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It’s not an exaggeration to say you’ll pay about the same price for an overnight stay at a luxury hotel as you will for a set of most silk pillowcases. The difference is, most luxury hotels don’t provide their guests with a real silk pillowcase. Sure, you’ll get a bright white cotton pillowcase on your bed, but where's the luxury in that?
Luxury, it seems, isn’t a necessity even in the luxury market.
So, why do it, then? Why splurge on a 100% pure mulberry silk pillowcase when luxury hotels won’t?
Because in a world where an "everything-is-disposable" attitude is damaging our environment and health, a high quality silk pillowcase is a luxury that is becoming a necessity.
But if you're going to make an investment in a silk pillowcase that will last you 10 years, what are the criteria you need to look for? Let's dive in.
1. To Save Your Skin and Hair, Look for Real Silk
In our culture, the words “beauty sleep” conjure up visions of Sleeping Beauty just waiting for Prince Charming to kiss away the evil spell and wake Beauty from her slumber.
And in true fairy tale fashion, when Beauty wakes up, she’s truly a beauty. No frizzy hair. If she has sensitive skin or skin creases, you wouldn’t know it. She’s flawless, despite having slept for a century or so. Goes to show you what a long spell of good beauty sleep can do!
So imagine pairing a charmeuse weave silk pillowcase with an amazing night's sleep. Just what does that do for your hair and skin? To put it simply, you'll wake up with hair smoother and skin glowing. Let's take a look at the effects of a silk weave pillowcase on hair and skin.
Bed head versus silk
Fairy tale fantasy aside, here’s the reality.
According to London dermatologist Dr. Ophelia Veraitch in an interview with Stylist, sleep, or more specifically, tossing and turning while you sleep, causes pulling and friction on your hair, leading to a case of frizzy hair.
Dr. Veraitch cites evidence that supports the idea that sleeping on a silk pillowcase for hair can protect your locks while you sleep.
Benefits of a silk pillowcase for hair:
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Shinier, frizz-free hair
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Hydrated, gorgeous locks
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Less breakage and healthier growth
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Go more days between washes
What sets pure mulberry silk apart from silk blends and other materials, including synthetic satin pillowcases, cotton pillowcases, and bamboo, is that mulberry silk is considered the highest quality material available.
The threads are much smoother and stronger than other types of silk, which means less friction and pulling on your hair and skin. Mulberry silk is made by the Bombyx mori silkworm that feeds on mulberry tree leaves. They are known to spin the strongest, purest silk in the world.
Your skin and Blissy silk
Here’s the other reality. The same friction that’s bad for your hair is also bad for your skin.
However, as an NBCNews.com article points out, one acne-prone user who tried a luxuriously soft Blissy silk pillowcase saw changes to her skin quality in about a week. She experienced less puffiness, redness, and irritation once she started sleeping on a high-quality silk pillowcase.
Other pillowcases, made from cotton, polyester satin, or synthetic materials, don't have the same benefits for skin as pure silk fabrics. Cotton is highly absorbent, which means it not only sucks moisture from your skin but can also hold onto moisture. Cotton effectively creates an environment for bacteria to breed (hello, acne).
Benefits of silk pillowcases for skin:
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Clearer skin
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Smoother skin texture
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Hydrated, glowing skin
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No waking up with skin creases
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Reduces appearance of new fine lines
Learn about the benefits of silk pillowcases for hair, skin, and sleep here.
What about cost?
But all of this isn't just about beauty and looking younger.
It's about the cost to you and the environment.
Here’s something to consider. The average cost of acne treatments runs about $60 a month for creams and tinctures and up to $200 a month for oral antibiotics and more specialized treatment. And at nearly $70 a pop, some anti-frizz hair treatments cost just as much per month as acne treatments do.
Let's not even talk about the environmental cost of having all those products go down the drain when you rinse them off your hair and skin.
A one-time splurge of $75 for a high-quality silk pillowcase (for queen-size pillows) costs you and the environment far less by comparison. (Read why Blissy is a better choice than more inexpensive silk pillowcase brands.)
To ensure that you get the most eco-friendly silk pillowcase for this purpose, read through product descriptions carefully to make sure you’re getting a pillowcase that is made of 100% mulberry silk.
Here's a hint: Start with a real silk pillowcase that has OEKO-TEX certification.
Now that's true beauty sleep!
