Better Beauty Sleep With Silk & Satin Pillowcases

Silk vs. Satin: Which Is Better for Protecting Your Hair and Improving Your Skin While You Sleep, and Why?

If you haven’t heard, sleeping on a silk or satin pillowcase can protect your hair and improve your skin. Sign me up! I mean, who doesn’t want to prevent hair breakage, diminish blemishes and minimize wrinkles…all while we sleep!

Before buying myself a couple of these miracle pillowcases, I needed to know which is better: silk or satin? And why? Then, of course, I had to find the best pillowcases at the best prices. You know, because that’s how I roll.

Why Sleeping On A Silky-Smooth Pillowcase Is Giving “Beauty Sleep” New Meaning

• What Are Silk & Satin Made Of
• The Benefits of Sleeping on a Silk or Satin Pillowcase
  • Hair Benefits
  • Skin Benefits
• Silk vs. Satin
  • Key Differences
  • What To Look for When Buying
  • Bottom Line
• The Best, Most Recommended Pillowcases
  • Silk Pillowcases
  • Satin Pillowcases
• Delicate Care Detergents & Lingerie Bags

What Are Silk & Satin Made Of

It may seem straightforward but lots of people don’t know that silk is a fiber and satin is a weave. Fiber is the thread used to weave a fabric.

• Silk is a natural protein fiber (versus cotton, which is a plant fiber) harvested from silkworm cocoons. It is a highly monitored, strictly controlled process with limited production, which is why silk is expensive.
• Satin is characterized by its glossy appearance. It can be woven from cotton, nylon, polyester, rayon or blends, including silk. The type of fabric used to weave satin will be reflected in the price.

The Benefits of Sleeping on a Silk or Satin Pillowcase

Sleeping on the slippery-smooth surface of a silk or satin pillowcase allows your hair and skin to glide over the fabric. The reduced friction and the fabric itself have many benefits:

Hair Benefits

• The hair cuticle doesn’t get roughed up on a slippery pillowcase, like on cotton, each time you change positions or, um, engage in other bedtime activities. Instead, the hair glides, which means less chance of hair breakage and fewer tangles, fly-aways and frizz.
• The reduced friction preserves your hair style a few days longer because your pillowcase isn’t messing with your hair.
• Your hair will retain moisture and stay hydrated because silk and satin are less drying than cotton.

Skin Benefits

• Silk allows your pores to breath at night and, since your skin glides across the surface of the pillowcase, there is less friction and irritation. This is especially beneficial for people with eczema, dermatitis and especially acne. Less friction means fewer dead skin cells that can foster the growth of bacteria-causing acne.
• Your skin stays hydrated because silk and satin are less drying than cotton and other materials that absorb moisture from your skin. By retaining your skin’s natural moisture, your pores don’t produce extra oils to hydrate the skin, so skin becomes healthier and your complexion improves.
• By being moisture-resistant, a silk or satin pillowcase will absorb significantly less skincare products than its cotton counterpart. So your valuable face products stay where they belong, on your face.
• The slippery surface means minimal pillowcase creases on your face and fewer wrinkles for side and stomach sleepers. While the crease marks fade once you’re up and about, research shows that the pulling and stretching of your skin while you sleep can lead to permanent sleep wrinkles.
  • The Aesthetic Surgery Journal explains, “Expression wrinkles and sleep wrinkles differ in etiology, location and anatomical pattern. Compression, shear, and stress forces act on the face in lateral or prone sleep positions.”

Silk vs. Satin ~ The Key Differences

Both silk and satin pillowcases provide a smooth surface that benefit hair and skin. Here are the key differences.

	Silk Pillowcases	Satin Pillowcases
Feel	Soft, silky and luxurious	May not feel as smooth or luxurious as silk, but still provides the benefits of a smooth pillowcase
Best For	– Curly or textured hair – Naturally breathable so it’s better for sensitive or acne-prone skin and skin conditions like eczema or rosacea – Naturally hypoallergenic so it’s best for those with allergies	– All types of hair – Usually made from polyester so it may not be suitable for people with allergies, sensitive or acne-prone skin
Cooling	Naturally breathable and moisture wicking so it’s cool in summer and warm in winter	Less breathable than silk so may not regulate your temperature as well
Cleaning	May require special care, such as hand washing, look for machine washable silk	Easier to clean, can be tossed in the washing machine with other laundry
Price	More expensive but more durable	More affordable and still an upgrade from cotton
What To Look for When Buying	– Mulberry Silk with a high momme, which is the fabric weight, of 19 to 25 mm – Zipper, button or envelope closure so the pillow doesn’t slide out – OEKO-TEX Certification, which indicates the pillowcase is free of harmful dyes and chemicals – Consider a patterned pillowcase that is more likely to camouflage stains from skincare products than a solid color	Zipper, button or envelope closure so the pillow doesn’t slide out

Bottom Line

• Silk is better for those with allergies, skin conditions (acne, eczema, rosacea), and curly or textured hair.
• Consider your budget and know that either silk or satin will be better for your hair than a cotton pillowcase, but satin may make acne worse.
• Dermatologists recommend washing either type of pillowcase weekly. Always follow the manufacturer’s washing instructions. More on caring for your silk or satin pillowcase below.

The Best, Most Recommended Pillowcases

To create my list of the best silk and satin pillowcases, I began by paring down the most recommended pillowcases by Good Housekeeping, Byrdie, Cosmo, Healthline, Prevention, etc. Then, because I don’t always agree with the editors, I read A LOT of reviews for each of those pillowcases to chose the ones I think are worth buying.

All of the following ratings noted below are out of 5.0. Delicate care detergents follow so you can extend the life of your silk or satin pillowcase with proper laundering.

Silk Pillowcases

Satin Pillowcases

Delicate Care Detergent & Lingerie Bags

Extend the life of your silk or satin pillowcases with proper laundering. Use delicate care liquid laundry detergent and a mesh lingerie bag, see below. Always follow the washing instructions that come with your pillowcase, but the general rules are:

• Washing Silk Pillowcases
  • Hand wash with a delicate, pH neutral liquid laundry detergent in cold water. Hang to dry.
  • To machine wash, turn the pillowcase inside out, place in a mesh lingerie bag, use a delicate, pH neutral liquid laundry detergent, and wash in cold water on the delicates, hand wash or gentle cycle of your washer. Hang to dry.
• Washing Satin Pillowcases
  • Machine wash: Turn the pillowcase inside out, place in a mesh lingerie bag, wash in cold water with a mild detergent on the gentle cycle of your washer. Hang to dry.

Should you choose to iron your pillowcase (my mother always does, don’t ask), turn it inside out and iron on a cool setting.

I love my silk pillowcases. After using them for several months, I noticed hair getting healthier. Please let me know if you notice a difference once you change to a silk or satin pillowcase.

All prices are accurate and items in stock (unless noted otherwise) at time of publication.