If you already sleep on a silk pillowcase, you’ll know just what a sound investment in yourself this little luxury is. With silk, every sleep becomes beauty sleep – you’re reducing bed head, relieving stress and pressure on delicate skin, and getting more from your nightly skincare regime.
Three reasons we should all aim to get more beauty sleep.
High quality, long-fibre mulberry silk is also an excellent temperature regulator, so you’ll always be able to find the cool side of the pillow. Few fabrics feel as indulgent as silk, so adding a silk pillowcase to your bedding is another way to create a sanctuary in your bedroom. (Here at Hyoumankind, we make custom fitted silk pillowcases for our Go Pillow and Back Sleep Pillow, so you can get the benefits of both.)
View the Go Pillow with 100% silk pillowcase
Why choose a silk pillowcase?
Apart from adding a sense of luxury to your daily (and nightly) self-care rituals, silk pillowcases have three key beauty benefits.
1. Maximise your moisturiser
Sleeping on silk is the expert beauty tip you can achieve with your eyes closed. Pure silk pillowcases help protect your skin’s natural oils, and have been shown to absorb or displace much less of your serums and night creams than cotton.
2. Cancel sleep creases
Sleep creases are caused by friction and pressure on facial skin. While you’re young, these creases usually go away as soon as you get up. But over time, as skin loses its elasticity, they can become ‘ironed in’. With its luxurious ‘slippability’, silk reduces friction, allowing skin to glide across the pillow, reducing pressure, rubbing and creasing.
3. Banish bed head
Other pillowcases can cause hair to tangle and frizz during the night. Silk’s smooth texture lets you move around in bed without mussing up your blow out. It’s excellent for improving the texture and manageability of curls too.
For all its benefits, silk does need a greater level of TLC than cotton or polyester. Here are some suggestions to help you care for this beautiful natural fabric, so it’s with you for a long time.
While some silk clothing needs specialist dry cleaning (check your labels closely to be sure), most silk pillowcases are designed to be washable. While it’s a good idea to follow the specific care instructions on the label, they won’t always tell the full story.
Caring for silk – a checklist
1. Water temperature: cold to tepid (no warmer than your skin)
2. Detergent: Choose a super mild detergent that's PH-balaned (alkaline detergents can make silk feel hard), made to care for silk. We love ecostore Eucalyptus Wool & Delicates wash or Baby shampoo. Whatever you use, rinse out any residue throughly.
3. Washing: Place in a lingerie bag and use your washing machine's gentle setting. Or better yet, handwash.
Extra TLC for silk
Here's a tip to restore silk's natural sheen and softness.
In a large bowl, add 1/4 cup of white vinegar for every 4 litres of cool/lukewarm water. Completely submerge your pillowcase and swish through the water to make sure it's completely soaked. Rinse several times in plain lukewarm water.
Explore the memory foam pillow range.
