Close your eyes, breathe in and relax. With facial sheet masks, the feeling of a trip to the spa can be realized at home.

A standard in the Asian beauty regimen, the practice is beginning to make waves in North America and Europe. Facial sheet masks, many of which are made with nonwovens, rest on the face for 20 minutes or less and don’t need to be washed off. Serums infused in the masks could be massaged into the face after the sheet is removed, allowing skin to fully absorb the beautifying ingredients.

For fiber producer Lenzing, the facial sheet mask market is a relatively new venture. The company launched its Tencel Skin fiber at ANEX in 2012.

“Tencel Skin is a fiber that is specifically developed for the use in facial masks: it is translucent, skin friendly and botanic,” says Elisabeth Stanger, Lenzing’s global director for business development hygiene.

The environmentally friendly Tencel Skin is biodegradable and compostable, and its cellulose fibers featuring the highest possible level of purity are made from renewable raw material wood sourced from responsibly managed forests. When combined with lotions, the company says it offers unparalleled comfort to users because of its smooth and soft surface.

Lenzing created the fiber especially for facial masks to fulfill the “need for high quality and purity that goes even beyond the requirements of other nonwoven products,” according to Stanger.

Since its launch, Tencel Skin has been honored with a number of awards and eco-labels including an INDEX14 award from EDANA, the European Ecolabel and the Nordic Swan.

Using Tencel Skin, Suominen Nonwovens rolled out Biolace Skin last year as part of its home spa product range. Elisabeth Swennenhuis, product manager for personal care at Suominen, says the unique nano-fibril structure of Tencel Skin “provides strength to maintain facial shape in a wet condition,” adding that fibers can hold a high lotion load, while providing high lotion release to the skin.  

With experience in the beauty and cosmetics market, Suominen’s creation of Biolace Skin, which is made using spunlace-based technology, was a result of emerging trends and consumer demand. “There is a growing population with more disposable income. Consumers are also increasingly considering what to spend their money on. Economic recession and increasing personal time constraints have resulted in many consumers using spas and salons less often. However, they are reluctant to give up on the whole ‘pampering’ experience,” Swennenhuis says.

Suominen also gained insight from consumers on facial sheet masks at their digital community We Love Wipes (www.welovewipes.com), which launched two years ago. The company asked consumers what types of masks they are using, and inquired about habits, preferences and appreciations.

Among the benefits of using nonwovens in sheet masks are clean and easy application and the fact that they act as an incubator on the skin, helping infuse lotion, according to Swennenhuis. “Another advantage is the differentiation in product format. There are many cream, gel and peel-off masks that could benefit from offering these ingredients on a facial sheet mask. On a facial sheet mask the formulation can be less dense, as the sheet mask will retain the liquid and secure equal distribution to the target skin area,” she continues.

What’s more, home spa treatments offer cost savings and time efficiency. “To pay €70 for six facial sheet masks may seem a high price but try to compare that to six visits to an esthetic studio for professional facial treatment. Add to that the amount of time you can save doing this treatment at home. Consumers are also shifting to health and wellness and are willing to pay more for products that can offer them beauty without compromising health and comfort,” she notes.

Diamond Wipes, a U.S. wet wipes manufacturer, is also taking part in the sheet mask trend. The company started producing facial sheet masks last year.

In its dry form, the mask is 33 gsm infused with silk. “This combination provides better texture and efficiency in the application by creating a softer yet durable feel while allowing the facial sheet mask to stretch and conform to the skin,” says Cali Carter, marketing coordinator for Diamond Wipes. “The soft comfort that is achieved with nonwoven fabrics continues to be preferred by brands and consumers.”

Brands Behind the Masks
Toronto, Canada-based brand MaskerAide debuted in 2012. The company currently offers six hydrating facial sheet masks. The masks are made of biodegradable Tencel fiber and are pre-soaked in a super-hydrating serum, according to Karen Viray, partner, MaskerAide.

MaskerAide uses two serum formulas: one is cream-based, which is a heavier formula used for deeper hydration recommended for nighttime use, and the other is a lighter, clear-based serum that is appropriate for use any time of day. Viray says the brand’s serums include argan oil, vitamins, nutrients and natural ingredients.

The company’s masks offer a range of benefits, according to Viray. “MaskerAide facial sheet masks have instant hydrating and nourishing benefits to the skin. It provides an immediate boost of hydration, and an ‘instant glow’ within 10 to 20 minutes. Our masks are pre-packaged in recyclable packaging for one-time use, which is perfect for travel and on-the-go lifestyles.”

With a slew of brands beginning to come out with sheet masks, Viray says the company sets itself apart because of its emphasis on lifestyle, eco-consciousness and safety. Viray cites the brand’s Weather Warrior mask—Calm, Soothe & Heal as an example: “[It’s] for individuals that spend a lot of time in the sun or in extreme cold on the ski slopes.”

MaskerAide’s sheet masks are certified 100% biodegradable. The cellulose that makes up the masks comes from sustainable eucalyptus tree farms—and no old growth forests, genetic manipulation, irrigation or pesticides are used. “This material eliminates the negative environmental impacts of the more common traditional fibers that other sheet mask companies use,” she adds.

