Spunlace is often described as a single process, but the properties brands care about — softness, strength, lint level — are decided across seven stages.
The seven stages
- Plant extraction — cellulose pulp is refined from the raw fibre source.
- Feeding — fibre is opened and blended into a consistent web.
- Carding — fibres are aligned in one direction, setting the grain of the fabric.
- Spunlacing — high-pressure water jets entangle the fibres without chemical binders.
- Drying — controlled heat removes water while preserving loft.
- Winding — the web is rolled at a stable tension for converting.
- Cutting — sheets are die-cut to the mask profile.
Where quality is won or lost
Carding decides uniformity; spunlacing decides strength without stiffness; drying decides hand feel. Because no chemical binder is used, the sheet stays clean — an advantage when the finished product sits against skin for twenty minutes.