Does Sleeping on a Silk Pillowcase Really Work for Your Hair?

You’ve probably heard by now that sleeping on a silk pillowcase is the best for silver hair, but do you know why or how silk works to protect your hair. Whether you have any combination of straight, curly, dyed, or your natural color, silk is amazing for several reasons. Did you know silk can be gentler on your skin, too? You’ll learn why here.

A Brief History of Silk:

There are many reasons silk is one of the finest and oldest fabrics in the world: it is natural, durable, luxurious, renewable, and biodegradable. Silks can be made with a multitude of colors from the softest shades to the most vibrant jewel tones and everything in between. Silk can be used to make anything from skin and hair care products, fabrics for lingerie, clothing, linens, upholstery, and rugs.

In China, silk production dates back to Neolithic times, that’s around 6000 years ago, give or take. At one point in the history of making Chinese silk, it was only to be farmed and produced by women. It was considered so fine that it was only to be worn by the imperial family.

Silk has been found in many ancient cultures including the Egyptians, Romans, and Greeks. It has usually been associated with wealth, refinement, luxury, and sensuality.

Before World War II, Japan was the world’s leading silk exporter. When the war cut off that supply, nylon replaced silk in stockings and parachutes. Polyester followed in the years after the war. Today China leads the world in silk production, which makes silk far easier to find and less expensive.

What is silk made of?

Silk fiber is collected from the cocoons of silkworms. The cocoon is usually boiled to unwind the fiber and then it is spun into thread and woven into cloth.

What do silk and hair have in common?

Silk and hair are both protein fibers. Silk is made mostly of fibroin, the strong inner fiber. During processing, the gummy outer coating, called sericin, is washed away. Both silk and hair contain a high proportion of the amino acid serine.

This shared chemistry matters more in your hair products than on your pillow. A pillowcase can’t deliver amino acids to your hair. When silk protein is hydrolyzed, it breaks down into smaller peptides and amino acids, including serine. These pieces adsorb to the surface of the hair and form a light film that helps it hold moisture and feel smoother. Look for hydrolyzed silk, silk amino acids, or serine on the ingredient list.

What does silk do for skin?

Silk rarely irritates skin, whether it’s in a cream or a garment. Its long, smooth filaments create less friction than rougher fibers, and many people with sensitive skin find silk more comfortable to wear and sleep on.

The research on silk and skin conditions is mixed. A small study found that patients with atopic dermatitis had fewer symptoms after a month of wearing silk clothing. However, the largest trial on the question, the CLOTHES trial, followed 300 children with moderate to severe eczema. Wearing silk garments did not reduce the severity of their eczema, the amount of cream and ointment they needed, or the number of skin infections they had.

Silk is not a treatment for eczema or other skin conditions. If silk feels better against your skin, that comfort is reason enough to use it. If you have a skin condition, your dermatologist is your best guide.

What does silk do for hair?

Sleeping on a silk pillowcase:

We spend 6-9 hours a day with our head on a pillow…that’s a long time to cause friction, breakage, frizz, and loss of moisture.

Benefits of silk containing haircare products:

• Retains moisture
• Strengthens
• Helps decrease frizz
• Reduces static

Look for hair products with hydrolyzed silk proteins or serine in the formula.

What is the difference between cotton and silk?

Silk pillowcases reduce frizz because silk’s long, smooth filaments give hair less to catch on than cotton’s shorter, fuzzier fibers. Independent testing by TRI Princeton, a hair science research institute, found that silk creates less friction against hair than cotton. Less friction means less roughing up of the cuticle, which shows up as frizz, tangles, and breakage.

Silk and cotton also handle moisture differently. Cotton soaks up liquid readily, which is why it makes a good towel. In my experience, silk dries noticeably faster than cotton, whether I’m wearing it or sleeping on it. Because silk dries faster, it stays damp for less time, which gives bacteria and fungi less opportunity to grow.

What is the difference between silk and satin?

Today, most satin sold in the US is made of polyester. Polyester is a manmade petroleum-based fiber that is essentially a plastic. Silk is a naturally occurring protein fiber made by silkworms.

