Calm down, this isn’t a PSA for you to drop your savings on silk pillowcases, because (1) there are affordable options out there and (2) the little investment that they are will save you from stressing out over any breakage (trust me, I speak from experience—how else do you think I’ve managed to keep my fake blonde going for more than five years?!).
In short: Regardless of your hair type, if you wake up to a head of hair that’s always tangled or looks and feels dry (hi, it me), you can thank your pillowcase. Yep, that thin sheet that keeps your pillow clean could be—and most likely is—doing a number on your hair if it’s made out of cotton.
Why is it good to sleep on a satin pillowcase?
To figure out why cotton pillowcases cramp your (hair)style, I asked celebrity stylist and all-around mane addict Jen Atkin to weigh in. “Cotton absorbs moisture, while silk retains it, so when you lie on a silk or satin pillowcase, the oils from your strands are maintained rather than soaked up, leaving your hair nourished rather than dry,” she says. “This is especially beneficial for hair types that are prone to frizz, such as coarse hair types or girls who have wiry curls.”
Are satin pillowcases good for your hair?
Yes. Satin (and silk) pillowcases also have a smooth slip to them—they’re like the sexy lingerie of pillowcases and they’re super gentle on skin and hair—so they won’t leave sheet indentations on your skin when you wake up (bonus!), and the fabric allows your strands to flow freely over it without friction. This is what causes the not-cute version of bedhead, which is exactly why you should want to invest in a silk or satin pillowcase.
Which is better: silk or satin pillowcases?
Honestly, they’re both great—it just depends on how much you want to spend, because the price points are slightly higher when it comes to silk. Otherwise, the differences between the two are as follows: silk is a fiber, satin is a type of weave and not a natural fiber (therefore, satin pillowcases are made from other fabrics like rayon, polyester, silk blends, and nylon, whereas silk is made of, well, silk).
Don’t want to part with your cotton pillowcase?
Atkin is also a fan of wrapping hair in a silk scarf before sleeping to maintain your style. “This is great for all hair types but is especially beneficial for natural hair,” she says.
Now that you know the benefits of what snoozing on a silk or satin pillowcase can do for you, your hair, and your skin, here are a few to start sleeping on stat!
Satin and silk pillowcases you *need* asap
Kitsch Leopard Satin Pillowcase
Slip Pure Silk King Pillowcase
Swurly Co. Solid Queen Silk Pillowcases
Before you know it, this will be you:
Carly Cardellino was the beauty director at Cosmopolitan. If you follow her Instagram, then you know she'll try just about any beauty trend or treatment once (the pics of her purple hair are on IG to prove it). But her favorite part about being in beauty is finding the most effective products, and then sharing that intel with others—because who wants to spend money on stuff that doesn't work? No one, that's who. Her most recent discovery: De La Cruz Sulfur Ointment, which will change your blemish-clearing game! Hopefully through the beauty stories she writes—and the experiences she shares—you can see exactly why she's in this business.
