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Get some seriously sumptuous beauty sleep with these best mulberry silk pillowcase heroes
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Silk can reduce frizz and breakage while helping your skincare soak in more effectively over night
The best silk pillowcases are billed as being a beauty buy that will help to improve your skin and hair, while also making for a luxurious addition to your bedding. This is because silk is less absorbent than cotton – and won’t wick away moisture – so your skin can lap up the ingredients in your skincare during the night (when it’s at its thirstiest).
There’s no static created by silk as you toss and turn overnight either, so these pillowcases should eradicate frizz. Bye, bye flyaway bedhead. Additionally, strands are protected from breakage, as the smooth surface doesn’t pull hair while you move in your sleep. Hence they’re a favourite of hairstylists and dermatologists alike.
Additionally, natural silk is antibacterial and hypoallergenic for those prone to irritation and with sensitive skin. Plus, it’s breathable and temperature-controlling, while some silk pillowcases are particularly cooling and offer relief if you have trouble overheating at night.
All these pillowcase perks are unique to silk, so you won’t reap the same benefits with similar materials such as satin. In fact, it’s important to look for 100 per cent mulberry silk when shopping for your case. Momme level is also crucial, which is the silk thread’s weight. Ideally, you want to go for anything over 19 momme to ensure durability, while 22 momme is also lightweight enough to offer a cool refreshment.
Silk pillowcases often come with a premium price tag, so we’ve done some extensive research to help if you’re thinking of making the investment.
A selection of the best silk pillowcases that we tested for this review
We tested these silk pillowcases over a duration spanning from a few weeks to two years. Our best buys cover shade options and an array of zip closure and envelope styles, alongside varied momme levels too. We’ve also included silk pillowcases to suit all budgets, covering luxury buys, affordable picks, and beauty sleep sets. Keep scrolling to see our comprehensive list of the best silk pillowcases.
A selection of the best silk pillowcases that we tested for this review
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We’ve been snoozing on this silk pillowcase for over two years now, and it’s become our go-to beauty sleep pal. Our strands have seemed softer with ongoing use and less prone to breakage, and we noticed no morning pillow creases either. The 22 momme pillowcase is refreshingly cooling and offers that freshly flipped effect throughout the night, so our tester sleeps better with it. Plus, we’ve seen soothed skin which feels and looks more hydrated too.
The version we like best has an envelope finish, but you can buy a zipper closure version too. It’s presented in a box that we’ve reused many times for storage and travelling, because our tester likes to take it away on trips too. The 50cm x 75cm size fits a standard pillow easily, while there’s a half silk pillowcase tie (£26, Thisissilk.com) option too, should you like to try this before making the full investment. The creamy white undyed shade suits all bedding, and there are other colours and patterns to pick including champagne, black and marble.
This grey pillowcase has a sleek finish to its silk composition and an embroidered logo in one corner. Meanwhile, its envelope closure fitted our standard pillow without any fabric being stretched or pulled, so the silk retained a flowy effect. The soft silk isn’t slippery when resting your head, and our tester found the composition gentle on their skin. Specifically designed for protecting curly hair, we saw far less flyaway frizz when awakening thanks to the lack of friction created by its smooth surface.
This matching pair of silk pillowcases feature a zip closure which we found handy for ensuring they didn’t slip off while in situ. The 19 momme silk composition has a lightweight feel and a slightly delicate finish, so we were careful to avoid clicking the material and followed washing instructions closely. The piped edged finish adds a chic additional detail, and the blue shade has deep tones which looked lovely on our bed. The sleek texture felt soothing on our skin, and our hair was protected from overnight breakage too. Priced at £60 per pair, this Soak and Sleep silk pillowcase set works out at £30 for each one which we think is a reasonable price.
This decadent silk pillowcase is part of a Gingerlily collection created with designer Richard Smith from fabric company Madeaux. There are four sizes to shop in the Oxford style, all of which have a chic border to add an extra bougie look and the beautiful blue design elevated our other bedding too. We trialled the standard one which fitted our case with ease, and our tester saw fabric fluidity too, as there was no tightness. This meant the sumptuous 19 momme silk enveloped our skin and hair.
We sank into the supremely comfy pillowcase at night and felt its fresh soothing effect on our face. Our tester’s hair was less frizzy after nights spent tossing and turning. Plus, we saw creams and serums sink in efficiently too, and we woke up with softened skin as a result. It’s worth knowing there’s a pink tangleweed option to shop, alongside other colours and silk pillowcase styles.
