Swapping a cotton pillowcase for silk is one of the smallest changes you can make to your sleep, and one of the most talked about. You spend roughly a third of your life with your face and hair pressed against a pillow, so the fabric underneath you matters more than you might think. Here is what the benefits of a silk pillowcase really are, how silk compares with a satin pillowcase, and what silk can and can't change about the way you sleep.
Silk Pillowcase Benefits for Your Hair
The biggest difference is friction. Cotton has a slightly rough, absorbent surface, so every time you turn over it catches on your hair and tugs at it. Silk is smooth, so hair glides across it instead. Over a night of tossing and turning, that adds up to fewer tangles, less frizz and less breakage, and smoother hair in the morning.
These hair benefits are the ones dermatologists most often point to, although they come from expert opinion and silk's smooth surface rather than clinical trials. For even more protection, tie your hair in a loose bun with a silk scrunchie, which holds hair without the dents of a standard elastic.
Silk Pillowcase Benefits for Your Skin
The same smoothness means less pulling and dragging on your face through the night. Because there is less friction, you may also wake up with fewer sleep creases on your cheeks, especially if you sleep on your side or stomach. It is a logical benefit, but it hasn't been proven in studies yet.
Some dermatologists also point out that silk draws less moisture from your face than cotton, so more of your night cream stays on your skin rather than soaking into the pillow. That idea hasn't been tested either, so treat it as a possible bonus rather than a promise. Whatever fabric you sleep on, dermatologists recommend washing your pillowcase regularly, around twice a week, to keep oils and bacteria from building up against your skin.
Comfort Through Every Season
Ask people what they love about sleeping on silk and comfort usually comes first. Silk is smooth and soft against the skin, and it breathes well, so a silk pillowcase stays comfortable on warm South African summer nights and still feels good through winter. It is a small luxury you notice every time you lie down.
Satin Pillowcase Benefits: How Silk and Satin Compare
Satin pillowcases are often sold alongside silk, and the names cause a lot of confusion. Satin is a weave, not a fibre. Silk satin is real silk woven with a smooth, glossy finish, while most satin pillowcases on the market are polyester woven the same way.
A polyester satin pillowcase gives you a similarly smooth surface for less money, so if your main goal is less frizz and fewer tangles, it will help. The difference is the fibre. Polyester is a synthetic that tends to hold heat, while silk is a natural protein fibre that breathes and feels softer against the skin. If you want the full experience of sleeping on silk, check the label for 100% Mulberry silk and a momme weight, which is how real silk is measured, rather than a thread count.
What a Silk Pillow Can't Do
When people talk about silk pillow benefits, the claims can get carried away. A silk pillowcase won't reverse ageing, cure acne or treat eczema. When a UK trial tested silk clothing on children with eczema, it found no added benefit over standard treatment. If you have a skin condition, keep following your doctor's advice and enjoy silk as a comfortable addition, not a cure.
Getting the Most From Your Silk Pillowcase
Weight matters for a pillowcase you will sleep on every night. Dermatologists suggest a momme weight in the high teens or low 20s for durability, and our silk pillowcases are 19mm, 100% Mulberry silk satin. Choose the fit that suits your bed:
- Our silk pillow case with zip fits a standard 45 x 70 cm pillow and comes in 17 colours.
- Our envelope silk pillow case has a flap instead of a zip and silk satin on both sides.
- Our king size silk pillow case measures 50 x 90 cm for larger pillows.
To keep it smooth for longer, hand wash it in cool water with a gentle detergent and dry it flat in the shade. Our guide on how to wash silk has every step, including washing a silk pillowcase.
Make the Switch to Silk
A silk pillowcase is an easy place to start, and you can browse every style in our silk pillowcases collection. Once you are used to it, you can build out the rest of the bed with a silk eye mask, duvet cover and sheet, which we cover in our guide to silk pillow cases, eye masks and bedding.
