Do you wake up with tangled hair, or maybe worse, static electricity sending sparks out all over your head? Or the ultimate worst, bed-wrinkled skin? Yikes! Fortunately, there are simple solutions to tangles, sparks and wrinkles. It’s your choice of pillowcase. It might be time to try a silk or satin pillowcase.
Silk is a natural fibre, soft, smooth, and obviously silky. It is mimicked by what we call satin, a man-made material, a weave that is exceptionally smooth. Both silk and satin are breathable, hypoallergenic and do not absorb like cotton fibres. Why does sleeping on a silk or satin pillowcase help your hair? And your skin? It’s science again.
First, silk doesn’t absorb like cotton so oils, bacteria, and moisture from your hair and skin don’t transfer to the pillowcase as you sleep. For your hair, that means less breakage as it doesn’t dry out. For your skin, it means a cleaner surface that won’t transfer oils and bacteria back to your face, possibly causing breakouts.
Second, because the silk is so tightly woven, the surface is very smooth. That smoothness means less friction so your hair slides over the material. Your curls or waves won’t get messed up, your hair cuticle stays smooth, and this helps reduce breakage. It’s particularly important with grey hair (silver, if that makes you feel prettier!). As we age, we lose melanin, the colour pigment, from hair. Losing melanin means the hair becomes more transparent, and the texture changes. It’s more fragile. Dry winter air and cotton pillowcases mean more breakage. The smooth silk pillowcase reduces the dryness and the breakage.
Satin is technically a type of weave rather than a material. Usually made from polyester, it is very tightly woven to create a similar smooth surface to silk. Both satin and silk pillowcases will help keep your hair from knotting up (creating the dreaded ‘bedhead’), as well as helping to maintain shine. Even your eyelashes and eyebrows can benefit from a smooth silky surface. Men with beards may notice a difference as facial hair is also susceptible to dryness. Both silk and satin will help keep your skin from drying out, and can minimize facial wrinkling from sleep. The biggest difference is cost as polyester is much less expensive to fabricate than silk.
Choosing between silk and satin comes down to two things; cost and wear-n-tear. Silk will always cost more as it is a more precious commodity due to the production process. Satin is about 1/3 the cost of silk for most pillowcases. Silk wears better than satin, especially since satin can have varying qualities. Cheap satin will pill, and that defeats the purpose of the smooth surface.
Buy what your budget allows. Shiny, healthy, smooth hair with lovely skin beats bedhead every time.
Did you know? Silk originated in China, 8500 years ago. It was used for clothing but also as a writing material.
Cathy