If your goal is to have alabaster skin in your 50s like Angela Basset or Viola Davis, then you might not want to continue sleeping on a cotton pillowcase.
While these celebrities haven’t attributed their gorgeous skin to silk pillowcases, some studies have shown that there are benefits to sleeping on a silk pillowcase.
Reduced friction
Skincare experts recommend using a silk pillowcase because silk has a soft, smooth surface which allows your skin to slide easily. Cotton on the other hand has a rough surface which can irritate your skin.
Silk’s smooth surface reduces the amount of friction you expose your skin to especially when you toss and turn as you sleep. Friction can lead to ‘crush wrinkles’, which, according to dermatologist Dr Neal Schultz, are caused by sleeping on your face or side. He adds that sleeping on silk can reduce these wrinkles.
Less absorption
Cotton, unlike silk, is very absorbent. This means that it soaks up all your skin’s natural oils and any skincare products that you’ve applied, making it dry. It also soaks up hair oil and other dirt which gets transferred to your skin and causes breakouts.
“Silk pillowcases absorb less of the moisture and dirt and thus may be a better choice for people with acne,” says certified dermatologist Yoram Harth. “This is especially true for people who sleep on their sides or stomach.”
The fact that silk is less absorbent than cotton means that your skin and hair products will get absorbed into your skin and hair respectively, allowing them to do their work.
Youthful skin
Silk pillowcases also allow your skin to breath. This plus the fact that it allows the skin to retain moisture and prevents the formation of wrinkles proves that sleeping on a silk pillowcase can make you look younger.
While silk might not get rid of acne, it’s soft surface will not aggravate breakouts unlike cotton pillowcases whose roughness can make acne worse.
Studies are still being done to determine whether silk is truly beneficial to your skin but since there are people who have tried sleeping on silk pillowcases and they have seen good results, it doesn’t hurt to try
Have you ever?