the Etude House I Need You! sheet masks with every mask I use, now seems like a great time to talk about the line.
As I mentioned in my review of the Etude House I Need You sheet mask in Vita Complex, I hadn’t expected anything special from this line. The spectacular results I got from it were one hell of a pleasant surprise. And it turns out that those results weren’t a fluke, limited to the Vita Complex mask. Since then, I’ve tried the Lemon, Acai Berry, and Tea Tree masks from this line (comparison reviews with similar masks from other brands coming soon), and they’ve proven consistently impressive. Each of the masks I’ve tried has left my skin looking translucently bright and feeling incredibly smooth, soft, and juicy-moist. They’ve also all lived up to the specific claims attached to their star ingredients. I’m sold, and Etude House’s I Need You sheet masks have now surpassed my old standby My Beauty Diary as my favorite sheet masks to use when my skin sends out an SOS. The only people for whom I would not recommend these masks are those who are sensitive to alcohol.
Let’s take an objective look at what makes Etude House’s I Need You sheet masks so special for me.
Etude House I Need You Sheet Mask Star Ingredients
Every sheet mask has some star ingredients, and many star ingredients are common across multiple lines. You’ll frequently find honey, aloe, green tea, pearl, pomegranate, and rice varieties in a brand’s sheet mask line, for example. The problem is that with some brands, it’s either hard to tell just how much of that star ingredient the mask actually contains, or else a look at a mask’s ingredients reveals that the supposed star ingredient is discouragingly low on the list.
Not so with any of the Etude House I Need You sheet masks that I own. The ingredients lists state exactly how much of the star ingredient is included in each mask. All of the masks I own that feature natural or botanical extracts contain exactly 20mg of the featured extract; Hyaluronic Acid and Collagen each contain 2mg of their star ingredient, and Coenzyme Q10 contains 1mg. I have to say, I really appreciate Etude House’s transparency when it comes to their star ingredients.
Etude House I Need You Sheet Mask Base Essence
Of course, the star ingredients aren’t the only substances that make or break a sheet mask. 20mg (or 2, or 1) isn’t much when you consider that each sheet mask is 20ml. The base essence the sheet masks use makes an arguably bigger difference, especially when comparing sheet masks of the same type from different brands. In fact, I think the base essence that Etude House uses across its I Need You sheet mask line is probably the real differentiator that makes these masks so much better for me than either the Innisfree or The Face Shop sheet masks I’ve been trying out too.
If you look at any sheet mask’s ingredients, you’ll see a few common ingredients. Sheet masks will always contain some humectants (Etude House’s I Need You sheet masks rely primarily on glycerin and, surprisingly, do not typically include hyaluronic acid), penetration enhancers, film formers, pH adjusters, and usually preservatives. They may also contain a few botanical extracts.
I have a feeling that the botanical extracts in the I Need You sheet masks are what really make them great.
After a look at the ingredients lists on all of my remaining I Need You sheet masks, I noticed several that are common across all of them: camellia sinensis leaf extract, sophora angustifolia root extract, lonicera japonica (honeysuckle) flower extract, prunus persica (peach) leaf extract, paeonia albiflora root extract, gingko biloba leaf extract, and scutellaria root extract.
The use of most of these extracts dates back to traditional Chinese medicine (court ladies needed to beautify their skin long before the advent of modern chemistry, after all!), and they look carefully chosen for their skin-beautifying and skin-protective properties. Nearly all of them are antioxidants and a majority of them are anti-inflammatory. Some, like prunus persica (peach) leaf extract and gingko biloba leaf extract, show promise as wrinkle reducers, while others, like sophora angustifolia root extract, and scutellaria baicalensis root extract, may also be effective at skin brightening. I’ve gotten consistent and noticeable brightening and skin tone evening effects from the I Need You sheet masks even when those aren’t the effects claimed on the packages. I credit those effects to the botanical extracts they all have in common.
An Intro to Etude House I Need You Sheet Mask Varieties
The sheer variety of masks offered in the Etude House I Need You line of sheet masks is staggering. Here are a bunch of them, categorized by effect.
Where to Buy Etude House I Need You Sheet Masks
If you’re just starting to get into Korean skin care, trying to buy products online can be intimidating at first. That’s why I’ll be offering links to recommended vendors in all my product reviews and features going forward. I have used all of the sellers and webshops I link to, and I can vouch for their reliability and trustworthiness, so you can feel confident buying from them.
Etude House I Need You sheet masks are individually available for $0.95 USD apiece on the Etude House website. These will ship from Korea so may take a few weeks to reach you, depending on which shipping option you choose.
