Quick answer: Wet strength decides whether a disposable face towel stays in one piece when it is soaked, rubbed and pulled across the skin. Tencel spunlace nonwoven fabric reaches good wet strength through two things: lyocell fiber that keeps much of its strength when wet, and hydroentanglement that locks the fibers together without chemical binders.
Disposable face towels are now part of many daily routines. People use them for face cleansing, makeup removal, toner application and general skin care, at home, in salons and when travelling. Unlike a bath towel, a face towel is used once, so buyers expect it to feel soft and clean from the first wipe to the last.
A face towel has to work in two very different states. Dry, it needs to be easy to fold, cut, pack and pull out of a box. Wet, it faces more stress: it is soaked with water or cleanser, stretched by the fingers and dragged across the skin. Many fibers lose strength once they absorb water, and that is where problems start.
When wet strength is too low, buyers and end users usually report the same issues:
A towel with good wet strength keeps its integrity during the whole wipe, so the user does not need to use two or three sheets for one job.
Tencel is the brand name of lyocell fiber from Lenzing. Lyocell is a regenerated cellulose fiber made from wood pulp and spun in a solvent process in which the solvent is recovered and reused (see reference 1). Because it is cellulose, it absorbs liquid quickly and feels smooth on the skin. This is why it is a common choice for face towel fabrics and facial mask materials.
All cellulose fibers swell when they take up water. In many regenerated fibers, the swelling pulls the molecular chains apart and the fiber becomes much weaker. Lyocell has a highly oriented and more crystalline internal structure, so it swells but keeps a larger share of its strength. Published fiber data commonly show lyocell keeping a high proportion of its dry tenacity when wet (typically in the region of 80% or more), while standard viscose retains roughly half. Exact values depend on the fiber grade, so please treat Figure 2 as indicative only.
Fiber properties carry through to the finished roll. Longer fibers have more contact points and give a stronger network. Finer fibers (lower dtex) give a smoother surface and more fibers per square meter, but too fine a fiber can be harder to entangle evenly. Raw material quality matters just as much: stable fiber length, low short-fiber content and clean fiber give fewer weak spots and less lint.
Spunlace is another name for hydroentanglement. A web of loose fibers passes under rows of very fine, high-pressure water jets. The jets push the fibers down, they bounce back from the support surface and the fibers wrap around each other. No glue, latex or thermal bonding is needed, which is why Tencel spunlace nonwoven stays soft and skin-friendly.
Final performance depends on water pressure at each jet manifold, nozzle size and spacing, the number of manifolds, line speed, web formation (carding, cross-lapping or parallel lay) and the type of support belt or drum. Too little energy leaves the fabric weak and linty. Too much can make it stiffer or damage the fibers, and lyocell can fibrillate if over-treated. The goal is a balanced setting for each GSM and fiber blend. Aojia runs a one-stop process for spunlace nonwoven, described on our About Us page.
A higher GSM means more fibers in each square meter, so more entanglement points and higher absolute strength and thickness. It also raises cost and can reduce softness and drape. A lighter fabric is not necessarily weak if entanglement and uniformity are good, but the safety margin is smaller.
Pure Tencel gives the softest, most plant-based product with fast absorption. Blending with polyester, viscose or other fibers can add wet strength, dimensional stability or cost savings, at some expense of the pure cellulose positioning. The right choice depends on your market.
This is the structural core of wet strength. Under-entangled fabric looks fine dry but separates when wet, shows surface fuzz and sheds lint.
Variation in web weight across the width or along the roll produces local thin areas. Under tension these become the point of failure, even if the average values on the datasheet look good.
Plain, Mesh, Pearl and EF surfaces change how the towel feels and wipes. Textured and apertured surfaces can help pick up debris and improve hand feel, while the pattern also changes the fiber arrangement, so wet strength should be checked on the actual pattern you plan to buy.
For other end uses of the same material, see our pages on wipes materials, beauty and personal care fabrics and wipes and personal hygiene fabrics.
As a general guide in the industry, lighter sheets of roughly 40–60 GSM suit thin, soft cleansing towels, 60–80 GSM gives a more substantial everyday towel, and 80–120 GSM suits thicker, more durable products. These are starting points only. Always confirm with samples on your own line.
Choose pure Tencel when softness, absorbency and a plant-based story are the selling points. Consider a blend when you need extra wet strength, tighter cost control or better handling on high-speed converting.
| Property | Why it matters | Common test reference |
|---|---|---|
| Basis weight | Checks that the GSM matches the order | ISO 9073-1 |
| Tensile strength, wet and dry | Shows tear risk during use; test samples soaked in your own lotion | ISO 9073-3 or NWSP 110.4 |
| Liquid absorption | Affects how much cleanser or toner the towel holds | ISO 9073-6 |
| Lint generation | Shows fiber shedding and cleanliness | ISO 9073-10 |
| Dimensional stability | Shows shape retention after soaking | Agreed in-house method |
Please confirm the current version of each method with your testing lab (references 2 and 3 below).
Zhejiang Aojia Nonwoven Technology Co., Ltd (Aojia Nonwoven) supplies Tencel spunlace nonwoven fabric for face towels, facial masks and wipes. The material is made by hydroentanglement without chemical binders and is supplied in rolls that cut, fold, soak and pack smoothly.
| Specification | Aojia Tencel Spunlace Nonwoven |
|---|---|
| Material | Tencel (lyocell) fiber or blends |
| Process | Hydroentanglement (spunlace) |
| Basis weight | 30–120 g/m², customizable |
| Width | 100–3400 mm, customizable |
| Pattern | Plain / Mesh / Pearl / EF |
| Color | White / customized |
| Main uses | Facial masks, face towels, wipes |
We adjust weight, width, pattern and fiber composition to your product and target market. If you are comparing materials, you can also review our other spunlace nonwoven products, such as wood pulp spunlace nonwoven, or explore our cosmetology series. More articles are available in our news center.
Need a sample or a quote? Tell us your target GSM, width, pattern and end product. Contact Aojia Nonwoven and our team will recommend a suitable specification.
Zhejiang Aojia Nonwoven Technology Co., Ltd
One-stop process for spunlace nonwoven fabric
Phone: +86-139 0573 1202
Email: info@spunlacenon-wovenfabric.com
Address: No. 398, Huanzhen West Road, Xincheng Town, Xiuzhou District, Jiaxing City, Zhejiang Province, China
Website: www.spunlacenon-wovenfabric.com
Yes. Lyocell keeps a high share of its strength when wet, and hydroentanglement bonds the fibers mechanically. Actual results depend on GSM, blend and process, so request wet tensile data for your chosen grade.
Yes. Aojia offers 30–120 GSM and 100–3400 mm widths, with Plain, Mesh, Pearl and EF patterns.
A well-entangled structure keeps fiber shedding low. Ask for lint test results when comparing suppliers.
