Whether you’re scrolling through Instagram or having a night in with friends, it seems everyone these days it doing sheet masks. These oh-so selfie-worthy masks line the beauty shelves at every store and can be found on everyone from Chrissy Teigen to the rest of us mere mortals.

Do sheet masks live up to the hype? Or are they just overrated?

There’s nothing wrong with sheet masks as long as they are free of harmful ingredients and full of nourishing ingredients that benefit the skin (Vitamins A, B, C & E and hyaluronic acid, for example), but the sheet part of the sheet mask isn’t really necessary.

We said it. In reality, a sheet mask is just another vehicle for delivering serum to your face. Essentially, all you’re doing is applying serum to your face, much like you typically do with serum from a bottle.

These single-use mask products (which are often made with cheap filler ingredients and harmful preservatives) seem like a wasteful method of applying serum. In a time when forward-thinking companies are doing their best to reduce waste and excess packaging, why are individually-wrapped masks all the rage?

A much better solution is to find a serum that contains skin-healthy ingredients, and incorporate that serum into your daily routine. Simply apply – no sheet (that just ends up in the trash) required. Ingredients to look for are Vitamins A, B, C & E, hyaluronic acid, anti-oxidants, and probiotics. We suggest Hydrate in the AM and Reset in the PM.

The second part of the solution is to find a mask that actually is different than your daily serum: a clay mask. Clay is a seemingly-magical ingredient that gives and takes at the same time: It gives your skin micronutrients (like selenium, manganese, and more), and clay also takes away impurities, oils, dead skin, and gunk in your pores by gentle adsorption. A good clay mask will also enhance absorption of other products. Simply apply your clay mask on top of your favorite serum to increase its effectiveness by pushing the serum into the skin.

Sure, sheet masks make for fun selfies, but skip the unnecessary waste, and opt for a trusty serum followed by a clay mask instead – the selfies are just as good. ?