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.
{ 73 comments… read them below or add one }
← Previous Comments
Dear above, thank you for your response and final comment about our product. I would like to point out that I did not say you wish to sell pillows, you know that we have got excellent natural listings which benefit your company by getting people to your blog site. Please read my last response again. Also, we were discussing fake email address’s from competitors, so why have you spun it around? Freedom of speech is great if it’s from genuine people, which a few comments are. We know the pattern, the people and the comments. If you wish to speak to us, can I suggest you contact our office? we have got no problems with your concept, but we have contacted you outside of this blog to explain what has been happening, but you chose to ignore it. ( for your own benefits ) That is mean!
I purchased 2 Silkskin pillowcases direct from their website (www.silkskin.co.uk) in Feb at a cost of £70. By June, the seams had split, depsite being cared for exactly to instructions. I have phoned and left messages (their phones are not manned), sent emails, and a Recorded Delivery letter requesting a refund. All have been ignored. Do not touch this product/company with a bargepole!
Hi guys, just wanted to say what an entertaining half hour I’ve just had, reading all your comments!
Not sure which company I’m going to get my pillowcase from, and now, I’m not even sure it’s going to be silk! But I do know this, my ever increasing battle to keep the lines at bay will go on, and on and on, so I’m happy for any help I can get :O)
Cheers jenny
I have just brought a fantastic pillowcase and eye mask, both in silk and I have fallen in love with them! Every morning I wake up with lines on my face, but since the begining of the week I have not had one! yippee!! I tried to use it without my husband noticing, but when he did he didn’t say anything (that cant be a good sign) Anyway, Im thrilled with it. I got it from Amazon for 14.99 which is cheaper than anywhere else Ive seen at the moment, am very chuffed with it! jenny
This is what I brought:
100% Charmeuse Silk Pillowcase (IVORY) 50 cm x 75… JASMINE SILK
Whats even better than sleeping on a silk pillowcase is sleeping on a SILK PILLOW
Bought one recently and its wonderful
its called the ante wrinkle silk pillow
and I got it from
http://www.silkgifts.co.uk
Yes. Silk is the best thing you can sleep on. With its amino acid and silk protein complex, naturally, it is also softer on you skin and keeps it hydrated more than any other fabric in the world.
well, this is the funniest blog i’ve ever read. First of all, these silkskin people are bonkers… what are you, five year olds??? Jeez, you have a company and people criticize it, its part of life… and i believe left brain never even criticized your product (as other consumers had), they are just commenting on your ridiculous claims. IF instead of whining you had tried to explain these, like I’m about to, then maybe you’d at least seem professional. FREEDOM OF SPEECH people!!! Now, on reducing wrinkles, this claim would only make sense if based on its absorbent capabilities compared to cotton, which dries out skin more hence could make it more prone to wrinkles. Still, this is just a conjecture and not fact. Creases are a completely different thing, NOT the same as wrinkles. Second, bedhead is also caused by friction on hair that as we all know causes static energy that turns into frizz. Since silk and satin are smoother than cotton, they create less static, and hence, better looking hair in the morning. Dust mites feed on dead human cells, and unless silk has some special power that repels them, then dust mites will pretty much live there. as left brain said, if you care to provide us with ANY scientific proof, I will gladly sponsor your company in any and all blogs I may stumble upon. Meanwhile, let me just say you are looking pretty immature and unprofessional, and that I think the creator of the blog deserves an apology. GOOD DAY!!
HELP MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE I dont know which one website I CAN BUY FOR PILLOW SKIN AND HAIR CARE??????:( That is my first time to heard that… I WANTTTTTTTTTTTT MY SKIN WRINKLES AND HAIR CARE IMPROVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE……….. EMAIL MEEEEEEE PLEASEEEEEEEEE
THANK YOU
This is a wee bit of a necro-post, I know, but I just thought that I would add my two cents.
Penny 1) I find it funny that people were getting their panties into a wad about the particular company that produces the pillowcase and claims that you “evaluated.” It has nothing to do with the product or the people behind it- it’s about the facts.
Penny 2) I think about half of the issues with the SilkSkin claims is the way that they word them, while the other half are actual misinformation. To explain what I mean-
“Gives your skin a chance to breathe naturally.”
While skin itself does not breathe, it does need air flow for perspiration to evaporate properly. As some one who has spent a fair amount of time wearing latex and other “non-porous” materials on her skin (don’t ask. I have an interesting job), I can attest that lack of air flow does cause issues with break outs because the perspiration is basically held in the pores and allowed to cause the infections that cause pimples. All I think they were trying to claim is that silk, which is a “breathable” material, allows better air flow to the skin.
“Because moisture levels are being maintained throughout the night, deeper lines and wrinkles are not forming.”
