Croas ar Neizic
29800 Saint-Thonan – France
Tel. 33(0)2 98 07 23 65
Fax 33(0)2 98 07 23 66
[email protected]
www.lessonia.com


Based in the northwest of France, Lessonia manufactures cosmetic finished products, cosmetic raw materials and nonwoven sheet masks. The company, which has a turnover of €24 million, works as an OEM/private label manufacturer for cosmetic brands including multinational companies. One factory dedicated to sheet masks produces 48 million masks per year.

Lessonia entered the sheet mask market around four years ago when the popularity of masks started to grow in Europe and North America. According to Charles-Henri Morice, head of innovation at Lessonia, the use of nonwovens for sheet masks improves the performance of cosmetic lotions. “The occlusive effect on skin improves the penetration of active ingredients on the skin and retains water in the skin for the time of application,” he says. “Nonwovens are soft, fine, transparent for some of them (second skin effect) and are able to absorb a lot of cosmetic serum.”

Lessonia’s nonwoven sheet masks are based on a range of natural fibers. One of the most frequently used is lyocell, but the company also develops masks made of viscose and more innovative plant origin fibers such as hemp and flax. The company follows the Standard 100 by OEKO-TEX, ensuring that the material used to make its masks are not harmful and do not present a risk when in contact with skin.

A new sheet mask with a low ecological footprint was recently launched by the company. “To obtain a lower ecological footprint, we have considered all parts of mask: the nonwoven mask, the cosmetic lotion and the packing,” Charles-Henri explains.

In the sheet mask market, brands ordinarily use a sachet with aluminum foil, a material with a high ecological footprint because of its manufacture and production impact. To reduce it, Lessonia is now offering a sachet without aluminum foil. By making this choice, the company says it can divide by two the carbon impact related to the production of the materials needed to manufacture sachets. Moreover, it saves 50 tons of CO2 equivalent in the atmosphere for 10 millions masks produced. While Lessonia is tight lipped about the new sachet technology, the company says the new solution will guarantee efficiency to protect product while reducing environmental impact. Lessonia also removed the polypropylene support usually used to facilitate the sheet mask unfolding. Thanks to this, the company saves 15 tons of polypropylene for 10 million masks produced.

As a European converter of sheet masks, Lessonia believes it has an edge in the market. “Other European and North American competitors buy nonwovens cut and folded in Asia,” says Charles-Henri. “They only have to pack together with a lotion. We industrially use nonwoven rolls and cut and fold by ourselves. With a more automatic industrial process, we are competitive compared with products hand made in Asia…and we control quality.”

While sheet masks is a mature market in Asia, it is a very strong and growing market in Europe and North America. “More and more people are replacing the usual cream with a sheet mask in skin care routines,” says Charles-Henri.