The long and the short of it is satin can be made out of silk, but not all satin is silk. Satin can be made out of any long filament fibers; including silk, polyester, rayon, and nylon. 

Mostly, the difference between poly and silk comes down to three things: heat, static, and chemicals.

• Polyester barely absorbs moisture. Sweat sits against your skin instead of being absorbed, which is why polyester satin feels hot and clammy.
• Natural silk has less potential to create static than poly-satin.
• Polyester itself doesn’t contain PFAS, the “forever chemicals,” but polyester bedding is sometimes treated with them for water or stain resistance. Wrinkle-resistant finishes can also add formaldehyde, and those are used on cotton as well. Whatever fabric you choose, look for OEKO-TEX certification, which means the product has been tested for harmful substances.

Why does it matter if I choose poly-satin over silk?

One of the most common things I hear when I discuss sleeping on silk is, “I don’t like silk it is too hot, and slick.” That is my immediate tip-off that they haven’t slept on 100% Real Silk. There is a distinct difference and it really does matter.

If you toss and turn a lot, or you are in that lovely peri-menopausal or menopausal phase of life, you don’t need any help with your hot head from your pillowcase.

Remember silk stays cool in summer and warm in winter.

Satin tends to get hot and stay hot no matter what time of year. Add a foam pillow to this, and you will wake up roasting and sweating.

How to shop for silk:

Look for 100% Mulberry or Natural Silk.

The Price is a Clue:

A silk pillowcase will range in price from around $25 to $100. If your pillowcase is sold for under $10 or $15, it probably is made of polyester, and being sold as “Silky” or “Silk-like” check the label or description.

What is momme?

Simply put, momme is the weight of the silk. It plays a role similar to thread count in cotton sheets, but it measures weight instead of threads per square inch. One momme is the weight in pounds of a piece of silk 45 inches wide and 100 yards long. A higher momme means a heavier, denser fabric.

Ideally, you want a pillowcase between 19 and 25 momme. I find 22 momme a durable middle ground. Silk above 28 momme is considered heavyweight and is generally used for curtains and heavier garments.

Washing and drying:

This is where most people stop shopping. Most silk instructions will tell you to hand-wash and hang-dry. If you are buying that pillowcase above $40, I can understand why you would want to take this special care. However, that may not be necessary; this is where my favorite cases come in.

I bought my first silk pillowcases in 2017; in November of 2021, we threw the first one away because it tore away from the zipper. I wash mine with my sheets (zipper closed), in warm water, with 7th Generation Laundry Soap & Liquid Softener, in a front loading (no agitator) washing machine. I dry them with the sheets on medium heat. I’ve used this method of washing and only the one has torn and been thrown away in 4 years; I have had cotton sheets that haven’t lasted that long.

Silk pillowcases are now as affordable as a quality shampoo or conditioner.

I hope you found this post educational and helpful.

Thank you for reading. Please feel free to share.

As always it is about so much more than the hair.

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Works Cited:

1. “History of Silk.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 1 Jan. 2022, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_silk.
2. Asakura T, Yao J. 13C CP/MAS NMR study on structural heterogeneity in Bombyx mori silk fiber and their generation by stretching. Protein Sci. 2002 Nov;11(11):2706-13. doi: 10.1110/ps.0221702. PMID: 12381852; PMCID: PMC2373734.
3. “Component Distributions in Keratins from Amino Acids.” Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists, vol. 36, no. 1, https://library.scconline.org/v036n01/22.
4. Hung, Min-Hsung et al. “Influence of silk clothing therapy in patients with atopic dermatitis.” Dermatology reports vol. 11,2 8176. 22 Dec. 2019, doi:10.4081/dr.2019.8176
5. Thomas, Kim S., et al. “Silk Garments Plus Standard Care Compared with Standard Care for Treating Eczema in Children: A Randomised, Controlled, Observer-Blind, Pragmatic Trial (CLOTHES Trial).” PLOS Medicine, vol. 14, no. 4, 2017, e1002280, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1002280.

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