Are Silk Pillowcases Good For Your Skin?
Stephanie says: Is it true that it is better for your skin to sleep on silk pillow cases
The Left Brain believes:
There is some evidence, like this Pubmed article, that indicates special silk clothing can reduce atopic dermatitis in children who are prone to that condition. However, I have can’t find any evidence that sleeping on silk pillowcases is really better for your skin. Nonetheless, one brand, Silkskin Antiwrinkle Pillowcases, says they actually fight the signs of aging. Here are a few claims from their website followed by my comments:
1. Gives your skin the chance to breathe naturally
While your skin does perspire and while certain chemicals can clog your pores and cause acne, skin does not really “breathe” so silk doesn’t really make a difference in this regard.
2. Because moisture levels are being maintained throughout the night, deeper lines and wrinkles are not forming.
Moisture loss causes dry scaly skin, not wrinkles. A pillow case can not stop wrinkles from forming.
3. Different from run of the mill silk pillow case as it is made from organic silk which contains amino acids, the building blocks of your skin.
ALL silk is made of amino acids, so the fact that this silk is organic is completely irrelevant. And the amino acid profile of silk is different than keratin protein, which is what skin is made of. And, even if it were the same, it’s not like the amino acids leap off the pillowcase and attach to your skin.
4. Organic silk also has the same pH balance of your skin.
Measuring pH really only makes sense when you’re talking about a water solution. Yes, skin has a optimal pH balance, but the pH of fabric you’re sleeping on is really irrelevant.
5. When sleeping on this pillowcase, your night cream is fully absorbed by the skin and won’t rub off like it usually does, therefore allowing the cream to work to maximum effect.
I’m curious if Silkskin has any actual data to back up this claim. I suppose it’s possible that silk is less absorbent than cotton, which means it could absorb less oils and moisture from the surface of your skin. But even if silk is less absorbent, just the friction of your skin against the fabric as you move around in your sleep is still enough to wipe some of the lotion off your face. Without some kind of test data to show Silkskin has a beneficial effect, I’m skeptical on this claim.
6. Silk stops you getting the dreaded ‘bedhead’ as your hair will simply glide over the pillowcase.
Bed head isn’t just caused by rubbing your hair across the fabric of the pillow. It’s also caused by the warmth and moisture of your perspiring scalp saturating your hair and reforming the hydrogen bonds (also known as salt bonds) in your hair, which results in the bizarre hair configuration you wake up with. Since silk doesn’t stop you from perspiring, it probably has little effect on bed head. But once again, if there’s test data to the contrary I’ll gladly reconsider my position.
7. Dust mites cannot live on silk so the pillowcase is excellent for allergy sufferers.
This is the most intriguing of all Silkskin’s claims. While I found references to very tightly woven pillowcases being used to prevent dust mites from penetrating into pillows, I could not find any legitimate scientific source that answered this question one way or the other.
The Beauty Brains bottom line:
There may be some legitimate benefits to sleeping on silk, but Silkskin makes a number of definitive claims without providing much information to back them up. Maybe it’s true that dust mites can’t live on silk, but I’d rather not take the word of the company trying to sell me the product as proof. A little independent confirmation would go a long way toward making me feel better about buying this product.
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jeni - savvy skin Says:
I’ve been using satin pillowcases for the last few years and love them. I guess that’s different than silk pillowcases! Anyway, I wake up without any creases in my face, which is why I like them so much.
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Linda Says:
I have heard this about satin pillowcases, but not silk ones. It does seem fairly reasonable to assume the more slippery fabrics would reduce facial abrasion. However, absorbency might be a plus in a pillowcase as well. This posting definitely puts a new wrinkle on things. . . . Hmm . . .
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LeAnne Says:
This I am not surprised by. I do like silh headwraps instead of cotton ones and have noticed a huge change in my hair since the swtich, but all the other claims are just silly. Next thing you know, they will be telling consumers that the pillowcases cure Cancer.
hairsmystory.com
Karen Says:
I also sleep on silk pillow cases. I decided to give it a try when I read that Nicole Kidman uses them to minimize her naturally curly tresses from uncoiling into frizz by morning. And she’s right! It does keep my curls from unraveling far better than cotton. I’ve also read it causes less pull on fragile hair because of the slip factor.
Jeni’s right, too. When I slept on cotton pillow cases, I used to wake up with creases on my face that sometimes took hours to go away. That all stopped the day I switched to silk.
Lauri Says:
MY MIL gave me some silk pillowcases. One of my cats loves them. I like them because they are cooler in temperature than cotton ones, or so it seems. As for health benefits, I never even considered they had a benefit. I mean, it’s just a fabric.
‘Bedhead’ still occurs though and I can see why facial creases would be lessened with silk: cotton cases can fold and crease, silk stays smooth.
Joanne Says:
I sleep on silk pillowcases and find them great. The ones to buy though are silk charmeuse. They are not slippery but they have a lustre which stops you waking up with lines on your face
Chris Says:
Sorry but “parachute silk”, organic or not will not allow free movement of air and moisture through it. Wouldn’t be much good as a parachute if it did. Also, you can develop an allergy to the shiny coating on silk called sericin. DermaSilk has been developed as underclothing & bedclothes to help reduce the itch associated with eczema in adults and children. a different approach but worth a visit to the site.
Gill Says:
Hi Chris
Very interesting site worth a visit. I definely agree with you about silk properties. Are silkskin pillowcases made from parachute silk? as you mentioned
Chris Says:
Hi Gill,
From what i can see on their website - i think so.
CAn’t say much more on the subject.
