How a Silk Pillowcase Can Be a Game-Changer for Your Hair

You've probably heard that sleeping on a silk pillowcase can be beneficial, but do you know how one actually helps your hair and skin? It's not just a luxury flex, although it can feel super fancy and will likely cost more than a pillowcase made from polyester or cotton. There’s a good reason for that extra expense: Silk has properties that can help you wake up with smoother skin and can even prevent split ends and hair breakage. 

What Are the Benefits of a Silk Pillowcase? 

Less Frizz

Silk's smooth texture means there will be less static and friction against your hair. If your hair is coarse, curly, or frizzy, a silk pillowcase will leave you with far less bedhead and tangles than a cotton pillowcase. And according to celebrity hairstylist Charles Ifergan, sleeping on silk can even extend the life of a blowout. 

Less Breakage

Curly hair is often fragile and prone to breakage, as are bleached and other color-treated strands. Sleeping on a silk pillowcase can help reduce breakage and split ends thanks to the lack of friction and silk’s ability to keep moisture in the hair.  

Smoother Skin

A silk pillowcase can offer similar benefits to your face. Since the smooth surface of silk doesn't tug on your skin, it can prevent those "crush wrinkles" you see in the mirror in the morning. Plus, since silk is less absorbent, your expensive skin care won’t rub off onto your pillow like it can with cotton versions. 

Less Sweat 

If you sleep hot, you may find a silk pillowcase cooling — without even having to flip your pillow. Since silk is a natural fiber and not a synthetic one, air can circulate through it. And this may seem counterintuitive, but that breathability means that it might also keep you warmer in cold temperatures.

How Do You Choose a Silk Pillowcase?

Like most products, silk pillowcases come in degrees of price points. All silk is not created equal. There are a couple of things to look for if you want to ensure you're getting the highest quality of silk pillowcase. Just as bedding can have a thread count, silk has a momme count. The higher the number, on a scale of 1 to 30, the denser and more luxurious the silk. Silk described as "Mulberry silk" — spun by silkworms fed a diet of leaves from Mulberry trees — is considered top quality.

How Do You Wash a Silk Pillowcase?

Always follow the manufacturer's care instructions, but many silk pillowcases can be machine washed in cold water, on the delicate or hand wash cycle. To be extra careful, place your pillowcase in a mesh bag before washing it — some brands even include a wash bag with your purchase. Unless your care instructions say it can safely go in the dryer, err on the side of air drying silk.

Despite silk's many benefits, your pillowcase will collect bacteria and get dirty just like one made of any other fabric, so it's still important to regularly launder it.

What Are the Downsides of Silk Pillowcases?

The delicate fabric can be prone to showcasing stains from body fluids and oily lotions, so if a spot or two bugs you, you might want to rethink silk. Also, depending on what your bedding budget is, a silk pillowcase might be a bit pricey. But the biggest deal-breaker for some people might be that silk is not vegan. Silkworms create silk for their cocoons, which are boiled, along with their inhabitants, to produce the fabric. To make one pound of silk, 2,500 silkworms are processed. 

What’s the Difference Between Silk and Satin?

While silk is a natural fabric, satin is the name for a type of weave that can include silk, polyester, nylon, rayon, and other synthetic materials. Because of that, satin is not as strong as silk and doesn’t have all of the same skin and hair benefits. Be wary of brands claiming satin or “sateen” is the same as silk — it’s not. These synthetics are cheaper and the price point should reflect that fact.

That said, if saving money is a priority, a satin pillowcase is a good start to keep hair and skin smooth on a budget. It’s also often vegan. But while satin offers a lot of competition to silk for comfortable sleeping, silk still performs better, especially in breathability. If you’re looking for a cooling or temperature-regulating pillowcase, a silk one is a better choice than satin.

The Best Silk Pillowcases 

• Slip Silk Pure Silk Queen Pillowcase, $86 at Amazon

• Blissy 100% Mulberry Silk Pillowcase Queen, $74.97, at Blissy
• Quince 100% Mulberry Silk Pillowcase Queen/Standard, $39.90, at Quince 
• Brooklinen Mulberry Silk Pillowcase Standard, $47.20, at Brooklinen