MASQ+

MASQ+ is a Swedish skincare brand built around sheet masks formulated for the Nordic climate. It is a product line of Powerlite AB, a manufacturer based in Mölndal, Sweden, that has produced intense pulsed light (IPL) machines for the professional beauty market since the late 1990s. The masks are developed in Sweden and made in South Korea, and are sold to both clinics and home users through salons, spas and selected pharmacies [11].

The line sits between professional and consumer skincare: some products, such as MASQ+ Intensive, are positioned for clinic use immediately after treatments, while others are marketed for everyday home care. The brand remains active, with new product launches and award wins recorded into 2026 [16].

Powerlite AB traces its beginnings to a Swedish government training scheme. In 1995, founder Mats Höljö was selected together with Jan Westerlund to represent Sweden in the European Executive Training Programme in Japan, an 18-month course financed by the European Commission [13]. The company places its founding in 1998, the year Höljö established Powerlite [13]; its company profile page instead dates production to 1999, noting "We have produced machines since 1999" [12]. The history page resolves the two: 1998 marks the founding and 1999 the first machines.

After completing the programme in Tokyo, Höljö introduced the company's first machine in Halmstad, Sweden. Finding the Swedish market immature at the time, he redirected attention to Japan and adapted the company's production to Japanese standards. Powerlite describes its equipment as a combination of "Swedish concern for safety and Japanese cutting edge technology" [13]. The MASQ+ sheet mask line was added later as the company expanded beyond machines into skincare.

MASQ+ is described by Powerlite as a customised cellulose sheet mask holding 23 to 25 ml of active serum, adapted to what the company calls the "rugged Nordic climate" [14]. The masks draw on ingredients including hyaluronic acid, witch hazel, vitamins C and E, collagen and aloe vera, with newer formulas adding centella asiatica and exosomes. Usage is straightforward: the company instructs users to place a mask over a clean face, leave it for 20 to 30 minutes, then massage in the remaining serum, framing the routine as a moment to relax.

The range spans a number of variants, among them Rejuvenating & Moisture, Hydrating Glow, Cool & Firm eye masks, Bubble & Cleansing Foam and a Moisture mask designed for men, alongside a separate SerumMASQ+ line. MASQ+ Intensive is positioned specifically for professional settings, recommended for use at a clinic directly after treatments such as IPL, microdermabrasion, chemical peeling, microneedling or fillers, to soothe and hydrate the skin [15].

Although the masks are developed in Sweden, manufacturing takes place in Korea, a detail confirmed by a third-party K-beauty review and consistent with Powerlite's stated research and development across Sweden, Japan and South Korea [19]. The line is distributed through salons, clinics, spas and selected pharmacies rather than sold purely at retail [11]. Powerlite operates under the tagline "When you want results" [11].

MASQ+ products have been recognised mainly in Swedish beauty awards. In 2023, ELLE Sweden named MASQ+ Rejuvenating & Moisture its best sheet mask for very dry skin, describing it as an "intensely moisturising sheet mask" containing hyaluronic acid [17]. In April 2026, the newer MASQ+ Exosome Cica won the Beauty Oscar for best sheet mask, awarded by Sweden's beauty editors [16]. The brand has additionally reported wins at the Swedish Beauty Awards and the Sthlm Beauty Week Award, and nominations including MASQ+ Cool & Firm for best eye product at the 2024 SPAawards.

MASQ+ is an active brand. Its most recent visible activity dates to April 2026, when the company announced the Beauty Oscar win for MASQ+ Exosome Cica, a product launched in December 2025 [16]. Powerlite AB continues to operate from Mölndal, with an additional office in Tokyo, and serves international markets through selected distributors [13].