I can understand about not wanting to take medications, I'm much the same if the side effects are worse or as bad as the condition I think it's only natural to question the medicine. The skin is part of the organ system so any disruption there will most likely have effect in the skin, it's not a husk that simply covers the rest and operates on its own. When issues are more than, excuse the awful pun, skin deep, I do think the approach needs to be wider than just skincare products, whether that be diet, allergy tests, supplements, acupuncture, medication, etc.
So sheet masks. (Are people interested in Asian Beauty btw? I know the current thread seem a little difficult to get into since it's so far along, perhaps people are interested in ingredients and routines specific to AB here?)
Like I mentioned most are a high dose of hydration due to the prolonged period of exposure and therefore absorption of a substantial amount of product where the cloth doesn't allow it to evaporate as quickly. Asian beauty companies often describe the contents as a 'serum' but I wouldn't classify them as that.
They are cheap things, it's mostly Butylene Glycol (not everyone's favourite ingredient but you'll be hard pressed to find something without it) and Glycerine (a humectant). The cheaper masks are made of cotton and make you look like a serial killer, pricier ones are made of very thin silk and make you look like a ghost, a friendly one. There are a few other materials out there, I believe it's comfort (silk) over price mostly, with a bit of novelty thrown in. Unless you get into bio-cellulose and modelling masks the material does little different ime, though silk does seem to stay wet longer but it's a highly personal thing if you enjoy that sort of thing.
Though many promise lots of treatments with active ingredients the effects are very temporary, anything from an hour to one or two days. I wouldn't consider them as part of a routine (though some do use them this way) but something you pull out if you need a bit of a boost, or to use as a tool to help other things sink in quickly and deeper, say for a special event.
A lot have a high% of alcohol, which as mentioned before not necesarrily detrimental but can be drying. Fragrance is my issue with most. Another issue is preservatives. Asia has massively jumped on the 'no nasties' train quite recently and the reaction by manufacturers has been quick and perhaps too quick as it means there are some out there that use preservatives that are not allowed in the EU for genuinely being harmful so checking out the INCI on sheet masks is the most tedious of all. cosdna.com is very helpful with this but you're still left googling the odd sounding ingredients.
Korean hygiene scandal info here, there were a few companies using at home labour to fold their sheet masks, coupled with the pull back on preservatives (some manufacturers choose not to use preservatives at all since it's an air sealed single use item) it spells a recipe for disaster. Some Korean companies, were however, exemplary in their hygiene standards so it's rather unfair to tar them all with the same brush. Here is an updated list of replies from individual companies.
So in my current rotation are the Lululun Precious Red Masks (Japanese), these are really basic no frill sheet masks but do their job very well, usually the thing I grab when I use a sheet mask as a tool. Ingredients wise not anything spectacular but it's where I got my love of Rice Bran Oil from. They come in a multipack (which I kind of like but most prefer individually wrapped).
The Naruko Magnolia masks (Taiwanese) - these do give a brightening and evening skin tone effect that lasts longer than most (two days or so). Supposedly it's firming too but I can't really attest to that. These are more of a special treat type thing and when I want to pretend to be a porcelain doll.
I'm also a big fan of the Blithe Intensive Mask (Korean) - Abalone which has a bunch of oils in it and a few peptides (copper and matrixyl). Can't really tell you why I like it so much but I just do, it just lifts your skin up a notch when you need it.
I've tried other 'flavours' from the same brands and a few others (L'Herboflore, My Scheming, and Lovemore) none of them were outright horrible (L'Herboflore lovely as it was, the fragrance wasn't) I ended up liking these the best but it is highly individual. The Koreans are usually liked for the relatively low prices, the Taiwanese for the more luxurious silk mask types, and the Japanese for their no frills approach.
I buy them all from eBay, usually a single or two first to try. This does come out more expensive, usually around $2 (USD) each and if I like it will buy a box of ten.