In this post I’ll discuss the benefits of silk pillowcases if you have acne-prone skin. I recently made a TikTok video where I mention I’ve been using silk and satin pillowcases for the best part of five years.
Long story short, I think they’re fantastic for acne-prone skin and even skin that doesn’t suffer from acne! There are even added benefits for reducing hair breakage. I’ll get into all the benefits i’ve seen from switching away from a traditional cotton pillowcase.
If you’re in a rush, I’ll summarise some of the key benefits here:
- Smooth texture of both your skin and hair, with continued use over time
- Reduced fine lines and wrinkles over time
- Unlikely to reduce hormonal acne itself, but can help skin’s overall appearance
- Less frizz and hair breakage, especially for curly hair types
Now let’s get into the detail!
1. Less friction, smoother skin
One of the most commonly raised silk pillowcase benefits for acne is the reduction of friction you’ll notice. I even had a few people comment that their silk pillowcase always slips off the bed in the night! Honestly I have never experienced that, so I don’t totally see it. Perhaps they are also using a silk sheet? I can see how the two combined might become slippery.
If you’re side or front sleeper, every night you sleep for hours with your facial skin pressed against your pillowcase. Especially for sensitive skin, this can lead to skin irritation. Whilst cotton feels soft, skin can be very fragile. If you’re going to press and rub it against any material for hours, you ideally want it to be as smooth as possible for less irritation.
Satin and silk sheets ensure that your skin is being as minimally rubbed against as possible, which can result in less redness. Acne-like bumps can also be the result of too much contact with external items, so you might even see less acne simply due to less friction!
2. Less absorption of skincare products
The second silk pillowcase benefits for acne is the impact they can have on how glowy your skin is. One of the major benefits I notice from swapping my typical cotton pillowcase is that my skin retains more of the hydrating skincare products I apply at night. Especially if you’re applying skincare close to bed time, our pillowcase can absorb a lot of those straight off your face.
Whenever I stay somewhere new, in a hotel or at my boyfriend’s, I will always notice my skin feels drier in the morning. Now I just bring a spare silk pillowcase anywhere I stay!
Healthy skin requires moisture, and it’s such a waste to lose some of your skincare products to your pillowcase fabric. In extreme cases, you might even find your skin produces less oil by swapping to a silk pillowcase. Sometimes oily skin is caused by your routine wicking away too much of its natural moisture, and the sebaceous glands overcompensate as a result. Your pillowcase could certainly be contributing to that.
If you already have dry skin, you will be wanting to keep as many natural oils in your skin as possible, so pure silk or satin could be a great option for you.
3. Less fine lines and sleep creases
If you’ve ever woken up with a sleep crease on your face, you’ll remember it! I always find it quite shocking, as it rarely happens to me much these days. A sleep crease is when you wake up with the mark of a crease from your bedding imprinted onto your skin.
The tougher the fabric, the more likely you are to get sleep creases. While they are not permanent, they do show the kind of damage and fine lines that could be done to your skin.
It’s generally agreed that silk fabric is gentler on your skin, and is less likely to contribute to fine lines. If you are already wearing sunscreen and using retinoids, why not upgrade your sleeping situation too? After years of using silk and satin, I now find cotton to feel pretty rough on my skin. Even things like Egyptian cotton aren’t really comparable.
4. Less frizzy hair and hair breakage
If you put a lot of time, money and effort on hair products, it makes sense to reinforce your efforts while you sleep. Some people wear silk bonnets, but I personally don’t enjoy the feeling of the band across my forehead.
Silk fibers, like on facial skin, don’t disrupt the hair follicles nearly as much as cotton can do. I have pin straight hair, but I imagine silk pillowcases would work especially well for curly hair due to the smooth surface.
In the long run, you might notice less frizz and a sleeker texture to your hair due to less breakage. This is one of the most well known silk pillowcase benefits.
5. Less acne breakouts
Acne is complex and has many causes, but a very common cause is the buildup of acne-causing bacteria on your sheets and pillowcases. Whether or not you use cotton, silk or satin, you will need to make sure to change your pillowcases frequently to avoid breakouts. Personally I change mine every 2-3 days. I bought a few cases so I don’t have to constantly be washing them.
Hormonal acne and adult acne is probably one of the more complex acne causes. Speaking realistically, it’s very unlikely that swapping to silk pillowcases will reduce your hormonal acne. This is because it doesn’t address the true cause. However, if you do have hormonal acne, you will have acne bacteria on your skin that will be transferring to your sheets.
One of the ways that silk pillowcases could improve your acne, is if you have a damaged skin barrier and your pillowcase allows it to heal. It’s unlikely but it’s possible. If you have a damaged skin barrier it means your skin is letting bacteria in that can cause acne.A silk pillowcase might allow your barrier to heal, because it is gentle, and you see less breakouts as a result. If you think you’ve damaged your skin barrier, definitely check out my post on the best skin barrier repairing products for acne prone skin.
What are the best silk pillowcases?
I’ve tried a few now and I honestly don’t think it matters too much. I tend to buy random ones off Amazon, and they all feel the same! I don’t feel like any stand out as being the best quality.
Here are some options to start you off:
- Bedsure Satin Pillow Cases 2 Pack, £8.99 for two [affiliate link]
- OLESILK 100% Silk Pillowcase, £20.99 for one [affiliate link]
One thing to note is that some pillowcases are only silk on a single side. Personally I think this is a waste of money, because it means you’re going to have to wash it more – but that’s just me! Might as well buy a double-sided version.
Do anti-acne pillowcases work?
You might have noticed there are several brands that claim they have anti-acne pillowcases. These are often integrated with silver, which is anti bacterial. Sometimes you will also come across a copper pillowcase! There is limited research into both of these and I’m not fully convinced, but I don’t think it will harm your progress.
Silk vs satin pillowcases?
I have used both satin and silk, and I have to say I do prefer silk. However, I do feel that satin has most of the benefits of silk, silk just edges it! Satin is not hypoallergenic like silk is, but at the end of the day we all wash our clothes in non hypo-allergenic detergent anyway. I think satin certainly provides the hair health benefits, as it’s still significantly smoother than cotton on the hair follicle.
I do sometimes find satin to be a bit static-y and hot, which is why I’d choose silk if I had to. However, I still use both of mine interchangeably without an issue.
This was 5 Silk Pillowcase Benefits for Acne Prone Skin
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