If you’re not using a silk pillowcase you’re not doing life right, and your hair is probably frizzy and crap and your skin is definitely dry. Okay, maybe not. Or, you’re just unaware of it. Whatever the case (lol, pun) – they’re good. They’re real good. I was converted 6 months ago, and now I’m like a slightly insane born-again religious follower except I’m not spruiking Jesus, I’m spruiking pillowcases.
See, silk pillowcases have three major benefits. And they’re ones that solve your deepest, most frustrating beauty problems. We chatted to Aussie skincare aficionado, Melanie Grant (she’s responsible for celebs like Phoebe Tonkin and Jessica Gomes‘ perfect skin) to find out exactly why they’re so damn good for you.
THEY’RE ANTI-AGEING
Okay, so you don’t have any noticeable wrinkles just yet. But anti-ageing is all about prevention, and I’m betting you at least have a few crows feet ’round your eyes and some lil’ smile lines (thanks, raging Aussie sun). If you’re wanting to prolong your youthful looks for as long as poss, a silk pillowcase is a great investment.
“I’m yet to master the fine art of sleeping on my back, so I am never without a silk pillowcase. Even if I’m only travelling away overnight,” Melanie says. “The benefits of sleeping on a silk slip are endless, and include prevention of crease lines and marks across your face, eyes and décolleté. I see it as an investment in your skin, as over time these creases can turn into permanent lines and wrinkles.”
The reason for silk over, say, cotton? Basically, your skin moves across silk with ease through the night.
“The pulling of the skin on a standard cotton or linen pillowcase throughout eight hours of sleep is the issue,” explains Melanie. “They can also contribute to sagging skin over time, and even redness and rosacea.”
THEY PROTECT SKIN FROM MOISTURE LOSS
Constantly waking up with dry as hell skin, even when you absolutely load it up with moisturiser before you hit the sack? It could be because your cotton cases are sucking all the product off your face, along with any moisture in your skin.
“Silk is a non absorbent fabric,” explains Melanie. “It won’t deplete your moisture levels or absorb your serums and night creams, so you’ll wake up with skin that doesn’t have a ‘tight’ feel to it”.
Basically, cotton is absorbent. It’ll take in whatever is on your skin, which can be why you wake feeling like your skin is hectically dry considering you did the full moisture routine the night before.
THEY KEEP YOUR HAIR LOOKING SWISH
Anyone who’s had a blow-dry, repped amazing hair for 12 hours, only to wake up the next day with frizz and limp bits knows what true annoyance is.
“Silk pillowcases prolong the life of your blow dry, but they also prevent hair breakage, fly-aways and frizziness,” explains Melanie.
The reason for this is similar to cotton/linen’s effect on skin – it saps hair of moisture, and catches strands as you roll around, leading to breakage which leads to frizz. Hell.
Are silk pillowcases going to magically turn you into Gigi Hadid? No, they’re not. But trust me when I say if you try one for a week, you’ll be emailing to hail me as your new queen and lord who saved your skin/hair. Maybe.
Melanie sells Slip silk pillowcases on her site, FYI. Get into it.
Got a beauty-related side hustle project you’re keen to get off the ground? You should enter our comp c/o Set for Life – you’ll win $5k to go toward your side-hustle, plus a luxe weekender in Sydney where you’ll meet ultra boss lady Eleanor Pendleton of Gritty Pretty.
Image: Instagram / @shhhsilk.
