Pearl and other beauty experts agree the best pillowcases are made of silk. Hairstylist Bobby Eliot says a good silk pillowcase can help keep hair healthy long-term and preserve hairstyles overnight.
Satin offers similar haircare benefits to silk, but it won't retain moisture as well as silk. "Satin absorbs a little bit more than silk since it's a mixture of numerous materials including cotton, but it's still way less than 100% cotton pillow cases," Onuoha says.
Cotton is light but absorbent fabric that soaks in all the natural oil from the scalp, leaving the hair frizzy & rough while silk is naturally anti-absorbent. Silk does not cause any friction and lets the hair glide on the pillowcase without causing any frizz. It also prevents tugging and pulling exponentially.
While a satin weave pillowcase can minimize friction (and that's a good thing!) there are many benefits to real silk pillowcases that satin pillowcases just can't deliver. If you want the best for your hair, choose a pure mulberry silk pillowcase.
“The benefit of having a good silk pillowcase is that it creates less friction on the hair and allows the hair a gentle surface," he says. "Friction can disrupt the cuticle layer of the hair, which causes bedhead and frizzy hair.”
It can retain its shape and doesn't wrinkle or frizz the hair, unlike other fabrics. However, It's not as breathable as silk. Medical articles show similar benefits to silk when using satin pillowcases, particularly for those with coarse, dry, or brittle hair.
Sleeping on a silk pillowcase is actually a great idea for anyone with oily hair.
The satin pillowcase will allow your hair to gently glide over the top of it reducing friction, tangles, and frizz and keeping your hairstyle intact. The satin or silk pillowcase also helps prevent split ends from breaking.
Sleep on a satin or silk pillow case.
No joke this will help your life in more ways than one. Not only does it help with oily hair, but also with fine lines and wrinkles. A normal cotton pillow case strips oils from your skin and keeps it built up in its fibers.
Hair and skin help – When choosing between a satin vs silk pillowcase for skin and hair, you win either way, as satin also has the benefit of low friction. It also shares silk's breathability and hypoallergenic nature.
The biggest difference between silk and satin is cost: Silk is more luxurious and pricier, while satin is less expensive and often blended with other fabrics, which means it can be an easy way to save some coin.
Silk and satin – often get confused for each other, they look similar but what are the differences between the two? Despite their similar appearance the biggest difference is that satin is a weave and not a natural fibre, whereas silk is a natural fibre fabric.
Silk pillowcases, like your other bed linens, come into direct contact with your skin every night, so it's important to wash them regularly — typically about every seven to ten days. To learn more about washing bed linens, check out this guide to washing and properly caring for bedding.
Thread count often measures the quality of the fabric and the higher the number the better the quality. For instance, the “standard” cotton thread count is between 100 and 150 while better quality pillowcases start at around 180. A count of 200 and more is considered a great quality fabric.
"Silk doesn't absorb or pull moisture from your skin the way traditional cotton pillowcases do, leaving hair hydrated and frizz-free." Plus, according to Richy Kandasamy, a hair colorist and a member of R+Co Collective, resting your head on this fabric will keep textured hair fresher and less "slept on" upon waking.
The material is also less absorbent, which may promote hydrated skin while decreasing the risk of acne. Many find satin pillowcases essential to their beauty sleep. Purported benefits include anti-aging properties, resistance to allergens and bacteria, and reduced hair damage.
Silk pillowcases feel incredibly soft and luxurious to lie on, but they also have notable benefits to help you get your best possible beauty sleep: Silk has a smooth surface that allows your hair and skin to easily glide over the fabric to reduce friction (and its unwanted effects) on your skin and hair.
But although a silk pillowcase may prevent breakage, it won't prevent hair loss. We all shed hair throughout the day. More significant hair loss can be caused by a number of factors — alopecia, chemotherapy, hereditary baldness, childbirth, stress — but your pillowcase doesn't have anything to do with it.
Detergent can stiffen silk
Even if you are hand washing your silks are per the instructions, if you are using a detergent, they can become stiff. Using a castile soap like Dr Bronner's instead can help a lot. Even after air drying, though, your silk may still be a bit stiff.
Cotton pillowcases are known to absorb the oils from your hair and skin, which can leave them dry, brittle and prone to breakage. The good news is all these problems are easily addressed by switching to a silk pillowcase. Silk allows the hair to slide around on your pillow effortlessly, so you wake to smoother hair.
As with any cover, it's important to wash your silk pillowcases once a week to avoid bacteria buildup.
Washing satin isn't the time for heavy-duty stain removers, bleach or other harsh chemicals. Use a gentle detergent. Use cool water. Never use warm or hot water to wash your satin pillowcase as it will damage the fibers and cause the pillowcase to shrink.
Materials that combine temperature regulation and softness are great options for people looking for pillowcases that help prevent acne. Silk has a smooth and soft feel that is gentle on sensitive skin. It's also lightweight and breathable, so it can help keep sleepers cool throughout the night.
The silky-smooth fabric of either silk or satin pillowcases allows your hair to slide across the surface more easily. This also helps cut down on the frizz for those of you with curly locks. For the same reason that cotton is great for keeping you dry when it's hot out, it's a terrible material for a pillowcase.