Lyocell Sheet Mask Fabric — Custom GSM, Cut and Width

What Lyocell Is — and What It Is Not

Lyocell is a regenerated cellulose fiber. Wood pulp is dissolved in a non-toxic amine oxide solvent and spun into filament, then cut into staple fiber for nonwoven web formation. The solvent is recovered in a closed loop, which is why lyocell is usually described as the lower-impact member of the regenerated cellulose family.

Two things buyers routinely get wrong:

• Tencel is not a separate fiber. Tencel is Lenzing AG's brand name for its lyocell. All Tencel is lyocell; not all lyocell is Tencel. If a supplier quotes 'Tencel' at a lyocell price, ask for the fiber certificate.
• Lyocell is not bio-cellulose. Bio-cellulose is fermented by bacteria into a hydrogel sheet. It feels different, costs several times more, and is a different production line entirely.

Why Brands Specify Lyocell for Sheet Masks

• Liquid retention. A lyocell sheet holds roughly 2–3 times its own weight in serum without pooling or dripping — the practical reason it is the default for premium hydrating masks.
• Drape and fit. Fine, smooth filaments sit flat across the nose bridge and jawline instead of lifting at the edges.
• Wet strength. It survives being soaked, unfolded, and repositioned without tearing — a real failure point for cheap viscose.
• Hand feel. Soft against skin with low lint, which matters for sensitive-skin positioning.
• Story. Closed-loop solvent recovery is a defensible sustainability claim, unlike generic 'eco-friendly' language.

Specifications We Run

Every parameter below is confirmed against your brief before sampling, not guessed from a catalogue:

• Fiber — 100% lyocell, or lyocell blended with viscose, cotton, or bamboo for cost or hand-feel adjustment
• Grammage — 20–60 GSM, with 30–40 GSM being the working range for most full-face masks
• Roll width — set to your die layout, so you cut with minimal edge waste
• Surface — plain, embossed, perforated, or pearl-dot
• Color — natural, or dyed to your Pantone reference / lab dip
• Format — roll, flat stack, or cut blanks stacked to your packing pattern

Choosing a Grammage

• 28–32 GSM — light and clingy. Good for essence-type formulas and a 'barely there' feel. Lower serum load per sheet.
• 33–38 GSM — the volume range. Holds a normal 25–30 ml dose without dripping, drapes well, and is the safest starting point for a first SKU.
• 39–50 GSM — heavier hand for rich creams, overnight masks, or a 'thick = premium' market expectation. Costs more per sheet and needs a longer soak time.
• Above 50 GSM — usually a fit problem rather than a benefit: the sheet lifts at the jaw and needs more serum to saturate evenly.

Cut, Shape and Packing Format

• Full face, half face, under-eye, neck, hand, foot, or full custom die-cut
• Eye, nose, and mouth openings repositioned to your facial template
• Slits, ear loops, and laminated backings where the format needs them
• Cut blanks delivered interleaved in your stacking order, ready for the filling line

If you already have a die, send the drawing and we cut to it — no tooling charge. A new die carries a one-time cost and adds to the sampling lead time.

Lyocell vs Tencel vs Viscose vs Bio-Cellulose

• Lyocell — strong wet performance, good drape, mid-to-premium cost. The default for hydration-led masks.
• Tencel — branded lyocell with a traceable certification chain. Same performance, higher cost, longer lead time.
• Viscose — cheapest of the three cellulose options. Weaker when wet and less consistent in drape, but perfectly serviceable for high-volume entry SKUs.
• Bio-cellulose — fermented hydrogel. Best cling and the strongest premium signal, at several times the cost per sheet and a longer production cycle.

A practical path for most brands: launch on lyocell at 35 GSM, and add a bio-cellulose hero SKU once volume justifies it.

MOQ Tiers

• Swatch — free swatch set so you can feel the fabric before committing
• Trial order — 1,000 sheets (≈ 50 kg of roll, depending on width and grammage)
• Full production — 10,000 sheets (≈ 500 kg of roll), where volume pricing applies

Below the trial tier? Ask anyway. Roll stock orders can be structured differently from cut-sheet orders.

Sampling Process

1. Brief — fiber, grammage, sheet dimensions, shape, color, and target quantity. A photo or drawing of the shape saves a round trip.
2. Swatch — fabric swatches in your shortlisted grammages.
3. Cut sample — physical sample cut to your shape for fit and drape testing with your actual serum.
4. Approval — you sign off on the physical sample; it becomes the retained production reference.
5. Bulk run — production against the approved sample.

Quality Control

• Incoming fiber checked for lot consistency before web formation
• In-line monitoring of grammage and width
• Cut accuracy checked against the approved die
• Retained reference sample from every approved run
• Batch traceability by order number, with pre-shipment inspection before export packing

Lead Time

• Swatch dispatch — 5 working days after brief confirmation
• Cut sample — 15 working days after swatch sign-off (plus tooling time if a new die is required)
• Bulk production — 30 working days from approved sample

Two constraints to plan around: Chinese New Year, when production slows for roughly three weeks around late January to mid-February, and the Q4 peak, when lines book up ahead of the holiday season. Spring and holiday programmes should be placed early.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is lyocell better than viscose?
For a premium hydration mask, yes — stronger when wet, better drape, more consistent. For a high-volume entry SKU where cost leads, viscose is the rational choice. We run both.

Can you supply 100% lyocell, not a blend?
Yes. Blends are an option we offer, not a default we impose.

Do you supply the serum as well?
No. We manufacture the fabric and the cut sheet. Filling and formulation stay with you or your contract manufacturer — which also keeps regulatory responsibility for the finished cosmetic where it belongs.

Which grammage should I start with?
35 GSM, unless your serum is unusually light or heavy. It is the range that behaves predictably across most filling lines.

Can you match a sample I already have?
Send it. We will identify the likely fiber and grammage and quote the closest match, then confirm with a physical swatch.

Start a Lyocell Project

Email tianyu.maskcloth@gmail.com with your brief — fiber, grammage, sheet size, shape, color, and target quantity. You will get a swatch set and a quotation, usually within two business days.