We spend one-third of our lives sleeping – or at least, we should be. This means lots of time spent in bed with our blankets and pillows!
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And as we sleep, our bedding, especially our pillowcases, are in constant contact with our skin and hair. But while soft cotton sheets and pillowcases with huge thread counts sound absolutely dreamy, they can actually spell bad news for your skin and hair.
It turns out that there’s a much better alternative that can benefit both skin and hair! In this article, we’re going to cover everything you need to know about silk pillowcases and see if they really live up to the hype.
Silk Pillowcase Benefits: What Makes Them Better?
The concept of ‘bedhead’ arose from people waking up to crazy hair after having spent the night tossing and turning. It turns out that the culprit is actually the good old cotton pillowcase. As our hair constantly rubs against cotton, it creates a lot of friction and leads to issues like frizziness, tangles, and even hair breakage.
Using silk pillowcases for your hair can really work towards giving you healthier tresses. Unlike cotton, silk pillowcases are slippery and smooth, allowing the hair to simply glide across the fabric.
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But the friction created from your regular pillow case isn’t just damaging for your hair, it’s also really bad for your skin. Using silk pillowcases for your skin can help you retain moisture throughout the night; it’s also less absorbent than cotton, so your night cream won’t get stuck to your pillow.
Alternatives To Silk Pillowcases: Satin vs Silk
While pure silk pillowcases are obviously the gold standard, they can get a bit pricey. A good alternative to silk pillowcases are satin ones. Satin is cheap compared to silk because it’s much easier to source. That’s why you’ll find a lot of satin pillows in shops like Target and Kmart.
Silk is made from natural fibre and generally is a stronger fabric with a smooth and shimmery appearance. Satin, on the other hand, is a weave made out of other fabrics, including polyester, nylon, and a bit of silk. While satin can work just as well as silk, a common complaint is that satin is a lot less breathable than silk.
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How To Care For Silk
Because they’re so damn expensive, it’s incredibly important to care for your silk pillowcases properly. Generally speaking, it is advisable to either hand wash silk (no scrubbing!) or machine wash on a gentle cycle. Place silk pillowcases in a laundry bag before sticking them into the washing machine to prevent damage.
The Best Silk Pillowcases
1. Heritage Silk Pillowcase
Price: $79.95
Overview: Made with 100 percent pure mulberry silk, this pillow is lightweight and soft to touch. As it says on Myer’s website, this pillow is “great on your hair and skin for the ultimate beauty sleep”.
Sizes: Standard – 48cm x 73cm.
Where to buy: Myer
2. Shhh Black Marble Silk Pillowcase
Price: $95
Overview: Looking for something truly luxurious? Shhh’s Black Marble silk pillowcase isn’t just soft and smooth, it also looks great! Another great thing about Shhh’s pillowcases is that they come with a zip-closure that prevents it from slipping off your pillow.
Size: Standard – 50cm x 70cm.
Where to buy: The Iconic
3. Lanham Silk Tailored Pillowcase
Price: $90.99/111.99
Overview: Support local makers by getting this silk pillowcase designed in Australia. According to Sheridan’s site, the Lanham collection “defines beauty sleeping” as it “allows the skin and hair to slide when you sleep”.
Sizes: Standard – 50cm x 75cm, King – 53cm x 89cm.
Where to buy: Sheridan
4. Ecosa Silk Pillowcase
Price: $82.50
Overview: Ecosa’s silk pillowcases have a lot going for them. Notably, they’re supposedly three times more durable than other silk pillowcases, as they have a 25 momme count. The quality of silk is determined by mommes – a unit of measurement that signifies its durability. The higher the momme count, the longer it lasts.
Size: Standard – 50cm x 70cm.
Where to buy: Online
5. Country Road Silk Pillowcase
Price: $79.95
Overview: From Australian homeware brand Country Road, this 100 percent silk pillowcase is soft and smooth and comes in a range of lovely colours.
Size: 48cm x 73cm.
Where to buy: David Jones
6. Mulberry silk pillowcases
Price: $89
Overview: Silvi’s pillowcase eliminates 99.7% of acne-causing bacteria and is set to become a new skincare essential. Its world-first combination of pure Mulberry silk treated natural, antibacterial silver work to prevent bacterial growth.
Sizes: Standard – 51cm x 76cm, King – 51cm x 90cm.
Where to buy: Silvi
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