You’ve seen them before—those hilarious, somewhat Hannibal Lector-looking face masks that everyone’s been trying/using/talking about lately (and even posting on social media, like celebrities Adele, John Stamos, Christy Teigen, and many, many more). This innovative skincare product is taking the beauty world by storm one mask at a time for its ease and performance, but it turns out, these masks have long been a staple in Asian skin care (who just so happen to have the best complexions ever—go figure)! To see what all the fuss is about, we decided to do some research and find out exactly what, why, and how they’re so buzzworthy.

Sheet masks consist of a large piece of fabric, foil, or gel (depending on the brand and purpose) with holes cut out around the eyes, nose, and lips. These face-shaped sheets are formulated (aka drenched!) with special ingredients, serums, and treatments to target the skin and do a number of different things like hydrate, firm, brighten, smooth, correct, anti-age, and overall restore one’s natural glow.

As for how to use these beauty shields, it’s too easy. On a freshly cleansed face, simply open the mask and place it on the skin—it’s that simple. Some sheet masks are meant for overnight use, while some work in just five minutes. They’re ideal for every skin type, as they each have different benefits, so you’ll want to seek out the best one for you.

Now, before you start tossing out those goopy, mud-like tubs and tubes that we all know and love, realize that these sheets are much different from your traditional masks. Yes, each one is unique and jam-packed with skin-loving ingredients, and can deeply nourish and hydrate the skin with next-to-no-effort, but they should not replace replace your everyday serums, treatments, and moisturizers—unless of course, you can afford to do one every single day, which can get pretty pricey. With that said, the benefits and dose of vitamins, amino acids, and minerals make these babies well worth their buck when used 1-2 times per week.

We’ve rounded up a dozen great ones that we’re crushing on hard below!