Key takeaways
- Tencel is the volume workhorse: good adhesion, low cost, reliable supply.
- Cupro feels smoother and holds more serum, at roughly 30% higher cost.
- Bio-cellulose holds the most serum and photographs best; hydrogel is the coolest on skin.
Four substrates cover almost every sheet mask brief we see, and the choice is usually made on cost before anyone asks about adhesion. It is worth reversing that order, because a mask that slides off the face is a return, whatever it cost.
Tencel — lyocell — is the workhorse. It is spun from wood pulp in a closed-loop process, adheres well when saturated, and costs the least per unit. Most mass-market masks in Europe and North America use it, and the supply chain is deep.
Cupro is a regenerated cellulose with a smoother, silkier hand. It holds more serum per gram of fibre and drapes better around the nose and jaw, which is why Korean premium ranges favour it. Expect roughly 30% more per unit.
Hydrogel is not a fibre at all but a cross-linked polymer matrix. It does not absorb serum so much as contain it, and it delivers a cooling effect that consumers notice. It is the best format for eye patches and for after-sun products.
Bio-cellulose is grown by bacteria, which is why it costs the most and adheres the best. It conforms to the face like a second skin and holds the highest serum load, making it the format of choice for premium and for social-first brands.
Reference: Substrate supplier technical datasheets, 2025