This is half crap, half rational. Two primary causes (that apply to this discussion, anyway) for wrinkles are A) the breakdown in the connective “threads” that hold our skin in its place over tissue and B) collagen breakdown, which is PARTIALLY affected by the amount of moisture in our bodies, whether it’s absorbed dermally via sources like creams and lotions or ingested. Because they make the claim about moisture levels specifically, I feel the need to point out that the moisture in your skin is affected more by how hydrated you are (how much water you drink) than anything you put on your skin. However, just because you drink 8+ glasses of water a day and apply moisturizer religiously does NOT mean that wrinkles won’t form. There are simply too many other contributing factors to make that kind of claim.
“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.”
This is just silly to point out, in and of itself. First, all silk contains amino acids. Second, even if it didn’t, it would not matter because amino acids have to be absorbed, either through a dermal solution (like a lotion or cream) or ingestion. Your skin does not absorb the silk threads.
“Organic silk also has the same pH balance of your skin.”
This is entirely irrelavent. Unless the material was severely acidic or alkaline, it really has no affect on the skin.
“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.”
This just makes no sense overall and should be re-worded. For one, silk is HIGHLY absorbent, which would make it MORE likely to absorb your skin creams. Secondly, removal via rubbing and absorbing are two different things. A satin face weave, which I don’t know if SilkSkin has or not, is smoother and would certainly reduce rubbing but not eliminate it. Sorry.
“Silk stops you getting the dreaded ‘bedhead’ as your hair will simply glide over the pillowcase.”
This is only the case if the fabric has a satin face weave, as I mentioned before. And while it can REDUCE “bedhead”, sometimes to a highly significant degree (as some one with thick, easily frizzed wavy hair, I can say that degree can indeed be a huge one), it will not thoroughly eliminate it like this claim leads you to believe. This is because, as Left Brain mentioned, “bedhead” is caused by both friction on the hair and a chemical change in the follicle, the latter being something that the fabric can ultimately do nothing about.
“Dust mites cannot live on silk so the pillowcase is excellent for allergy sufferers.”
While it is commonly believed that dust mites cannot live on silk, it is again as Left Brain mentioned- there are no definite studies that either confirm or disprove this.
In defense of SilkSkin, however, I should point out some of the benefits of sleeping on silk pillowcases and sheets-
Because of the smooth texture of silk with a satin face weave, common sense dictates that it will help to SLOW wrinkling because your skin glides over it. Tugging at the skin, either through movement such as facial expressions or by some outside source, does cause damage to the connective fibers that hold the skin in place. When these fibers breakdown, wrinkles do begin to appear. (I do want to reiterate and state that this is NOT the only cause of wrinkles, but a large one) However, it will not stop or reverse wrinkles. And all of this is true in ALL silk with a satin weave, regardless of its maker. Sorry.
Lastly, I’m not sure whether or not The Beauty Brains staff are scientists or not. But I do not see any kind of banner that specifically claims they are any type of certified scientists. The word “scientist” is very much a relative term, being defined by Merriam-Webster as [1 : a person learned in science and especially natural science : a scientific investigator]. Every person in the world meets this definition in some way because we were all taught something about science at some point in our lives and we all perform some scientifically investigative experiments, whether we are conciously aware of it or not.
In the end, what they are trying to determine and share with you people is the facts. Whether or not something REALLY works. And I’m sorry, but placebo-effect is NOT something actually working. Placebo-effect means that something which does NOT work appears to because the user wants to believe that it does. And as some one who works in an industry where my looks mean just about everything to my career, placebo-effect just isn’t good enough for me. Give me cold, hard, scientific FACTS!
[Sorry for making this so long, but that is my full opinion. Heh, maybe I could join the Beauty Brains team? lol]
I just had to bust out and comment. I found this thread after researching silk pillowcases (I’m sure the website owner can see my IP and search terms) – and I am specifically looking for a pillowcase to purchase. I wasn’t sure if I wanted Chinese silk or Charmeuse. I started reading the comments hoping they would be helpful, as they usually are in my other beauty forums. This is just ridiculous.
I will make a point to avoid purchasing any product from any company participating in this idiotic trolling. I will link to this thread in my beauty forums. You all should be ashamed – trying to influence consumers by posing as commenters. Bloggers can tell the difference.
Silk pillowcase could protect and prevent wrinkles on the facial skin and neck area. Silk is far less absorbent than cotton. Jasmine Silk had the best price. Only £20. What a bargain for a luxury 19 momme Charmeuse silk pillowcase. So I ordered a pair of silk pillowcases and hoped for the best. When they arrived I was delighted at the quality and seams, everything was perfect so I ordered two more pairs. My hair was happy and so was I: even my husband couldn ‘ t deny how lovely silk feels on the skin. So, seriously, go ahead and indulge yourself, we spend about a third of our lives in bed, this investment was well and worth the price! You can find them at http://www.jasminesilk.com.
