What Are the Benefits of Satin and Silk Pillowcases?
Beauty sleep isn’t just about getting the recommended seven to nine hours of shut eye — as depending on what you’re sleeping on, you may actually be damaging your hair, skin and eyelashes through the course of your nightly repose.
There are several beauty products that promise to work their magic while we sleep, but one tip we highly recommend is a silk or satin (polyester) pillowcase. These high-sheen fabrics can do wonders for both your hair, as well as your skin and sleeping on the right pillowcase can mean the difference between locks that are healthy and shiny, or dull damaged, and dull lax skin, or skin that is firm and radiant.
You’ve probably heard of women sleeping on silk and/or satin pillowcases to banish frizz, but chances are you aren’t familiar with all of the benefits associated with these products.
But before we discuss the benefits, let’s quickly review the differences between Silk vs Satin Pillowcases. Silk is a naturally made animal protein fiber, whereas polyester is an industrially produced fiber made from petroleum. As such, silk offers significantly better affinity to skin due to similar chemical composition. Each silk fiber is produced from 3-5 of these silk filaments which are subsequently spun together to produce silk fabric in an assortment of momme weights. Whereas the quality of satin (polyester) can vary from cheap to luxurious with the country of origin playing a large role in the quality of the product.
In short, silk is made from what is produced from silk worms and takes an incredibly large amount of the animal proteins to make a small amount of silk fabric. This is why real silk pillowcases can range from $70 to a few thousand while quality satin pillowcases tend to start around $20.
For some, nothing compares to natural, 100% silk pillowcases. For others, however, a cheaper option that offers comparable benefits is a great way to go. Extremely high quality satin pillowcases are comparable to their silk counterparts because the part of them that actually touches your hair and skin is mostly silk, therefore they offer nearly the same benefits for about half the price.
Satin and silk pillowcases are as beneficial to your complexion and hair as they are to your mind for a restful night’s sleep. The silky sensation is like a breath of fresh air in the summertime when the weather is warm. The fabric also comes with other benefits that leave flannel and cotton cases in the dust.
Satin pillowcases help to prevent frizzing and roughing of the cuticle on any hair texture and can help to prolong styles, whether your hair is kinky, curly, wavy or straight.
Sadly, standard 100-percent cotton pillowcases are moisture-sucking and cause a lot of friction, which can cause significant hair breakage. Not only do these things wreak havoc on our hair, but our skin is also affected.
Resting on a smoother surface will help reduce the appearance of sleep lines and the formation of wrinkles on your face. This is even more important for those with acne, as friction can be a big deal — it can cause lesions to open and spread bacteria to the pillowcase.”
1. Eliminates Facial Folds & Reduces Wrinkles
Satin is soft to the touch and allows your face to glide against the pillowcase. More abrasive fabrics, such as cotton, flannel and wool, can cause friction when moving. This friction causes creases, lines and wrinkles to develop around your eyes, forehead, and mouth while you sleep! With silk and satin pillowcases, the skin is able to move without friction and you wake up without lines on your face from your pillow in the short term, and without fine lines and wrinkles in the long term. In addition, silk and satin pillowcases keep eyelashes and eyebrows more intact as you move your face back and forth on the pillow.
2. Keeps Hair Shiny & in Place
Your hair goes through a lot while you sleep. From the tossing and turning that can tug on strands generating static electricity (leading to frizz) and creating breakage and split ends, to the way cotton pillowcases rob hair of moisture a night’s rest is anything but for your hair. The friction of cotton pillowcases weakens strands over time and leads to hair that is more prone to breakage.
Sleeping on a satin pillowcase helps smooth frizzy hair and minimizes static. The softness of both silk and satin eliminate the friction you get when your hair rubs against a harsher fabric. Another added benefit is that silk and satin help keep your hairdo looking fresher and less “slept on” in the morning. People who suffer from alopecia areata or side effects of chemotherapy find that sleeping on satin keeps their hair from coming out in clumps.
3. Prevent Hair Loss
When hair is dry and brittle, it is prone to breakage. This breakage can lead to eventual hair loss. With a silk or satin pillowcase, you can keep hair healthy and avoid the loss of precious strands.
4. Protect Brows & Lashes
When you are sleeping, you can lose hairs from your eyebrows and eyelashes from the harshness of the fabrics your face encounters while sleeping. A silk or satin pillowcase helps keep fragile eyelashes intact. When your head rests on a cotton or flannel pillowcase, your eyes are often pressed up against the coarse material for much of the night. Eyelash breakage and loss can be reduced, because the silky material glides over the skin and hair instead of rubbing against it and loosening your lashes. Satin pillowcases can be especially helpful for those who wear eyelash extensions.
5. Clears the Complexion
Silk and satin pillowcases help keep your skin supple and allow your pores to breathe. Cotton pillowcases, on the other hand, draw the moisture from your skin as you sleep. With silk and satin pillowcases, skin is able to breathe more which helps with minimizing pores, reducing irritation and redness, and increasing firmness.
Regardless of the type, change pillowcases every few days because the natural oils and product residue from your hair can clog facial pores and lead to acne. During sleep, your pillowcase absorbs oil, dirt, germs and dead skin cells from your face. This happens every night, only to transfer it back to your skin the next evening.
We know that for some, nothing compares to natural, 100% silk pillowcases. For others, however, a cheaper option that offers comparable benefits is a great alternative. If you’re in the latter camp we’d encourage you to consider a Satin Wonder’s Pillowcase, The Ultimate Hair & Skin Pillowcase.
What do you think? Have you ever used a silk or satin pillowcase? What advice do you have when using it? Comment below, we’d love to hear it!
Share The Beauty… Earn Rewards!
At PLEIJ Salon+Spa, we offer a simple and easy referral program to our existing clients (and even non-clients). When you refer a friend who is new to PLEIJ, we’ll give them a 20% OFF GIFT to use towards any service. To say thanks, we’ll give you a 10% OFF GIFT to use toward services or products!
Be sure to learn everything about this awesome program and even send out referrals.