As a soft, skin-friendly material, spunlace nonwoven fabric is widely used in the production of hygiene and personal care products such as makeup removal pads, facial mask sheets, and soft facial towels.
For cotton tissue production, spunlace nonwoven is also the most common used raw material on the market. However, not all nonwoven materials perform the same way. Factors such as production processes, fiber composition, basis weight (GSM), and web structure directly influence the product’s softness, absorbency, strength, and manufacturability.
Therefore, selecting the appropriate spunlace material is a key factor in producing high-quality soft facial towels.
Why Spunlace Nonwoven Is Suitable for Cotton Tissue Manufacturing
Spunlace nonwoven, also known as hydroentangled nonwoven, is a material produced by using high-pressure water jets to entangle fibers and form a stable nonwoven structure. Unlike woven fabrics, spunlace does not require weaving or knitting, and unlike some other nonwoven processes, it can maintain the natural softness and flexibility of fibers.
There are many types of nonwoven materials, but spunlace has become the preferred choice for cotton tissues, facial towels, and personal care wipes because it provides a good balance between softness, absorbency, and wet strength.
Compared with other common nonwoven processes:
Thermal bond nonwoven uses heat to bond fibers together. It has advantages in cost and production efficiency, but the material is usually stiffer and less fabric-like, making it more suitable for industrial wiping products.
Airlaid nonwoven uses airflow to form a fiber web and is known for its high absorbency. It is commonly used in cleaning wipes and hygiene products, but its strength and textile-like feeling are usually different from spunlace.
Air-through nonwoven uses hot air to bond fibers and can provide a soft and bulky structure. It is widely used in products such as diapers and sanitary products.
For products that directly contact skin, such as cotton tissues and facial towels, spunlace provides better overall performance due to its softness, flexibility, and strong wet durability.
Key Parameter 1: GSM (Basis Weight)
GSM, or grams per square meter, is one of the most important parameters of spunlace nonwoven. It determines the thickness, softness, absorbency, and cost of the final product.
For cotton tissue manufacturing, commonly used GSM ranges vary depending on product positioning.
45–60 GSM spunlace is widely used for facial towel, baby wipes, and daily personal care products. It provides a soft feeling while maintaining reasonable material consumption, at the same time, it offers greater cost-effectiveness.
Driven by consumer demand for a superior user experience and the expanding range of applications for dry wipes, more and more manufacturers are opting for increasingly thicker materials—such as 70–100 GSM or even 120 GSM. Higher basis weights provide greater thickness and absorbency, enhancing comfort while enabling multiple uses across different scenarios; for instance, a soft cotton wipe used for the face can subsequently be used to clean the kitchen or floors.
A higher GSM does not always mean better quality. The ideal GSM depends on the target application, packaging format, and market positioning.
Key Parameter 2: Fiber Composition
The fiber composition of spunlace has a significant influence on the final product performance. Different fibers provide different advantages in softness, absorbency, strength, and cost.
100% Cotton Spunlace
100% cotton spunlace is usually positioned as a premium material. It provides a natural touch, excellent softness, and a comfortable skin feeling, making it suitable for high-end facial towels and baby care products.
The main limitation is its higher raw material cost compared with other fiber options.
100% Viscose Spunlace
Viscose spunlace is one of the most widely used materials in cotton tissue production. It provides excellent softness and absorbency, while maintaining better cost efficiency compared with pure cotton.
Many cotton tissue products on the market use viscose materials because they can achieve a soft, cloth-like feeling while keeping the product price competitive.
Viscose-Polyester Blended Spunlace
Blended materials are also widely used, with common ratios including:
- 80% viscose / 20% polyester
- 70% viscose / 30% polyester
- 50% viscose / 50% polyester
- 30% viscose / 70% polyester
The ratio directly affects product performance. Increasing polyester content improves tensile strength, dimensional stability, and cost efficiency, while increasing viscose content improves softness and absorbency.
Manufacturers usually select different ratios based on product positioning and customer requirements.
Key Parameter 3: Web Formation Structure
Besides fiber composition and GSM, the web formation method of spunlace is another important factor affecting material performance.
Common structures include:
Parallel Laid (Straight Laid)
Fibers are mainly arranged in one direction. This structure provides good longitudinal strength and relatively lower production cost, but strength in the cross direction may be weaker.
Half Cross Laid
Fibers are arranged in multiple directions, creating a more balanced structure. It provides a good combination of strength, softness, and stability, making it commonly used for many cotton tissue products.
Full Cross Laid
Fibers are distributed in a more multi-directional structure. It provides better overall strength balance and a more stable material structure, which is often preferred for higher-quality products.
The web structure can affect not only the physical performance of the material but also its behavior during folding, cutting, and high-speed converting.
How to Choose the Right Spunlace Material for Cotton Tissue Production
In practical manufacturing, there is no single “best” spunlace material. The correct choice depends on the final product requirements.
Manufacturers need to consider:
- Target application
- Product positioning
- Required softness and absorbency
- Tensile strength requirements
- Production cost
- Compatibility with converting equipment
For example, premium baby and facial care products may prefer cotton or high-viscose spunlace, while daily-use products may use viscose or blended materials to achieve a balance between performance and cost.
Understanding the relationship between fiber composition, GSM, and web structure allows manufacturers to select the most suitable spunlace material and produce cotton tissues with consistent quality and market competitiveness.
