Why You Should Be Using a Silk Pillowcase
There's nothing more luxurious than sleeping on a bed made of silk, but aesthetics aside, the fabric can also help you wake up with smoother skin and shinier hair.
Praised by beauty experts and product junkies from around the world, silk pillowcases are rife with beauty benefits. Unlike cotton, silk does not catch the hair or leave marks the face, so you can say goodbye to waking up with bedhead and unglamorous pillow marks on your cheek.
Silk also creates less friction than other fabrics, therefore reducing frizz and hair breakage, and even preventing wrinkles by not pulling on skin while you sleep. Another major advantage? Unlike cotton, silk does not absorb moisture from your hair or the skincare you apply to your face before bed.
“We spend a third of our lives sleeping, during which we can form bad habits relating to our skin and hair without knowing it,” says Clara Vilarem, who launched the French silk brand Venus & Gaia in 2019. “Silk naturally contains 18 amino acids, which allows skin and hair to regenerate from the inside out and boosts collagen production. It is also antibacterial, hypoallergenic and thermoregulatory.”
To truly benefit from a silk pillowcase, look for cases that are 100% silk satin. Satin is the type of weave, while silk is the material.
It's also important to pay attention to the number of momme (mm), which is the unit used to measure the quality of silk fabrics. Similar to thread counts of cotton sheets, the higher the momme, the higher quality the silk. While 25mm is the most durable, look for silk bedding that is at least 19mm.
Silk being a very delicate textile, some precautions must be taken to maintain it. “The best way to wash your pillowcase is by hand washing at 86°F or less. This way you will preserve its quality, shine and smoothness,” explains Abigail Benton, founder of UK label The Big Silk. If you do choose to machine wash, do so on a delicate cycle and inside of a mesh washing bag. Let your silks air dry without exposing them to strong heat sources like direct sunlight or a radiator.
While silk pillowcases can be high maintenance, the beauty benefits far outweigh the necessary extra care.