2. Check for Grade 6A Silk
Silk grade
Buying a mulberry silk pillowcase involves looking for the best grade, which indicates the highest quality. Silk grades can range from A to C. To get the best quality silk pillowcase, look for Grade A mulberry silk. This silk grade features silk fibers that are smooth, but durable enough to be unwound without any breakage.
Blissy Silk Pillowcases are Grade 6A mulberry silk that has been OEKO-TEX certified. That means they don't use any harsh chemicals or dyes in their manufacturing process and are safe enough even for your toddler's skin.
Silk number
Grade isn’t the only factor to look for when you’re choosing pure silk cases. Look for the right number as well to make sure you’re getting high quality. Grade A silk ranges from A through 6A. Blissy grade 6a silk pillowcases offer the finest quality on the market.
This high-quality, natural silk pillowcase is naturally hypoallergenic
and protects skin from dryness and other damage while also protecting your hair from frizziness and hair breakage.
A note on satin
One thing to note is that a product marketed as a "satin pillowcase" is not silk (where the word silk does not appear). So do avoid these products as they are not near the same quality. "Silk satin pillowcase" is okay to buy—but do check that it is made from grade 6A 100% pure mulberry silk.
Further reading:
3. Choose the Right Momme Weight
Pay attention to momme count
As you look for a mulberry silk pillowcase, pay close attention to the momme weight. Momme is a Japanese unit of measurement that is sort of like thread count for cotton and is another indicator of silk quality.
Momme weight indicates the weight and density of silk used for pillowcases and other silk products. But which momme weight is best for your new silk pillowcases?
22-momme makes the best silk pillowcases
Ideally, you should look for 22-momme silk for pillowcases. You’ll find momme weights ranging from 11 through 30 (or even up to 40 in some cases), but 22-momme makes for the best silk pillowcases.
Pillowcases with a 19-momme weight can still feel extremely soft, but they’re considered a lower silk quality and won't convey as strong of benefits or last you as long over time. If you want a pillowcase that's super soft but also durable, 22-momme pillowcases are the way to go.
A durable silk pillowcase means a silk pillowcase that lasts a long time. It's one you won't be throwing out for a while, which cuts down on the environmental and personal costs of your home products in the long run.
Higher momme weight does not always mean better
The best silk pillowcases will contain 22-momme silk. While a natural silk pillowcase with 25-momme weight or 30-momme weight might seem to indicate better quality than 22-momme, this isn’t the case. Silk in these momme weights tends to be heavier, so it isn’t as soft when used for pillowcases. Silk with higher momme weights tends to work better for other silk products, such as curtains or robes.
4. Look for a Zipper Closure Silk Pillowcase to Protect Your Pillow
It’s easy to overlook this factor when choosing a silk pillowcase, but it’s an important one.
The kind of enclosure your silk pillowcase has can affect how comfortable it ends up being when you sleep on it. It will also affect how dirty your pillow will get, and therefore, how long your pillow will last. Not to mention it affects the look and style.
Silk pillowcases are generally available in two types of enclosures. An enclosure refers to how the pillowcase encases the pillowcase to stay in place. They usually come in a zipper enclosure or an envelope enclosure.
Envelope closures don't stay in place
Keep in mind that silk is a slippery material due to its softness and smoothness. Using an envelope-closure silk pillowcase might not be the best solution. Envelope pillowcases leave your pillowcase open to the elements—including allergens. Pillows are like allergen and dust mite magnets, so it's best to keep them fully encased to protect them.
Furthermore, envelope closures do not lay flat the same way a zipper enclosure does. One side will have a seam while only one side will be flat. Laying on seams can lead to sleep wrinkles, so this is to be avoided.
Being able to flip your pillow and lay on both sides of the pillowcase can help you extend time between launderings—helping you be more eco-friendly and saving you time. Enter the zipper closure.
Hidden zipper closures are best for real silk pillowcases
To make sure your luxurious mulberry silk pillowcase stays on your pillow throughout the night and looks sleek, look for one with a hidden zipper closure.
This type of closure provides a secure way to keep your pillowcase on at all times as long as it's fully zipped. Since the zipper is hidden, you won’t have to worry about it being visible on your pure mulberry silk pillowcases.
Zipper cases protect your pillow from wear and tear. They also allow you to use both sides of your pillowcase equally so that one side doesn't become threadbare. This extends the life of both your pillow and your pillowcase. The best affordable silk pillowcase is the one that lasts for years.
