Flexible packaging & pouches

Six pouch formats cosmetic brands actually use.

Flexible pouches, with numbers.

A printed sheet-mask pouch (about 4 × 10 cm) carries an industry floor of around 100,000 pieces per design at large converters and around 30,000 at smaller ones, with gravure cylinders at RMB 850–1,500 (≈USD 120–210) per colour and a 15–20 day cycle with ±10% over- or under-run. Pouches on stock film with custom print run 25–35 days; a custom structure or spout tooling 55–75 days. The pass marks are numeric: top seal ≥60 N/15 mm, side seals ≥65 N/15 mm, spout and tube-style seals ≥20 N/cm, and on foil structures oxygen and moisture transmission ≤0.1 per m² per 24 h.

Specification: pouch formats, sizes and structures

Barrier structures: what each film actually blocks

Indicative MOQ, plates and lead time (partner-factory practice)

QC thresholds for pouches and sachets

Compatibility: which formula goes in which structure

Print and finish × indicative MOQ

Six-module program for flexible packaging and pouches

Barrier data for foil, EVOH and mono-PE structures is tabulated on cosmetic tube specifications, and the formula rules on the compatibility matrix. Refill spout pouches for wash-off products sit in the haircare and bodycare solution; sachets and mask pouches for treatment lines in the skincare solution. The test battery is on cosmetic packaging quality standards; supplier screening on how to evaluate a China packaging supplier. Sibling formats: cosmetic tubes, HDPE shampoo bottles and refillable packaging.

Related standards: lead time and production calendar · decoration process comparison · export packing and transit standards · sustainable and refill packaging · all engineering references

Frequently asked about pouches & sachets.

What pouch type is right for sheet masks?

Sheet masks use a three-side-seal foil sachet. The key is a high-barrier laminate — typically PET/AL/PE — that blocks oxygen and light to keep the serum stable, plus a tear notch for clean opening. For brands wanting a recycle-ready story, an aluminium-free high-barrier structure is available, though barrier performance should be validated against your formula.

Why are sample sachets worth it for a beauty brand?

A single-dose sachet is the cheapest way to get a full product experience into a prospective customer's hands — in a gift-with-purchase, a subscription box, an influencer mailer or an in-store sample. The packaging cost per unit is low, and the conversion impact of a tried-and-loved sample is high. It's customer acquisition disguised as packaging.

Can flexible pouches be made recyclable or with PCR content?

Yes. Mono-material PE or PP laminates create recycle-ready structures that replace traditional mixed-aluminium laminates, suitable for kerbside or store-drop recycling depending on the market. PCR content and kraft-look laminates are also available. As with all eco claims, we require the supporting certificate from the film supplier so your recyclability or recycled-content claim is defensible.

Which pouch suits liquids versus powders?

Liquids (serum, lotion, shampoo, refills) are best in a spout pouch for controlled dispensing, or a flat sachet for single doses. Powders and granules (bath salts, scrubs, powdered masks) suit a stand-up or flat-bottom pouch, usually with a resealable zipper. We spec the gusset, closure and film to your specific fill and filling line.

What is the minimum order, and how fast can I get samples?

Flexible packaging carries a low MOQ relative to rigid packaging, which makes it ideal for launches, limited editions and sampling programmes. Stock film with custom print runs in roughly 25–35 days; custom structures or spout tooling add time. Send your brief and we'll come back with format options, an indicative MOQ and a sample timeline within 24 hours.

What is the real MOQ for a printed sheet mask pouch from China?

For a standard 4 × 10 cm printed foil mask pouch the industry floor is around 100,000 pieces per design at large converters and around 30,000 at smaller ones, because gravure cylinders cost RMB 850–1,500 (about USD 120–210) per colour and the press run has to amortise them. Printed roll film for your own form-fill-seal line starts from about 100 kg (about RMB 45/kg); unprinted roll film from 30–50 kg (about RMB 38/kg). The cycle is 15–20 days including plates, with ±10% over- or under-run. A pure aluminium structure costs about 30% more per unit than a metallised one. Below those floors, a plain stock pouch with a pressure-sensitive label from about 500 pieces is the honest route.

Where can I buy facial sheet mask pouches wholesale?

From flexible-packaging converters that print and laminate foil or EVOH structures, most of them in Guangdong and the Yangtze delta, or through a sourcing partner that places your design with a converter already running the structure. For the three-side-seal PET/AL/PE mask pouches sourced here, the industry floor is about 30,000 pieces per design at smaller converters and around 100,000 at large ones, because gravure cylinders cost RMB 850–1,500 (about USD 120–210) per colour. The cycle is 15–20 days with ±10% over- or under-run, and heat seals are checked at 20 N/cm or more. Under 30,000, use a plain foil pouch with a printed label.

Read before you brief us.

• Foil vs Clear Laminate for a Sheet Mask Pouch: Barrier, MOQ and Seal Strength
• Refill Pouch vs Inner Cartridge vs Jar Pod: Which Refill Format Is Cheapest to Launch?
• Sheet Mask Pouch MOQ from China: Why Foil Is 100,000 and How to Get 30,000
• Spout Pouch Refills for Cosmetics: MOQ, Fitment Tooling and Seal Tests

Not sure what to specify? Use the Packaging Spec Builder — formula, volume, quantity and launch date in, a 12-line spec sheet with MOQ verdict and order-by date out.