If you, like me, are impatient, have a hard time deciding which varieties you want to try, and/or have Amazon Prime, you can find assortments on Amazon at the following affiliate links:
- Etude House I Need You Mask Sheet 20pcs set
for $29.98 USD
- Etude House I Need You Mask Sheet 15pcs set
for $19.98 USD
Some Amazon vendors also offer individual varieties of Etude House I Need You sheet masks at various price points. As you can see, the Amazon offerings are marked up versus buying directly from Etude House, but those prices include (and significantly offset) the shipping costs, and in most cases, you’ll get your masks very quickly. For those looking for the best deal, I recommend putting together an identical shopping cart at each webshop you look at, then selecting the one that comes out the cheapest after shipping–each webshop calculates shipping slightly differently.
Have you tried any Etude House I Need You sheet masks yet? What did you think of them?
Fifty Shades of Snail 
Etude House Masks fit my face horribly haha but I actually hoarded one of each too
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I got the aloe one as a free gift once and it was ok. I wanted to purchase some more from this line, but the main ingredients (first few listed on the package, which I’m assuming is in order from most to least amount as per usual) didn’t look all that impressive. I opted for Benton, It’s Skin, and Nature Republic masks instead, soley based on the ingredients. Your review is making me want to give Etude House another shot though
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There’s nothing like the Benton sheet masks, is there? They’re so amazing.
I would think that the Aloe mask is probably fairly bland, just because aloe is a pretty bland kind of ingredient. If you do try any EH masks again, I recommend the Vita Complex. It’s great.
And I just got some It’s Skin and Nature Republic masks today! I’m excited to try them out. What are your favorites?
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Yesss they work so well and the ingredients list is amazing! I only have one left and I’m trying to save it for a rainy (aka bad skin) day lol
I’ll take a look at the Vita Complex one, thanks for the rec!
I just ordered the honey one from It’s Skin and the snail solution one from Nature Republic. I’m actually fairly new to prepackaged sheet masks, so I haven’t tried many. Have you heard of the “lotion mask” method by Chizu Saeki? I do a modified form of that with Hada Labo Shirojyun lotion quite often, and it’s a cheap, quick, and convenient boost of hydration and skin brightening. Plus I use the stretchy cotton pads to get a custom fit (prepackaged masks don’t cover the sides of my nose). It definitely doesn’t feel as luxurious as prepackaged masks, but it’s a nice treat I can easily do every day if I wanted
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I’m so glad I’m not the only one with those thoughts about the Innisfree masks in comparison to Etude House! Innisfree It’s Real green tea & lime were such snoozefests for me, but after using a few from Etude (green tea, honey, and olive especially) I think I’ve found my favorite roadshop brand for masks! I love the milky essence of the Etude, it’s so soothing and hydrating for my dry skin. I stocked up and also got some as Christmas gifts :D:D
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Do you know why brands include so much alcohol in products with loads of great ingredients? Isn’t all the stress for the skin caused by the irritation of the alcohol like a direct canceling of the benefits of the good ingredients? Is it only for preservation? They look so great but I read so much about the indirect irritation of especially alcohol that I told myself I would avoid anything that contains any…
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Hi Valerie! There is a lot of scaremongering going on with regards to alcohol (like a certain Paula’s Choice article that managed to cite a study about regularly ingested alcohol as an argument against alcohol in cosmetic products, hahaha, and I believe also used studies showing the effects of straight alcohol applied to skin rather than alcohol included in the low amounts typical of cosmetic products).
It’s true that some people have a sensitivity to alcohol and may find it irritating or drying, but the evidence overall is that alcohol is not an irritant, especially not in the small concentrations used in cosmetics. Alcohol is mainly used as a solvent (certain ingredients need to be dissolved in alcohol), as a penetration enhancer, and also kills microbes.
Here’s a couple of interesting links on the topic:
http://thebeautybrains.com/2015/10/is-it-okay-to-have-alcohol-in-your-skin-care-products-episode-105/
https://www.futurederm.com/why-alcohol-in-skin-care-is-safe-despite-what-paula-begoun-says/
Of course, if you personally choose to avoid alcohol in your skincare products, that’s 100% valid and up to you! 🙂
I hope that answers your questions!
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Wow thank you very much for your answer! That is funny because I actually read most of this stuff on Paula’s website and in her “Beauty Bible”! 😀 But once again that shows, that we should not believe everybody… I will definitely listen to that Podcast and read the article, thanks again!
I found your blog recently, and I feel like your opinion really comes from a lot of knowledge, I love it! Also great that you take the time to answer questions! 🙂
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These masks were my intro to the KB world! I was on a business trip in Singapore, and I found myself in one of their stores. About two hours later, I was schlepping bags of goodies back to the hotel, wondering how the hell I would get everything home.
You’re right – they do market to the younger crowd, but their products really are quite good for us oldsters as well. Their lipsticks are fabulous! RRS has all EH on sale right now (low on mask inventory though).
Thanks for the Vita Complex review! I just snagged the last available box of 10 ($12.61 incl shipping – yay me!) from an Ebay seller. That was the only one I hadn’t yet tried. I love the lemon one.
Thanks, as always, for all the information you give us. I appreciate all the work you put into the blog!
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