You devote a third of your life to sleeping. Add up the hours you spend tossing and turning against a cotton or polyester pillowcase and you’ll see why friction can create weird facial creases that eventually turn into wrinkles over time. You call that beauty sleep? One way to slow down the appearance of wrinkles is by sleeping on your back, but many of us are side and stomach sleepers. And any of these positions puts hair in contact with your pillowcase, which can cause tangles and frizz.
The answer? Switching to a silk pillowcase. Dermatologists say a silk pillowcase leaves fewer creases and blemishes on your skin and helps keep hair smooth and hydrated.
The smoother surface of silk reduces traction that tangles hair and leaves you with a frizzy bedhead. Your skin can’t glide against cotton like it can over silk, so the constant friction created by sleeping on cotton pillowcases can actually create crepe-ing on your face over time. Silk not only gives your skin and hair a soft, smooth cushion but also helps retain moisture for smoother skin and all-over hydration.
What to Look for in a Silk Pillowcase
Look for pillowcases made of mulberry silk, which is the highest quality and the most durable. The fibers are longer and more uniform, which makes for a pillowcase that’s smoother and longer-lasting. Next, check out the fabric’s momme weight. Silk fabrics use momme, which is fabric weight, instead of thread count. Silk for clothing can range from 3 to 40 momme, but pillowcases are typically between 15 to 30. Just as with thread count, higher is better when it comes to pillowcases. Nineteen is right in the middle, and experts say top performers contain a momme weight of 22 or higher.
Manufacturers offer a range of silk pillowcases for every budget. You can try one out without depleting your wallet or splurge to indulge in the most luxurious. Here are five of our favorites.
Brooklinen Mulberry Silk Pillowcase, (from $59, click here)
This 22 momme silk pillowcase is luxurious, but still machine washable (you’ll want to use pH-neutral detergent and/or fabric softener such as Laundress Signature Detergent (click here) to extend its lifespan). Naturally cool to the touch, this pillowcase is 100 percent mulberry silk.
Slip Silk Pillowcase, ($110, click here)
This pillowcase is like an eight-hour beauty treatment every night. Elevate your beauty sleep to a whole new level with a 22 momme pure mulberry silk pillowcase that helps with bedhead, sleep creases, and wrinkles. This pillowcase is a best-selling favorite among celebs like Kourtney Kardashian and Kerry Washington.
Slpbaby Silk Pillowcase for Hair and Skin, ($18.99, click here)
The wide range of Slpbaby Silk Pillowcases come in an array of colors and cute patterns. This super-soft pillowcase delivers pure-grade 16 momme mulberry silk, woven from the longest fibers available on the silk market.
Myk Natural Silk Pillowcase with Cotton Underside, ($19.99, click here)
This affordable pillowcase is topped with pure 19 momme mulberry silk, but don’t forget to look at the flip side. Myk added a cotton underside to each case to put the luxury of silk pillowcases within reach of budget-minded customers. It also prevents sheet-slippage as you settle in.
Branché Charmeuse Pillowcase, ($95.00, click here)
Branché’s ultra-luxe 22 momme silk pillowcases are typically found in top spas and hotels across the globe. You’ll sleep in luxury and wake up refreshed when you transform your pillow into a luxurious pampering beauty treatment.