We all know the importance of a good night’s sleep to avoid heavy eye bags, dull skin and hair like you’ve been dragged through a hedge backwards. But did you know your regular cotton pillowcase could be sabotaging your beauty sleep – in more ways than one? From tangling your tresses to deepening fine lines and wrinkles (argh!), this seemingly innocent sleep accessory doesn’t always play nicely.
To level-up your beauty sleep, it’s time to retire your old faithful. Here are eight reasons a regular pillowcase is doing you no favours – plus the low-down on the skin-and-hair-friendly beauty boosting option you need to try. Read on!
1. More flyaways and split ends
If traditional cotton pillowcases have one fatal flaw it’s this: they create friction. This friction prevents your hair from slipping and sliding as you move about, and instead tugs and snags at your strands. The result? More flyaways, breakage and ugly split ends.
2. A tangled morning mop
Another unwelcome morning surprise from all that friction? Tangled, knotted strands that’ll need coaxing into submission before your 9am. And who can be bothered with that!
3. Less hydrated skin
Cotton pillowcases are super absorbent, which means they soak up loads of moisture, sweat and natural oils from our skin as we sleep. They also guzzle up much of our nourishing (and often expensive) night-time skincare, which can leave our skin dry and depleted. And guess what? The same goes for your strands.
4. Potential breakouts
In more bad news, this absorbency makes traditional pillowcases a ripe breeding ground for bacteria. Trapping sweat, oils and impurities, they’re definitely not the best option for the pimple prone.
5. Shorter blow dry life
All that strand pulling, tugging and gripping we mentioned before? Turns out it’s not so great if you want to preserve a fresh new blow out or painstakingly styled strands.
6. Face and neck creases
Ever woken up looking like a Shar Pei dog? Us too. Unfortunately, friction doesn’t just wreak havoc on your hair, it’s a nightmare for your skin as well. Why? Due to their absorbency and tendency to crease and crinkle, cotton pillowcases can leave the skin with a series of temporary furrows.
P.S Did you know girl-crush J-Lo avoids creating lines in her skin by always making sure she’s always sleeping on her back?
7. More – and deeper – wrinkles over time
While these sleep-creases generally iron themselves out by the time you’ve showered and had your flat white, they’re still best avoided. This is because, over time, they can contribute to permanent fine lines and deeper wrinkles.
8. Less quality sleep
Want to wake up looking fresh and feeling well-rested? A cool, comfy fabric is your best bet for a good night’s sleep, and there are definitely better options than a heat-trapping, skin-snagging cotton pillowcase!
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♬ I'm So Pretty - chunkymonkeeyy
FOUND: The Perfect Pillowcase for Better Beauty Sleep
So, now you know the pitfalls of a regular pillowcase, it’s time to upgrade to a better option! But which should you choose?
Lovely and luxurious, silk pillowcases are certainly a chic and comfortable way to eliminate the negative impacts listed above. However, what if we told you you can achieve the same beauty benefits with an equally luxe, but much more ethical and affordable alternative?
Purse-friendly, 100% vegan satin-polyester pillowcases, like our Beauty Sleep Pillow Case, deliver all the same beauty benefits – without silk’s eye-watering price tag. So, you can sleep easy knowing no silkworms were harmed in the making of your pillowcase. And awake with a bank balance that’s still in the black!
Not your normal pillowcase, our ultra-luxe, satiny pillowcase is made to deliver real beauty benefits, so you’ll always wake up with amazing hair and skin. Super-chic in pink, it is oh-so comfortable, soft and cooling to the cheek – preventing sleep-creases and keeping skin supple and hydrated. Less absorbent than cotton, it won’t trap breakout-causing bacteria. Or soak up your precious skincare!
Friction-free, it also minimises hair damage, frizz and tangles by allowing the hair to glide easily across its smooth, snag-free surface. A great alternative to the old hairdresser trick of sleeping in a silk headscarf, it’s also your go-to for a longer-lasting blow dry.
And, we've got a bundle
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Written By: Pip Jarvis
Edited By: Vidhya