A good night’s sleep can make us look and feel rejuvenated. However, what can provide us with clearer, smoother skin and lustrous locks? Well, that’s an easy question to answer! It’s silk and, more specifically, silk pillowcases and all the benefits that come with them.
Many have a skincare routine and a hair care regime that they follow, but no matter how many steps you follow, there is a straightforward solution that can have the best impact on your skin and hair, and that’s sleep!
It doesn’t matter if you use the most luxurious skin and hair products if you aren’t getting enough sleep. Sleeping is when you can rebalance hydration levels and ward off inflammation, making your skin glow and hair healthy. An essential part of that is upgrading what we rest our weary heads on, which is a pillow and its cover.
A silk pillowcase benefits your skin and hair, but most importantly, it improves the quality of your sleep. Most experts such as dermatologists, facialists and trichologists praise silk as the undisputed skin and scalp saviour, and there is a reason for that.
What benefits do silk pillowcases have on your skin?
We’ve all heard that silk is beneficial for your skin. Many factors play a role in that, but the most common ones are the following:
Helps your skincare routine
No matter if you have a hefty or lightweight skincare routine at night, you don’t want it all to rub off on your pillow cover. That’s where silk pillowcases come in because they offer a better chance for your serums and moisturisers to stay on your face, where they belong. In general, silk has way less on than cotton pillowcases, meaning the applied moisture won’t rub off nearly as much while we sleep.
Reduces skin creasing
One of the most common things we can experience when we wake up is the pillow crease marks that have indented themselves into our cheeks. This issue doesn’t occur as much since silk is made from exceptionally smooth fibres that don’t create friction, nor do they impress its texture onto your skin. Said simply, this is a fabric that’s suitable for sensitive or fragile skin.
Keeps your skin cooler
No one likes to sweat at night, and most synthetic fibres tend to trap heat, whereas natural materials like silk are considered to be more breathable. Usually, our skin is less prone to redness and inflammation when kept at a colder temperature, which can be a positive aspect of our sleep quality. Silk can keep your skin cooler and reduce excessive sweating so that you can get a good night’s sleep.
Hypo-allergenic material
Lastly, silk pillowcases are also hypo-allergenic, meaning if you have acne-prone or sensitive skin, it won’t get as irritated as with other fabrics. Silk is also antibacterial, which means less of a chance of your pillow cover containing harmful germs. However, you should still wash it regularly, and every few years, you should replace it with a new one.
What benefits do silk pillowcases have for your hair?
Silk can be very useful when trying to avoid the messy bed hair most of us wake up with. But that’s not all it’s good for. Here are the silk pillowcase benefits for your hair:
Reduces breakage & thinning
We constantly move while we sleep, and so do our skin and hair, meaning they are continuously being aggravated during the night. These movements can cause our hair to break, create thinner hair, frizz, and split ends. But the natural, smooth texture of silk prevents friction between the hair and the pillowcase, making it an excellent solution for our hair.
Helps with messy hair
Silk is excellent for preventing messy hair in the morning. No one like a bed head and silk help with that since it’s an anti-static material that doesn’t impact hair follicles as much as when we move around. Silk offers approximately 40% less friction than cotton pillowcases, which is a significant difference!
Retains moisture
In general, silk can absorb around 10% of moisture from skin and hair in normal conditions, which isn’t the highest absorbency rate, but it still gets the job done. However, fabrics such as cotton can absorb up to 30%, meaning silk won’t zap as much moisture from your hair.
What are the main reasons to sleep on a silk pillowcase?
We’ve discussed the benefits of silk when it comes down to your hair and skin, but let’s try and sum up all the reasons behind purchasing one. They are the following:
- They are hypo-allergenic and antibacterial
- Highly suitable for sensitive skin
- Hydrating
- Anti-ageing properties
- Keep you cool in the summer
- Help you stay warm in the winter
- They reduce frizz and split ends
- Long-lasting material
- Absorbent fabric
- Can be machine washed at 30 degrees
- Dries quickly
- Bed mite repellant
- Fabric is non-flammable
Do silk pillowcases prevent wrinkles?
People have been using silk pillowcases for a long time because of their benefits, and wrinkle prevention is no exception! Silk is naturally hypo-allergenic, which is helpful for people with skin conditions such as eczema or psoriasis because it’s gentle on the skin.
However, being gentle on your skin isn’t its only quality since it can also help hydrate your skin. That not only reduces the cost of face creams and other skincare potions but minimises fine lines and wrinkles as well. This makes your skin feel youthful, and you have a glowing complexion.
Do silk pillowcases reduce hair frizz?
Generally speaking, sleeping on silk reduces friction, giving you smoother, sleeker hair that might prevent split ends. This fabric can help keep your curls under control, even if you’re prone to hair frizz, which is extremely helpful and healthy for your hair.
Plenty of other people struggle with smoothing their frizzy hair when they wake up, but choosing this material for your pillow cover can help to keep your hair silky smooth without you having to go to the salon every day.
Bottom line
Silk pillowcases do work. When you toss and turn during the night, that creates friction that can damage your skin and hair. But if you use a silk pillowcase, you will receive all the benefits that come with it, such as reduced skin creasing, less frizz, and split ends.
If you think we missed something on the subject or if you have any questions or concerns, please drop us a line in the comments below, and we’d try to respond as soon as possible!