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Fighting Oily or Acne Prone Skin? Change Your Pillowcase Daily

woman sleeping peacefully on a fresh and clean pillowcase
kudla/Shutterstock

If you’re battling really oily skin, acne, or both, then changing out your pillowcases more frequently than you change out your entire bedding might be worth considering.

Most people wash their bed linens once a week, which is a reasonable schedule that ensures the linens stay fresh and sanitary. If you have really oily skin or you’re dealing with frequent acne breakouts, however, it’s a smart move to swap out your pillowcase every day (or as frequently as the stock of pillowcases you have on hand allows for).

Sleeping night after night on the same pillowcase creates an environment where more and more skin oil and bacteria collects on the pillow. Anything you can do to minimize the transfer of acne-causing bacteria around your face will help cut down on breakouts.

Amazon Basics 400 Thread Count Cotton Pillow Case, Standard, White - Set of 2

100% cotton, easy to wash and bleach, cheap enough to buy one for every day of the week. What more could you ask for?

While you could also buy tons of extra pillowcases that match your fancy bed linens, we’d recommend just buying a bunch of simple white 100% cotton pillowcases. Not only is it less expensive to stock up on a week’s worth (or two) of basic white pillowcases, but white cotton also stands up to hotter water and bleach better than different fabric types and colors do—all the better to kill off the bacteria and keep your face extra clean.

Jason Fitzpatrick Jason Fitzpatrick
Jason Fitzpatrick is the Editor in Chief of LifeSavvy. He has over a decade of experience in publishing and has authored thousands of articles at LifeSavvy, Review Geek, How-To Geek, and Lifehacker. Read Full Bio »
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