SLEEPING ON A SILK PILLOWCASE

1.  GLOWING AND YOUTHFUL COMPLEXION

Do you have dry skin, especially in the winter? Or wake up with visible creases in your face? A Silk pillowcase may resolve these issues in just one night.

I've personally always dreamed of being able to sleep on my back like a mummy to minimize wrinkles and keep my pillow from sucking my anti-aging skin products off my face. Unfortunately, the back-sleeping skill eluded me my entire life. Instead, I sleep like a Tasmanian devil—tossing, turning, and drooling on myself at times.

It’s not pretty... and neither am I most mornings. But at least, I’m no longer dry, flaky, puffy, knotty-haired, and sporting nasty, red creases on whichever side I slept on last. Why? Because the silk pillowcase helps with ALL of that!

Whether you’re a believer or not, there are real (vs.imagined) reasons why regularly sleeping on silk may be one of the best things you can do to help your skin maintain its natural moisture, especially if you fly a lot or just have dry skin (which is especially helpful in the winter).  A lot of skin problems, including acne, creases, sensitivity, redness and dryness, are caused or amplified by pressing and rubbing the skin against rough textiles of a pillowcase throughout the night. So what’s so great about silk?

1. Silk has one of the lowest absorption rates of any fabric. Its smooth, breathable texture pumps your skin with oxygen, while its tightly-woven fibers help keep moisture (and your skincare products) on your skin vs. absorbing into your pillow.

2. Silk has the benefit of amino acids. Sleeping on a silk pillowcase will help your skin stay healthy and smooth while reducing facial wrinkles. Cheaper than a face lift!

3. Silk is hypoallergenic (i.e., unlikely to cause an allergic reaction), which is great for people with sensitive skin. Dirt and germs can easily accumulate on cotton and polyester pillowcases and trigger allergic reactions, whereas silk is the most resistant towards dust and other allergens.

4. Because it is composed of long, smooth, natural fibers tightly woven together silk isn’t abrasive and keeps a constant temperature, feeling warm and cozy in winter and cool in during the hot summer months. As a result, it’s better tolerated than other fabrics by people with sensitive skin. Once my some of my clients—who suffer from rosacea—switched to a silk pillowcase, they reported that they noticed a significant reduction in redness, especially in the winter, when they suffered the most flare-ups.

So how did it work for me? Well, being the anti-aging nut that I am, I am very well aware of the fact that sleeping on my side creates creases, much like ironing wrinkles into the skin. , so was super excited to find that after spending a couple of nights with my silk pillowcase, my face felt substantially more hydrated than when I slept on cotton, despite my regular 800 thread count sheets .  And the extra bonus for us, ladies over 30 … ok, 40… um… ok, I’ll stop… is that hydrated skin looks more plump, hides fine lines (wrinkles!), and appears more luminous. Win-win-win!

2.  HEALTHY, SHINY HAIR

Ever hear the expression “silky smooth hair”? Well, it’s not just a cliche. Sleeping on a regular cotton pillowcase will cause hair to bunch, knot, and get “staticky.” Beauty experts (including my amazing hair dresser Eric Alt—follow him on Insta) claim that hair slides over a soft silk pillowcase, which is not only less damaging to your locks, but can help keep them soft, moisturized, and free of those pesky tangles you can’t brush out in the morning. Moreover, the many amino acids in silk, which are similar to those in your hair, aids in reducing damage (e.g., split ends and breakage!) while you sleep.

In addition, silk also helps preserve your style while you sleep. Back in the old days, women slept on satin pillowcases or wrapped their heads in a silk scarf or even toilet paper to preserve their “do.” Today, the answer is SILK! It keeps the oils in your hair at bay and helps you hold on to your blow out for an extra couple of days.

If you’re anything like me—I need to emotionally prepare myself to wash and style my hair, which takes about two hours—or Kim Kardashian, who, like me, is on a “5-Day hair plan”, you are going to want your styling—whether it’s flat-iron beach waves or a perfectly straight blowout—to last as long as possible. A simple silk pillowcase makes that possible.

So my personal experience is that after just a few days, I noticed that the silk literally changed the texture of my hair. There were fewer kinks and fly-aways, which is amazing because I have dry, color-damaged hair that frizzes just because… well, it’s Tuesday… or God-only knows why. And perhaps it's all in my head, but I felt like the silk's cooling effect kept me from sweating on those warmer nights, which also kept my hair in check. All in all, if good hair's your “thang,” silk is a game-changer!

3.  COOL HAVEN FROM HOT FLASHES

I know that no one wants to talk about this, but at a certain age, we women tend to burst into flames at various times of day and night. Yes, I’m talking about hot flashes and night sweats, which are the most common, dreaded, and uncomfortable symptoms of “the change,” otherwise known as menopause. These “flashes of hell,” as I call them, are caused by fluctuating hormones, and the decline of estrogen and progesterone production as we age. Although diet and certain supplements can lessen symptoms of menopause, experts recommend sleeping in light, breathable silk pajamas and/or on cool silk sheets to help turn down the heat because silk is a natural temperature regulator and can soothe hot flashes, skin redness, and even keep your skin moisturized in the driest of climates.

4. BREAK FROM ALLERGIES AND CHEMICALS

Silk is naturally hypoallergenic, which means that it is very rare that it causes any allergic reactions. This is because silk is free of any potentially irritating added chemicals and contains natural substances that ward off various environmental allergens (and resulting skin conditions), including dust mites, mold, and fungus. It works great for my daughter, who has a dust mite allergy.

In addition, silk limits our exposure to toxins and harmful chemicals. Silk is produced from domesticated silk worms that are bred and raised in captivity. They have no predators to defend against and are pampered throughout their life, helping to produce a fine silk fiber with little-to-no chemical exposure. In contrast, many fabrics, such as cotton, are produced from chemically intensive crops that require pesticides, herbicides and other chemical treatments before making it to your bed sheets.

Given how many chemicals we come in contact with throughout the day—from perfume, to shampoo, to cosmetics, to cleaning products—it is good to know that we can at least spend a third of our days toxin free.

5. GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP

The National Center for Sleep Disorders Research at the National Institutes of Health reports that approximately 30-40 percent of Americans experience trouble sleeping. According to experts, bedding may be at least partly to blame in some of these cases. Sheets that irritate your skin, bunch up, or harbor dust mites interfere with a good night’s rest. Given all the benefits of silk, it is the one fabric that will feel soft and luxurious to the touch, keep you cool, reduce your toxic load, and dress your bed for the sweetest possible slumber, making you feel like royalty.

SELECTING A SILK PILLOWCASE