Well, i think the best way to decide whether sleeping on silk really helps is to get a pillowcase and try it out. I don’t see why there is a fighting match about who’s company made silk pillowcases first. Silk has been crafted by the Chinese for thousands of years, so i think it is pretty safe to say no one here is first. As for some information for your readers. Moisture: Silk absorbs about 11% from your skin vs. around 30% for cotton. It is often used as liners because it whisks moisture from away from the skin while not absorbing much moisture from it. (This is why you will see silk in high end sports apparel and in camping stores like EMS of REI where moisture next to the skin can be dangerous when your on top of a 13,000 foot mountain.) Silk comes in weights between 9 momme and 30 momme (silk equivalent of thread count), which is a measurement of weight in pounds for a 100′ x 45″ length of silk. Ideal momme weights are between 16 – 21mm. habotai vs charmeuse is in reference to the fabric weave: habotai has a soft sandy finish, charmeuse has shiny finish. Silk comes in two main forms: Mulberry and Tussah. Tussah is “wild” silk and tends to have more imperfections and is of lower quality. Mulberry silk is made from silk worms in captivity and they produce the best quality silk because the silk fibers remain in long strands. I hope this is helpful to your readers. If you are interested in our silk products you can find them on http://www.lovasilk.com or Amazon.
After reading through this, I have to say that Silkskin is one pathetic ass company. Posting fake comments, and then defending yourselves? Do you really think readers can’t tell what you’re up to?
Anyway, thanks to this blog for giving me some *FACTS*.
There are now additional options and new, groundbreaking advances in fabric technology that are quite amazing. The silk and satin fabrics have been around for centuries and may have some justification, but the DreamSkin Beauty Pillowcase is constructed with the new JuveTex fabric that is better than silk or satin. The sleep line studies are valid and it’s important to stop the sleep lines that are proven to turn into permanant wrinkles. This new material is extremely luxurious, does not fall apart in the washer and has clinical studies that prove the moisture is locked into your skin.
Wow! All this fuss over pillowcases! Was funny to read the comments at the beginning then I got bored of the arguing. And parachutes DO let air through to the person who commented that the silk wouldn’t make a good parachute if it did. Sheesh!
Hi Jo Somebody,
Thanks for reviving this post for me! “It’s not like the amino acids leap off the pillowcase and attach to your skin.” This is classic left brain. Love it.
Thanks, Sarah
I was googling “silk pillow skin” because I wanted to see if there were any evidence to support claims that silk pillow cases are better for hair and skin, and stumbled upon this. I’ve been to this blog and I get the concept of the blog (and it’s neat!). Anyway, I was reading the comments to see if others could offer takes on their own experiences with it. I saw a number of negative comments about how the article was “rude” and how they “love” their silk pillows, and so on. I am sure many of you are aware that companies on the defense (especially foreign companies) are experts at infiltrating blog comments (whether defending or just flattering their own products) and I will bet some of the comments above are exactly that….
Oh! It appears that a lot of readers already caught on! good!
Glad you found my article of interest, and I hope you will continue to do so!
Whether there is research or not to confim that sleeping on skin is better for your skin and hair and face cream, I do not know. What I do know is when you sleep on silk pillowcase you look better in the morning. The lines on your face do not linger like they do with cotton. I have to travel with mine everywhere I go. My kids sleep on silk. My dog loves them. I feel like I am in a spa everynight pampering myself when I sleep on silk pillowcases
Left Brain,
This is what happens when people who have no critical thinking skills and a distinct lack of reading comprehension start commenting on well-thought-out argumentative responses to illegitimate sales claims. ; ) I feel for you. However, I will use this as a case study lesson in my Critical Thinking and Composition Classes.
Beautybrains, et al,
It is truly bizarre to me that some of these users would seek out a self-professed science-based beauty blog yet understand very little of the scientific process.
I tend to think company shills trolling blogs about their products are quite disgraceful to intellectual debate and find their obtuse sidestepping of the courtesy of “conflict of interest” concerns in the scientific community to be quite off-putting. My feeling as a consumer is that your product should be able to survive skeptical inquiry. If you fear the results, and feel the need to defend yor product with voluminous commentaries, then perhaps you should improve your product or restrain your marketing department until there is no longer a need to feel so defensive.
As far as the “scientists” at this site go, however, I really would like some credentials other than how you tend to view discourse. I’m not looking for degrees (I don’t buy into the ivory tower that much), but can you at least substantiate your claims that you know what you are doing in the scientific process? Everyone can access Google or Google Scholar. So, just a little bit of internet savvy is not really very convincing.
The above request notwithstanding, I would also like to see citations and sources for your own data claims (hyperlinking is a simple thing, is it not?). In the course of this circus of a discussion, I have only seen you cite your source twice.
Yes, I have been using silk pillows for a number of years and would say there are great benefits to having them
← Previous Comments
{ 10 trackbacks }