A long beloved skincare product, face masks have exploded in popularity as of late, with the global market expected to grow at a staggering CAGR of 24.6% by 2027.

“Face masks have become the foundation of any luxurious skin care routine. No matter how tired, stressed, broken-out, or dehydrated your skin may be, there’s a face mask out there to actually help it recover and return your natural glow,” explains the Harper’s Bazaar staff.

The three key drivers behind the face mask boom include a consumer desire for pampering treatments at home, an increased focus on skincare over makeup, and trending face masks, formulated with natural ingredients like clay, that appeal to green, clean consumers.

Luxury at home

To begin, the current surge in popularity for face masks is linked to the consumer desire for pampering treatments at home.

After spending more time at home last year, without access to salons or spas, many consumers attempted to recreate their own spa-like experiences with skincare and personal care products.

To that extent, face masks became the perfect option for stressed out consumers to add a touch of luxury and pampering into their daily lives.

“For many of us, distraction has become a way to get over the hurdles of lockdown. Beauty has become a tool for taking our mind off things and a form of self-care during lockdowns,” writes Amelia Bell in Refinery29. “As our routines have changed, so have our priorities, making it easy to justify a beauty purchase in lieu of eating out or going out (especially if the purchase comes with a certain feelgood factor).”

For many consumers, a face mask is an affordable and luxurious way to improve the skin and relax.

Less makeup, more skincare

Another driver behind the projected growth of the face mask market is decreased interest in wearing makeup, and increased interest in skincare. As consumers spent more time at home during lockdowns last year, makeup sales fell. In contrast, skincare sales soared, including sales of face masks.

“As more women work from home and wear masks when they go out, their desire for color cosmetics such as lipstick and blush has plummeted. It has accelerated two trends in the industry: a focus on skin care and “try-on” technology,” explains Veronica Dahger in the Wall Street Journal.

Consumers love the affordable luxury face masks offer

With less of a need or desire to wear makeup, many consumers are instead opting to take better care of their skin, with formulations like face masks.

Moving ahead, experts predict many consumers will continue to make face masks a regular part of their skincare routines.

Natural, trending claims

Finally, a third major driver behind the surge in popularity for face masks is the abundance of new natural formulations, like clay based masks, that tap into key claims.

“For acne-prone skin, the right face mask can be life-changing. A face mask can provide that extra something to further your acne treatment.”

Elle Australia

The most popular, trending claims for face masks include:

  • Cleansing
  • Purifying
  • Detoxifying, detox 
  • Anti-acne
  • Anti-pollution

With cases of adult acne on the rise, increased awareness about potential skin damage from blue light, and an increased desire for anti-pollution skincare products, it’s no surprise face masks designed to cleanse and purify the skin are in such high demand.

As more consumers seek to both protect and bolster the heath of their skin, naturally cleansing, purifying, and anti-acne face masks, formulated with ingredients like clay, will only grow in popularity.

Full steam ahead for face masks

Moving ahead, expect face masks to continue to skyrocket in popularity, as consumers seek out modern, natural formulations that can tackle every kind of skincare issue and promote a more luminous complexion.