Carla Cometto
Some keep it a secret; others can’t shut up about it: silk pillowcases are the piece of bedding you didn’t know you needed. Read on to learn more about them and convince yourself to splurge.
One of the latest beauty trends is using silk pillowcases instead of cotton, which—although inexpensive and easy to launder—aren’t as gentle on our skin and hair as silk pillowcase.
Silk is pricier, but given the benefits that long-time fans can testify to and the fact that it’s not a frequent purchase, it’s easy to justify splurging on them.
If you’re still uncertain whether you should treat yourself to one (or more!), below you’ll find a list of five main reasons why you should go ahead and do it.
They Help Prevent Wrinkles
This was the item’s claim to fame, the ‘pièce de résistance’ of such a seemingly lavish and diva-like bed accessory. While there are no long term studies on the matter, silk does offer a different experience for your skin than cotton, and the general opinion is the experience is better for your skin. Cotton creates friction against your skin, causing it to get tugged and pulled in all directions while we sleep. The result is usually creases across your face that you have to showcase to the world for a good part of your morning. It’s hard to be unimpressed by something that can save you from that.
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Another advantage is that the lack of friction prevents your skin from getting irritated. It might be the fountain of youth, but we’ll take every bit of help we can get.
Silk Is A Hypoallergenic Material
Allergy sufferers, rejoice! If you’re tired of sneezing and having a red and runny nose during hay fever season, resting your head on silk can bring you great relief overnight. One of the material’s hypoallergenic properties is its natural resistance to many allergens, including dust mites and mold. To boost your protection against your microscopic enemies, you could even buy a pillow with silk fibers instead of feathers. Your bank account might not get as excited as your airways, but it’d save you from buying a whole lot of tissues and eye drops.
They Help Skin and Hair Retain Moisture
The reason why cotton creates friction is that it is a very coarse and absorbent material (compared to silk). This means that while your head might enjoy spending eight hours resting on your soft pillowcase, your skin and hair might think otherwise. Cotton can absorb products you might lather on your face or use on your hair before bed, diminishing the effects of any overnight treatment.
But that’s not all: everything that’s absorbed onto the pillowcase eventually ends up on your face. If you think about all the oil and silicone-based harsh products we apply to our hair, it’s not surprising that it all can contribute to clogged pores, inflammation, and breakouts. Considering many of us don’t change pillowcases every day, the number of things that accumulate on them and then end up on our faces sounds like the stuff of nightmares!
They Protect Your Hair
Silk is a slick material that lets your hair be whatever it wants to be without condemning it to a messy appearance and an untamable condition every morning. The lack of friction leads to less shedding, less tangling, and less time spent in front of the mirror struggling with bed hair. Furthermore, as your hair doesn’t get rubbed against any cohesive material, it gets to maintain its shine and keep the frizz away.
On the scientific side of things, the reason the silk pillowcase does such a marvelous job protecting your hair isn’t just that it feels, well, silky, but that the silk itself is very similar (on a protein/amino acid level) to your hair. Instead of, on a microscopic level, grinding against the coarser fibers of the cotton all night, it can instead slide gently against a fiber that’s not much different than itself.
Silk Regulates Body Temperature
Silk has the natural ability to regulate heat, which helps you quickly adjust to any cool or warm environment you might be sleeping in. As a result, you’ll sweat less—which is a contributing cause to clogged pores on your face, especially if there are any makeup residues left on the surface.
Now you know. Silk pillowcases are not just an unnecessary extravagant addition to your bedroom decor—they can do wonders to your skin and hair. So cleanse thoroughly, apply moisturizer, and enjoy worry-free dreams!
