Silk Pillowcases: 10 Beauty Benefits for Smoother Skin & Hair

Sleep habits can actually have a real effect on appearance. If you always sleep on one side eventually you’ll start to notice the side that’s smooshed into your pillow will start to get wrinkled. In my aesthetic practice I see it all the time. Permanent sleep lines in the upper lip and by the eye, worsening of eye bags… also cotton tends to absorb moisture and can worsen dryness of the skin.

One tool in the beauty arsenal you might not have considered is the silk pillowcase. It’s a skincare lover’s secret weapon, for a few reasons. I’ve tried a couple of brands and I have the Jasmine Silk brand silk pillowcase to review for you (pr sample FYI) to see if one make of silk pillowcase is better than another and also- what, if anything, a silk pillowcase can do for your appearance.

The possible benefits of going silk include-

1. Less pressure on the skin, leading to fewer wrinkles
2. Natural temperature regulation
3. Less moisture absorbency= improved skin hydration
4. The silky texture means less hair breakage and frizz
5. Silk is meant to have natural antibacterial properties
6. The smooth texture prevents dreaded sleep creases (I mean the temporary ones you get from sleeping with your face on a fold in the fabric)
7. Hypoallergenic- good for eczema sufferers
8. Resistance to dust mites and fungi
9. Less abrasion= good for sensitive skin
10. Less absorbance= less removal of all that precious skincare

So, how well does a Jasmine Silk Pillowcase perform in relation to beautification? Does a silk pillowcase have any magical powers?

Jasmine Silk Pillowcase Review

I have up until now been sleeping on a Lilysilk pillowcase. I’ve had it for a while so I’ve got a basis for comparison for my Jasmine Silk. The Lilysilk pillowcase is one side silk one side cotton. I thought that would be good because a pure silk pillowcase might slip off. It cost £13.99 from Amazon.

The Jasmine Silk Pillowcase I went for is the duck egg coloured Oxford style. It’s really pretty. The Jasmine Silk seemed much thicker and silkier than the Lilysilk. It has more of a sheen to it.

It feels and looks beautiful. The Lilysilk required hand washing with a special detergent but Jasmine Silk’s washing instructions only require a 30°C machine wash. This is really handy because hand washing a pillowcase as often as you’re really supposed to is a pain in the neck.

Jasmine Silk has these credentials-

• Made with 100% charmeuse Mulberry silk
• 400 thread count
• Momme weight of 19
• Oeko-Tex certified

All of which mean nothing to me. It sounds fabulous though.

I’m enjoying the double sided silk actually. It means you can flip it over to a clean side, so you can go longer between washes. Being an acne sufferer I need a clean pillowcase. It doesn’t slip off the pillow as I had feared.

Jasmine Silk also does a full range of bedding- stunning bedspreads and sheets, baby blankets, socks, eyemasks, a balaclava! Of you wanted to fully silken your life, it’s possible. I don’t think the prices are astronomical, the duck egg Oxford pillowcase is £30 and the white one is a bit cheaper on Amazon.

Does the Silk Pillowcase Live Up to it’s Beauty Claims?

Less pressure on the skin, leading to fewer wrinkles

This is definitely true. Silk causes less friction and pressure on the skin which means less squashing of the skin which will create wrinkles long term.

• Natural temperature regulation
• I haven’t really noticed this. Maybe if you have a full silk bed set the temperature regulation would be more obvious.
• Less moisture absorbency= improved skin hydration
• Maybe. I have really oily skin and generally wake up with an oil slick. Dry skin isn’t usually a problem for me.
• The silky texture means less hair breakage and frizz
• Definitely the case, I’m not going to pretend that my hair looks totally salon perfect or anything, but it’s definitely smoother compared with a cotton pillowcase.
• Silk is meant to have natural antibacterial properties
• This I’m not so sure of. Silk cocoons have to have protective mechanisms to shield delicate pupae from the harsh world. It seems unlikely that the antimicrobial properties of the raw cocoon make it through the processing.
• The smooth texture prevents dreaded sleep creases
• Again, this is a definite. I’ve had sleep creases that have lasted for hours. It’s worth getting a silk pillowcase just to avoid this.
• Hypoallergenic- good for eczema sufferers
• I believe that this is the case. It’s recommended by the National Eczema Society as a hypoallergenic bedding, so ideal for eczema sufferers.
• Resistance to dust mites and fungi
• Apparently this is the case. It’s quite hard to find any specific information on this. The National Eczema Society says so, so that sounds promising.
• Less abrasion= good for sensitive skin
• Very much so, I definitely notice that a cotton pillow is more scratchy. If you have sensitive allergenic skin, silk is definitely going to be more comfortable.
• Less absorbance= less removal of all that precious skincare

Possibly. It’s bound to absorb some product. It’s hard to say how differently silk performs in this respect.

All in all I would definitely recommend a Silk Pillowcase. In terms of comfort, wrinkle prevention, hair care and sensitive skin- they are definitely superior to cotton. The Jasmine Silk Pillowcase is really lovely and is smoother and more hard wearing than other brands.

Jasmine Silk 100% Mulberry silk pillowcase is available from Amazon or JasmineSilk.com

(Please note that the Jasmine Silk Pillowcase was gifted and doesn’t affect my opinion. Some links may be affiliate)