Another brand on the market is San Francisco, CA-based Tatcha. When Tatcha’s founder and CEO Victoria Tsai went on a trip to Kyoto, Japan, she was introduced to a “less is more” approach to skincare from a modern-day geisha, which inspired the creation of brand.

Tatcha offers a Luminous Deep Hydration Lifting Mask and Luminous Deep Hydration Revitalizing Eye Mask, both made of a coconut-derived biocellulose. The Luminous Deep Hydration Lifting Mask came out in 2012 and the eye mask debuted in 2014. Both are impregnated with Okinawa red algae extract, Japanese rice bran extract and green tea complete DNA extract.

Producing the masks with nonwovens shows benefits. “The occlusive material of the mask allows the serum’s active ingredients to penetrate more quickly and deeper,” says Alexandra Schilling, communications specialist at Tatcha.

Procter & Gamble also offers a nonwoven facial sheet mask through its prestige brand SK-II. SK-II’s Skin Signature 3-D Redefining Mask, which first launched in 2006 under a different name, provides a stretchable fabric for a perfect fit.

SK-II’s roots come from Japan, more than 30 years ago, when a team of scientists were traveling in the country and visiting a sake brewery, according to Laura Goodman, MS, senior scientist, P&G.

“They noticed that the workers there were very elderly, but there hands were very soft, smooth and young looking,” Goodman notes.
“Their hands were in constant contact with the fermentation process and that intrigued the scientists. It took five years to figure out there was a particular strain of yeast offering the benefits to the skin, which is the yeast SK-II scientists’ culture today.

“At the peak of the fermentation cycle, the yeast releases a nutrient rich fluid—that’s what we capture as Pitera,” Goodman continues. Pitera, which is an exclusive SK-II ingredient, is composed of vitamins, minerals, amino acids and organic acids, she adds.

After conducting extensive consumer research on facial sheet masks, Goodman says the brand discovered consumers focused on the fit. SK-II also considered more pronounced signs of aging, including deeper wrinkles and loss of elasticity, while developing the 3-D Redefining Mask.

“The fit of the mask was going to be extremely important, but we also knew that we had to deliver hydration—that is where the nonwovens came in,” Goodman says. “So, we developed a three-layer mask with stretchable outer layers sandwiching a hydrophilic middle layer.”

The 3-D Redefining Mask is a two-part mask, comprised of an upper mask and a lower mask. The upper portion covers the forehead, goes around the eyes, then comes down under the eyes, while the bottom piece goes across the cheek, nose and chin area, and users pull up the sides to attach the bottom mask to the top portion. “The mask doesn’t have anything mechanically that hooks it into the top part of the mask, but with the way that the nonwovens are, they almost stick to themself. This allows you to pull the mask up and stretch it, so you feel lifted,” Goodman explains. The two separate portions of the mask are key to getting the right fit, she adds.
In order to create a mask that stretched but also allowed the brand to add all of its hydrating components, she says they had to make something with three layers. The two outer layers are stretchable nonwoven fabric, and the middle layer is made of pulp fiber, which holds the Pitera essence and other key ingredients.

“If you had to describe the formulation that’s on the masks it would be like a serum. So if you get one and you open it up, you can feel it. It’s thicker than something like water, but it’s not a cream either. So, that middle layer is the one that allows us to deliver the hydration, which is extremely critical,” she says.

SK-II’s 3-D Redefining Mask should be left on for at least 15 minutes, and once it’s removed, the leftover serum can be rubbed right into the skin.

Heading West
The consensus among nonwovens industry players and beauty brands is that sheet masks are trending up and more Westerners are embracing the Asian beauty routine.

“As shown with the popularity of BB creams in the West—nearly 500 product launches in 2012 versus less than 50 in 2011—the U.S. beauty market, brands and consumers are now more than eager to adopt Asian skincare concepts and products and make them their own. This includes the popular facial sheet mask application concept,” says Diamond Wipes’ Carter. “With new emerging formulations and benefits, sheet masks are becoming more widely known as an at-home indulgence experience that Americans can fit into their busy lifestyles.”

For SK-II, while the brand has only been in the U.S. since 2007, it is one of the leading prestige brands in Asia. “A lot of skincare innovation has been led out of the East and we’re really trying to get to the Western consumer more into using masks. The benefit is incredible. It’s just not something that the Western woman grew up with necessarily—seeing her mother or relatives using masks—but it is moving Westward for sure,” Goodman says.

Lenzing’s Stanger acknowledges the mainstream use of these masks in the East, saying they’re a “part of the routine for the caring and cleaning of peoples’ skin” in the Asian market. “Although the market is still less developed in Europe and North America, we also see an increasing interest in this geography as well,” she adds.

The popularity of facial sheet masks in Asia is also apparent to Suominen. “Volumes in this region indicate that this is no longer a niche market. Consumers are even integrating facial sheet mask treatments into their daily skin care routines. In bigger cities this is often related to air pollution and the negative effects to the skin appearance,” Swennenhuis comments.

She also notes that Asia is a hotbed for beauty and cosmetic trends, with Japan and Korea being way ahead of the curve. “Many of these innovative solutions travel to the European and North American markets over time.” Suominen is therefore focusing on Europe and North America, where it is establishing full local supply chains for Biolace Skin facial sheet masks, emphasizing sustainability and economic health for the region.