All About Silk Pillowcases

Only aristocrats and simply rich people sleep on silk pillowcases - this is a stereotype. Of course, silk bedding is not cheap, but buying a pair of pillowcases is quite affordable for people with different income levels. And if there were more information about the benefits of sleeping on such a pillowcase, this product would expect an already high demand.

Silk, a natural, environmentally friendly material, has been used for a very long time. It is obtained - as many remember from the school botany course - from the cocoon of the silkworm. This tissue contains almost two dozen amino acids and even natural protein. This fact alone is enough to understand why sleeping on silk can be beneficial.

The skin touching this tissue during sleep, as if it receives an extension of youth: this is both the prevention of the appearance of early wrinkles, and the prevention of dryness, and the maintenance of elasticity and healthy skin color.

What else is silk useful as a fabric for sleeping clothes?

• If a woman puts on a cosmetic cream at night, she can be sure that its sufficiently greasy composition will not be absorbed into the pillow. Smooth silk simply won't let you do this. Rather, on the contrary, it will become a catalyst for the product to enter the pores of the skin. Here is some advice dermatologists give to patients: with problem skin, sleeping on soft pillowcases is often very beneficial.
• Dust mites in silk 100% will not start, nor will mold appear there. The fabric is rightly considered hypoallergenic. Therefore, asthmatics are also actively recommended to have such bedding.
• Silk has a miraculous effect on hair. The strands do not get tangled, the hair does not cling to anything, and in the morning clumps of tangled hair after sleeping on this pillow are excluded.
• Silk linen is tactilely pleasant. It is just comfortable to lie on it, and a healthy sleep, whether it is worth reminding, has a beneficial effect on the work of literally all body systems.
• Excellent thermoregulation. The fabric adjusts to the temperature of the human body, which is why it is especially pleasant to sleep on such pillowcases in the heat.

Silk can be natural and artificial. Accordingly, pillowcases are divided into two categories.

These pillowcases have all the benefits of other natural materials. A person is used to coexisting with nature, helping her, and in return she helps him to eat, maintain his health and comfort, etc.

Why are natural silk pillowcases good?

• Silk thread resembles human hair in structure, and although this does not carry any super value, it explains a little why it is so pleasant to sleep on silk. Neither linen nor cotton can compare with the smoothness of this fabric. Silk thread is a long, surprisingly strong, smooth fibers that adhere very tightly to each other. So that there is no chance for the slightest roughness to remain, silk threads are pulled on a wide frame, and the ends of the threads cling to small nails nailed to the structure.
• Then the fabric is boiled in a soapy solution to remove traces of the sericin protein (on the surface it can be seen by small knots): the silk becomes perfectly smooth. If it is not removed, and sometimes it happens, silk is thicker and rougher than standard fabric, it even becomes like wool.
• If a woman suffers from morning creases on the skin of the face, which are far from immediately straightened out, and it is difficult to hide them with a make-up, a silk pillowcase can indeed solve the problem. And with styling on natural silk it is safer to sleep: the shape of the hairstyle lasts longer, and the hair shines like on the first day of washing.

Why dermatologists advise using such pillowcases is also easy to guess. The point is not in the magic of silk, but in the fact that the material is hypoallergenic, that ticks will not get into it, that it will not retain dust. And the last two factors are dangerous for a person with dermatological problems.

It happens that antibacterial underwear is made from silk: a special composition is applied to the fabric, waterproof, low-vulnerability, it reduces the survival of bacteria on the skin, and such underwear is used by people with dermal pathologies. For example, with eczema. All this suggests that the healing properties of silk linen really are, or rather, the fabric prevents conditions that can lead to pathological processes in the body.

Artificial silk is a fabric whose surface is flawless, soft and elastic and also shiny. And outwardly it is difficult to distinguish it from natural silk. Such material is made from cellulose, and the canvas is called acetate and viscose. The fabric is soft, hygroscopic, hypoallergenic, drape well and easy to dye. Unlike natural, viscose silk wrinkles easily, and when wet it can tear and stretch - and this is its main difference from real silk.

Also, viscose is characterized by the fact that it passes less air and warms less. And those bactericidal properties that are attributed to natural material, viscose does not show. Needless to say, any imitation loses to the source one way or another. There can be only one win here - the price, and in this natural silk is inferior to artificial.