5. Avoid Dry Cleaning: Buy Machine Washable Natural Silk Pillowcases
Many people associate silk fabric with dry cleaning. According to The Spruce, there are only a few dry cleaning methods that are safe for the environment. Many dry cleaners don't use those eco-friendly methods and the ones that do charge and arm and a leg.
Fortunately, nowadays, buying the best-quality silk doesn’t mean you’ll need to hand wash it or dry clean it. Look for a machine-washable silk pillowcase since it doesn't require as much maintenance.
Luckily, a Blissy double-sided silk pillowcase is 100% machine washable. Check out our guide, Tips for Keeping Your Blissy Sleep Essentials Looking Their Best to learn how to get the most out of your Blisy silk pillowcases.
Hand washing other silk pillowcases can take considerable time and effort. When you buy real silk pillowcases that can be machine washed, this provides greater convenience. Just make sure you read through the washing instructions for your new pillowcases to avoid damaging them.
How to wash a mulberry silk pillowcase
Machine wash your Blissy washable silk pillowcase with cold water. Place the pillowcase in a mesh bag or lingerie bag on your washer's delicate cycle or gentle cycle to protect the pillowcase.
Air drying is recommended for best results for machine-washed pillowcases. This is more environmentally friendly and keeps the satin finish gleaming for many years. It also keeps the beauty benefits of your silk pillowcase working for a long time to come.
However, if you must tumble dry your silk pillowcase, please read our guide for tumble drying.
Use special silk detergent for best results
To get even more out of your pillowcases for years to come, look for a special silk detergent to wash your real silk pillowcase in. This type of detergent will get your 100% mulberry silk pillowcases clean without causing any damage. The pH in silk detergents is neutral.
You can place your pillowcases in a mesh bag or laundry bag to keep them safe, then put them in the washing machine. Your pillowcases can then be air-dried or placed in the dryer at the lowest heat setting for up to 20 minutes.
Read our other top tips for keeping your Blissy silk pillowcase looking its best here. For tips on ironing, click here.
6. Choose the Correct Size to Avoid Wear and Tear
One of the most important factors to think about when you buy a mulberry silk pillowcase is the size. Measure your pillow if you don’t already know the size so you can be sure to choose the right silk pillowcase. You should be able to find the pillowcase dimensions in the product description.
Real silk pillowcase size range
Your pure silk pillowcases should be the same size as your pillows or slightly larger. Depending on your pillow size, you might need to buy standard, queen size, or king size pillowcases. If you’re buying pillowcases for kids, look for ones in a youth or toddler size.
Why size matters for a real silk pillowcase
Having the right size pillowcases helps ensure a secure fit over your pillows, which reduces wear and tear. Pillowcases that are too small won’t fit at all, while pillowcases that are much larger will be too loose and will look rumpled.
You want a pillowcase that allows the silk to slightly stretch and show off its beautiful sheen.
Plus, buying the correct size means your pillow and pillowcase, as well as your skin and hair, don't get as beat up over time. A silk pillowcase for the hair, skin, and environment fits snuggly on your pillow.
7. Keep Your Real Silk Pillowcase Longer: Select a Color You Love
Mulberry silk pillowcases are available in tons of colors and designs.
At Blissy, we carry the widest color and pattern selection available for high-quality mulberry silk pillowcases.
Blissy has more than 50 colors and patterns to choose from, with new colors and prints constantly being released.
And what does the color of your silk pillowcase have to do with beauty and the environment? A color you love is a color you keep.
When it comes to your silk pillowcase options, buying a real silk pillowcase in colors you love means you're less likely to toss the pillowcase out because you're tired of it.
From White, Taupe, and other neutral colors to bold Leopard and Ombre patterns (and just about everything in between), you can choose real silk pillowcases that not only go with your bedroom décor, but also encourage you to keep them for years to come.
Truly a win for you, your home, and for the environment.
Buy the Best Real Silk Pillowcases at Blissy
Choosing the best overall silk pillowcase that's durable, eco-friendly, and easy to care for can be a challenge. So it helps to have a reliable place to purchase it from.
At Blissy, we carry the highest quality 6A 22-momme 100% mulberry silk pillowcases that are perfect for your home, your beauty routine, and the environment. Choose from a wide range of sizes, colors, and designs, including neutral colors, vivid hues, jewel tones, and novelty prints.
All of our silk bedding is machine washable for your convenience. They are also OEKO-TEX certified, so you know you're getting a product that's safe, non-toxic, and eco-friendly.
Visit us to explore our selection of 100% mulberry silk pillowcases, and choose the best ones for your home.
