These chic silk pillowcases are certainly no gimmick

The best in the beauty sleep game

Best silk pillowcase own imagery of pillows stacked
(Image credit: Future Studios / Philip Sowels)

If you want to step up your self-care routine, invest in your beauty sleep, or simply want to feel rich AF, then I'd suggest getting a silk pillowcase. Yes, they may look totally expensive, while being actually quite cheap, but when it comes to health benefits, they're certainly no gimmick. 

Getting eight hours of essential shut-eye is half the task of looking and feeling great —  if your pillow isn't up to par, your skin and hair may be affected. It's true, sleeping on a silky smooth surface can save your skin and hair from damage caused by tossing and turning in the night. Your skincare routine will be perfectly preserved. 

They may be endorsed by aestheticians, dermatologists, and sleep specialists alike, but believe me, I've tried all these silk pillowcases and can't go back to sleeping on cotton. Paired with one of the best pillows, I've said farewell to frizz, split ends, and acne, and hello to great sleep.

The best silk pillowcases

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Best silk pillowcase own imagery of pillows stacked

(Image credit: Future Studios / Philip Sowels)

Rest assured I've slept on all of these silk pillowcases. Yes, I've been getting my beauty sleep and making sure each smooth surface lives up to silky standards. I've also made sure to wash these pillowcases more than once and try them out again to see how they last. Oh, and we've had our curly-haired queen ecommerce editor Christina test out how anti-frizz each one is.

Louise Oliphant author illustration
Louise Oliphant

Louise is our biggest beauty sleep advocate and will stop at nothing to make sure she recommends only the best sleep products out there. If there's one thing she'd suggest buying, it's a silk pillowcase. Down to personal experience, she can't sleep on anything else! 

"I have sensitive skin and was eager to test the difference between a cotton or linen pillowcase that came with my bedding and sleeping on silk. The cooling properties were more than noticeable. Resting my head on a cold surface lets my skincare soak in and doesn't irritate my cheeks too much."

Christina author photo
Christina Chrysostomou

Christina follows quite a specific ritual when it comes to maintaining her corkscrew locks, and silk pillowcases are a curly-haird girl's BFF.

"Generally speaking, cotton and polyester tend to create static and frizz, but with a high momme count, my mane doesn't have that 'frizz halo' in the morning. Because of the soft 'slip' of a silk pillowcase, us curlies worry less about 'fairy knots' (these are single-strand tangles that are coily/wave hair people's worst nightmare)."

What should I look for when buying a silk pillowcase?

Besides considering how much you'd want to spend and the colour that goes best with your bedding, there are some key details about silk you should look out for.

Firstly, you should make sure the pillowcase you're buying is made from natural silk if you're wanting to benefit from its properties. Lilian Wu, marketing manager at LilySilk, says holding a flame to silk can be a way to distinguish between real and faux silk. Genuine silk produces a smell similar to that of burning hair with an invisible flame that will soon self-extinguish. Fake silk will combust rapidly with an intense flame followed by the smell of burning plastic. So maybe don't test this out at home...

Secondly, find out the momme count. "Momme (mm) is a unit traditionally used to measure the quality of silk fabrics," says Wu. "Usually, the higher the momme weight, the more durable the weave, the more luxurious the fabric is, the more suitable it is for heavy-duty use, and the longer it will last."

Are silk pillowcases really worth it?

"Over our lifetime we will spend around a third of our time sleeping and the majority of us sleep on a cotton pillowcase every night," says Anya Ratnavel, owner of The Silk Collective. "While cotton may feel soft, it is more abrasive against our skin and hair compared to silk fabric. This can lead to cotton creases on our face each night (and wrinkles over time) and hair becoming tangled and tugged as you toss during the night, causing hair breakage." This and several other reasons make silk pillowcases a worthy investment.

How do I wash a silk pillowcase?

If you're wondering how to wash silk, the good news is that you won't have to rethink your laundry routine. Functionality-wise, there'll be no special wash instructions or fussy handwashing routine as most of the best silk pillowcases can be popped in your washer at 30°C. What's more, they're just as quick to dry as their cotton and polyester counterparts.

Now to the nitty-gritty. All of these silk pillowcases are anti-microbial, as well as bed bug and dust mite resistant too, so you won't need to wash them as regularly. But it's better to be safe than sorry. Make sure you know how to get rid of bed bugs if you do see critters in your space.

Louise Oliphant
Ecommerce Editor

Louise is the Ecommerce Editor at Real Homes, specialising in sleep content so you can wind-down well. With prior PR experience working for a luxury bedding brand, Louise knows the importance of getting a great night’s sleep. Joining the other side of the desk as a full-time journo, Louise brings her bedding expertise to writing sleep buying guides, reviews, and news for Real Homes. Aside from helping readers get essential shut eye, Louise also writes shopping content for homeware items that’ll add a decorative edge to your space. With an eye for design that won’t snooze on style, but a budget that won’t quite stretch, Louise loves nothing more than a modern designer dupe. From coloured glassware to contemporary storage, anything to upgrade the bare space of her rented East London flat. 

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