Lynda Says:
Hey I bought a silkskin pillowcase from harvey nichols and it is actually made out of habotai silk.
I know this because I go to silk painting classes and its the same silk. I even took it to class and everyone agreed.
hannah Says:
Can’t say I agree with the left brain. I have bought a Silkskin pillowcase and it has improved my skin and hair!! the silk is excellent quality. Is the left brain is a specialist on silk?
Silkskin have got a fantastic product and All my family and friends use Silkskin.
lakey man Says:
Well, I am shocked that you doubt Silkskin pillowcases. I have used one for a couple of years now and it has helped my hair, which was falling out very bad! I also noticed that I don’t get those nasty deep lines as bad when I wake up. There are maany dermatoligists who advocate sleeping on silk like Dr Sobel form America ( won awards last five years) he is just one to name a few. I don’t get why you have picked on Silkskin, there are other companies too! anyway, I love mine and so does my wife…
Right Brain Says:
Hannah and Lakey Man:
We’re not saying that Silkskin doesn’t make a good pillow case. And we’re certainly not picking on them! All we’re saying is, that if they are making skin care claims (like reducing wrinkles) then they should explain to people how their products work. If they have tested their pillowcases and have proof that they do what they say they do, then they should share that good news so more people will buy their product.
Also, just to be clear, we don’t doubt that silk can be better for reducing creasing in the skin caused by sleeping on folded fabric. But we do doubt that sleeping on silk will actually prevent real, long lasting wrinkles from forming in your skin.
Of course, since we’re scientists, we’ll gladly consider any legitimate data that the company can present in favor of their claims. Thanks for your comments!
Holly Says:
I agree with Chris and Lynda, I have one. silkskin pillowcases are made out of parachute silk (habotai silk). I use this silk as lining fabric (I make wedding dresses). It is organic(natural) but then all silk is.
hannah Says:
How funny, Why on earth would you buy a product which is made from parachute silk and then say you use it for wedding dresses! why didnt you just make one yourself? I am a loyal customer of Silkskin and have purchased lots of them. I heard Nigella Lawson bought one and then 9 more and she’s no mug! I would say that there is a lot of jealousy towards Silkskin and it wouldnt surprise me if some of the above are competitors with lack of sales…. Bit like the lady who says she bought it and then took it to her painting class ( laugh ) Han
Left Brain Says:
I find this whole discussion baffling. The question was
“Is it true that it is better for your skin to sleep on silk pillow cases?”
I didn’t really know the answer but I did a little research and found Silkskin pillows. I was amazed by their claims about how their silk pillows will “delay the aging process”. This sounded suspicious to me.
So, I looked at their claims and they provide NO scientific support. Everything is just the opinion of people who sleep on the product.
Well, for me, that’s not enough. Anecdotal evidence doesn’t prove anything. Proof would be scientific evidence. A clinical study perhaps?
And how about not being so sloppy with the facts? Silk has 20 amino acids, not 18.
As Right Brain so diplomatically put it, the silkskin pillows are probably fine pillows and a joy to sleep on. But the notion that they are going to “delay the aging process” is unproven bunk. We’d be happy to be proven wrong by scientific evidence. Please spare us more anecdotes from presumably satisfied customers (who despite having the same ISP address are not likely the same person posting). We believe you. People like the pillows.
The company has just not proven their claims about delaying the aging process.
I remain skeptical.
hannah Says:
Hi, I am sending this reply because you have been rude. You started a discussion but don’t seem to like any good feedback about the company. What’s going on? Are you sure you are scientist? there is no evidence to suggest this on your site. It clearly does help the skin and hair because people say it does ( placebo or not, who cares) it’s a fantastic product and you are just using them to get hits on your site for your own benefits…. I have contacted the company to let them know. PS I did a bit of research myself, there are 18 amino acids in silk!
thebeautybrains Says:
Hannah,
Thanks so much for your spirited comments. I apologize if you think I’ve been rude. That’s not my intent at all. I focus on the science of things and all I was asking for was proof for the things the company was saying. As both me and Right Brain said, Silkskin likely produces a fine pillow.
But things are stated on their website about the benefits of their pillows which are not supported by any available scientific data. We are skeptical of claims like “delays the aging process” when no scientific proof is given. The fact that people say it helps skin and hair is not proof of anything.
And as far as asking who cares if it’s a placebo effect or not…we do. Our blog is all about evaluating the science behind questions sent in to us from readers. Anecdotal evidence is evidence of nothing.
If someone says the products don’t do anything is that proof that they don’t? Of course not. How about some scientific evidence one way or the other?
You seem to know something about the company so maybe you can direct us to the proof of their claims.
As to the 18 amino acids in silk, could you please direct me to some published research that supports your statement? The research supporting my statement about there being 20 amino acids in silk protein is from The Handbook of Fiber Chemistry published by Marcel Dekker 1998 - page 426. The distribution of amino acids is listed but in the chart they combine the amino acids Glutamine with Glutamic Acid and Asparagine with Aspartic acid. That makes 20 amino acids. What research source to you cite for silk containing 18 amino acids?
Thanks again for your comments. It would be nice if you could cut out the personal attacks and stick to the questions at hand.
Kirstie Says:
Dr Stegman wrote a Hallmark paper in the 80’s on the effect of sleep creases and the underlying SMAS (superficial musculoaponeurotic system) proving that sleep creases are accentuated by pillow contact.
kate Says:
I am familiar with Dr Stegman’s paper proving that sleep creases in your face are worsened by your pillow. That’s why it is important to use the softest fabric available for pillow cases. That fabric being a good weight silk charmeuse