Silk does not differ much from standard pillowcases. Three typical Russian sizes are mainly in demand: 70x70, 60x60, 50x70. For a silk pillowcase, not everyone will buy a separate pillow, and therefore the choice of size depends only on the parameters of the pillow. If the pillow is non-standard, you can sew the pillowcase yourself (but not everyone knows how) or order it in the workshop.

To see exactly how the pillowcase looks in the bedroom, how it visually changes the space, you can use these examples.

• Pastel shades are considered the most demanded. They fit the texture of the fabric, "sing along" with it, do not come to the fore. And in most bedrooms this color scheme is in demand.

• Milky shades, transitional from white to gray and pearl are a priori suitable for silk. They also help to convey its brilliant texture. And in a bright bedroom - a place filled with air and space, such design solutions are impeccable.

• Light pillowcases will look noble and on a dark background. This will even better emphasize their resemblance to pearls. They are gentle, pleasant to the touch and outwardly decorated in a laconic and self-sufficient way. Such pillowcases are in demand at all times, they are out of fashion - they are above it.

• If opportunities permit, you can purchase a whole set of pillowcases for different sized pillows. And take the colors so that they are combined with each other - as in the photo. You will want to lie on such a bed longer.

• Prints found on pillowcases, but more often such - thin, graceful, unobtrusive. They do not overlap the features of the fabric itself, but only complement it.

• If just white, gray, black seem boring, you can turn to mustard color variations. He enlivens the space, sets accents well. In principle, silk is good because it makes any color deeper, helps it to open up and play in a new way in the interior.

• The ruffled edge pillowcase is a classic... This option is especially appropriate if there is only one pillow on the bed. So that she does not look too lonely, she is offered such a decor.

• Those who crave brightness even in the bedroom should pay attention to a similar design of bedding. Yes, among such examples there are many purely decorative pillowcases on which they do not sleep, but rather decorate the bed with them.

• Every shade of silk accessories is like a dessert which in a second gives an appetite to play out. They, pillowcases, immediately want to try.

• Combined with lace, the fabric looks even more elegant with openwork motifs. There is nothing better than silk to pamper yourself with fabric that is pleasant to the touch.

No one wants to buy a pig in a poke or overpay for a product that isn't worth it. What to look for when buying a silk pillowcase:

• it must be 100% silk, without a gram of synthetics, and real natural silk cannot cost a penny - you always have to look back at the price;
• charmeuse considered one of the most preferred options, the material is delicate and lightweight, airy and durable;
• silk underwear does not have any special pretentious design, the material is so shiny that too expressive, intrusive prints will only spoil it;
• definitely by choosing a pillowcase, you need to take into account its compatibility with the bedroom as a whole or at least with a bed and an area close to it, it is logical to buy a whole bedding set, but if this is not possible, and one pillowcase in the color of the rest of the linen (or for his company) is enough.

One of the most burning questions about this delicate fabric. The material only seems delicate and vulnerable, in fact, silk is strong, reliable and ready to serve for years. Care rules:

• pillowcases should be washed delicatelywithout using chemical stain removers, without using bleach;
• product recommended wash only by hand, using a soft powder that is specifically designed for silk;
• if you still decide to send the material to the washing machine, you will have to give up the automatic spin mode - the canvas should be squeezed only with your hands, controlling the process yourself, without twisting or pinching the fabric;
• silk cannot be dried neither in the cold nor in the heat - only in a room with room temperature;
• silk is not ironed;
• before making your bed with a silk pillowcase in the morning, it is advisable to ventilate the room - this way the laundry will stay fresh as long as possible, with a pleasant aroma.

The main condition is not to iron the silk either through gauze or paper. This is the main contraindication for pillowcases. Washing by hand will help the garment stay as it is for as long as possible. Yes, the material is whimsical, but after all, the return on it is rather big.

The overwhelming majority of the reviews read have only a positive bias: people note the incomparable type of silk underwear, its tactile perfection, as well as improved sleep. Among the reviews you can find the following:

• silk looks extremely elegant, even aristocratic, because it was decided to store a set of such linen in case of guests - they, as a rule, thank the owners for a long time for such prudence and concern for sleep;
• although the material seems to be very fragile, linen is ready to serve for years - many use pillowcases purchased 10 or more years ago, claiming that they turned out to be the most wear-resistant;
• also note that changing from sleeping on silk underwear back to cotton is hard, it seems unusually rough.