Beat the frizz: does sleeping with a silk pillowcase really help curly hair?

‘Literally changed my life, my hair has never been so well behaved!'

‘No more frizzy hair in the mornings!’ 

‘Love, love, LOVE!’  

These happy customers are singing the praises of a… pillowcase! Yep, you read that right. Not just any pillowcase - our silk pillowcase. And if you’re struggling with dry, frizzy curls, you too could be ready to reap the benefits a bedding upgrade can bring. 

For some seriously sumptuous beauty sleep, it’s time to wake up to our mulberry silk pillowcase – a hero for curls, waves and coils. Silk pillowcase benefits include noticeably less frizz, fewer tangles and drastically reduced bed head, PLUS improved skin. And no more bad hair (or skin) days means notably better days overall. 

Here, we walk you through why sleeping on a silk pillowcase really does help curly hair and beat the frizz.

Do I need a silk pillowcase for curly hair? 

Let’s start with why your curly hair may need some extra help at night. 

Certain types of hair, including coily, curly and wavy locks, find it harder to retain moisture. It’s trickier for sebum – the natural oil produced by our scalps to moisturise and protect our skin – to travel down a textured or long hair shaft from root to tip. This means dryness and split ends. 

Enter the silk pillowcase for hair which will not only keep your curls in check, but also improve the look of your skin. 

How your pillowcase affects your hair

Those deceptively smooth cotton pillowcases are wreaking havoc on your poor hair. Why? 

Even the best 1,000-thread count Egyptian cotton can dry out hair, wicking away moisture and roughening the cuticle, leading to breakages. 

It’s kind of like sandpaper rubbing against your curls, waves and coils all night long.

Are silk pillowcases good for hair?

For a long time, silk was only worn by the wealthy, but evidence shows that the gossamer-thin fabric has been used for thousands of years in everything from clothing to linens to fishing lines. 

Revered for its ethereal shimmering beauty, it's also renowned for being stronger than steel, odour resistant, anti-dust-mites, anti-ageing and temperature regulating. 

What does that mean for your hair? Well, silk is a protein-based fibre, which acts as a natural moisturiser, so it absorbs less moisture, eradicating frizz. Its smooth surface means the fabric doesn’t pull at your hair like cotton can. 

Less friction + more moisture = less breakage + smoother, sleeker hair. 

Plus, it’s breathable and temperature controlling. If you often wake up at night to turn over your pillow to that oh-so-good ‘cool side’, a silk pillowcase will offer blissful relief from nocturnal overheating. 

Do silk pillowcases help skin, too?

In a word: yassss! The benefits of silk pillowcases don’t end with hair. 

Your cotton pillowcase actually reverses the effort you’ve put into your overnight skincare regime. All those carefully applied moisturisers, serums and oils will be absorbed by the fabric overnight, just when your skin is at its thirstiest and most able to drink in products. Sleeping on silk means you can better absorb the ingredients in your nighttime regime. 

So, not only do silk pillowcases benefit your hair, but they also keep your skin hydrated, crease-free and super-glowy, while improving the look of fine lines and wrinkles. 

There’s more. Silk is naturally antibacterial and hypoallergenic, so a silk pillowcase is ideal for those prone to irritation, allergies and sensitive skin, like this reviewer: ‘I can honestly say I have seen a marked improvement in my skin, I suffer with raised red lumps on my cheekbones and since using the pillow case this has drastically reduced which has made me feel more confident!’

Why do I need a mulberry silk pillowcase?

Premium silk has a high momme count, the unit that’s used to measure the weight of silk. It ranges from 1 to 30. A higher momme count means that the thickest silk threads are woven tightly together to ensure durability. If you’re looking at a particular pillowcase and the momme count isn’t listed, avoid, avoid, avoid.  

Rest assured that Boucleme’s Silk Envelope Pillowcase is made from 100% mulberry silk with an excellent 22 momme count – dense enough to be long lasting but lightweight enough to offer cool refreshment. 

And because it has direct contact with your skin, our pillowcase is also Oeko-tex certified, so no harmful chemicals or dyes are used in the manufacturing process.

How do I clean my silk pillowcase? 

Sleep is a dirty business! Even if you shower or have a bath before bed, all your skincare products and the oil from your skin and hair will be transferred to your pillowcase by morning.  It's best, therefore, to wash your silk pillowcase weekly. 

If you’re suffering from a skin condition, cold or bug, wash it more frequently. Have an extra one on hand for when you get ill or have a busy week and delay doing your laundry.  

Want to know how to clean a silk pillowcase? You can’t just chuck it in the machine and forget about it, like your usual cotton bedding. We recommend hand washing to keep your case in optimum condition, but it can also be machine washed cold on the delicate setting. 

If you go for the machine option, use a mesh bag to ensure your precious case doesn’t get snagged by the interior of your machine. 

How you dry your pillowcase is super-important. Silk becomes weaker when it’s wet, so don’t spin it in the machine or wring it if you’re hand washing. Blot away excess water with a towel then dry flat away from direct sunlight and heated rails.

How to hand-wash your silk pillowcase in five easy steps:

1. Turn your case inside out and submerge in a clean sink or basin filled with cold water and suitable silk detergent until it's saturated.
2. Gently agitate the case to clean it, but don’t rub the fabric against itself.  
3. Rinse thoroughly in several changes of cold water. Add a dash of distilled white vinegar to help remove any traces of detergent. 
4. Press the case with your hands. Then, lay it down on a clean white towel and gently roll it up to remove excess water. 
5. Lay flat and air dry.

Don’t just take our word for it. Boucleme silk pillowcase reviews show that our case ‘works a treat’, with customers reporting ‘softer and nicer‘ hair. Join the silk pillowcase revolution!