If you’re looking for a dark coloured silk pillowcase, this midnight blue shade adds a deep tone to bedding and any inevitable skincare droplets or mascara smudges don’t show up easily. There’s a tiny logo in one corner, but apart from that this envelope-style case has a minimalist finish. The glossy surface prevented any friction occurring when we turned over in bed, and our tester felt the cooling layer soothing our skin.
After applying a nightly skincare routine, we noted its intense absorption and saw extra hydration the next day. This is because the pillowcase didn’t soak up the product coverage as we slept, meaning our skin could reap the full benefits. The 22 momme silk pillowcase also feels robust and we found it retained the same quality after multiple washes. It arrives presented in an ESPA branded box and would make a gorgeous gift too.
We’ve been using this independent brand’s silk pillowcase for over a year and have been impressed by how well it washes. The classic caramel shade goes with different bedding colours and prints, while the zip closure offers a seamless fit on our pillow. It also felt gentle on both our hair and skin, and after applying an overnight treatment mask the product sank in efficiently as we saw dewy results the next day.
For the full indulgent experience, you can shop the silk pillowcase and silk eye mask duo too. We found getting comfy in bed even more enjoyable with the addition of this beautifully made eye mask. Full marks also go to the luxurious presentation box and paper wrap packaging.
Slip is the celeb favourite first founded back in 2003 and used by the likes of Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner, Reese Witherspoon, and Hailey Bieber. The range has an array of styles and colourways, and we tried the pink queen size number. There are also king and euro sizes, plus animal print, marble and stripe patterns in envelope and zippered options. This product has been a silk pillowcase stalwart of ours for a few years, and we love the sleek finish and breathable, soft fabric on our skin and hair.
After a few nights of testing in a row, we didn’t see fluffed-up strands or flyaway frizz when waking up. We also found refreshing our ‘do to be quicker because of less restyling being required than after sleeping on a cotton case. Our skin looked and felt softer too.
This chalk-coloured silk pillowcase is a classic bedding buy that can be combined with other white and cream cases if you only want to purchase one to sleep on. The super soft silk is comfortable to lie on and lightweight too. We’ve been sleeping on this case for over six months, and find the refreshing fabric helps us fall back to sleep when we wake up during the night.
In the morning, we happily saw hair that wasn’t frizzy and our face didn’t have any pillow creases either. Instead, we noted hydrated skin, especially after combining the silk pillowcase with night-time oils, serums, and moisturiser. There are two different sizes to shop, including the standard 50cm x 75cm one we tried and the larger 50cm x 90cm option.
We’ve been using this robust silk pillowcase for several months now and are impressed by how thick the jewel-toned jade material is. Plus, the champagne-coloured piping and slightly rounded corners add detailing which we think looks extra luxe. We liked the fact that the 22 momme silk pillowcase arrived in a presentation pouch with two lavender-scented sachets too. Because of the silk’s thickness, we think our skincare was able to be absorbed extremely efficiently and have noted an ongoing glow after adding overnight creams and sleeping on this case. The material has withstood repeated washing and remains in good condition after regular use too.
We’ve been getting our beauty sleep on this silk pillowcase for many months now and have started to hate when the time comes for washing because we really miss our luxury nighttime routine. On warmer evenings, we are grateful for how breathable the pillowcase is, and how the silk offers a refreshing, cool feel to the face.
During testing, we noticed that our face was less puffy and our hair a lot less frizzy. The hypoallergenic case fits a standard-size pillow easily, meaning we often take this away with us to keep up our high standards of luxurious sleep. The dusk rose colour matches our bedding sets perfectly, but the blue and pearl shades are also available.
You can buy pillowcases in either silk or satin and each has its advantages. They both have the same smoothing benefits, with the main differences between them being in their make-up: silk is a natural fibre, while satin is manufactured from other materials. However, satin still feels soft to the touch and can even feel smooth like silk.
It is also worth considering how much you want to spend on a pillowcase, as the price points are slightly higher when it comes to silk. A satin pillowcase is a great choice if you can’t stretch to the price of a silk one, as it still offers some great skincare and haircare benefits compared with a cotton pillowcase.
In short: yes. When it comes to your hair and skin, a silk or satin pillowcase will help reduce the effects that friction from tossing and turning can cause, such as creases on your face and frizzy or tangled tresses.
While it is best to check the washing care instructions that come with your specific pillowcase, the majority of styles can be washed either by hand or in a machine.
Silk pillowcase brand Slip recommends using a PH-neutral liquid detergent and/or fabric softener to prevent the material from hardening and to ensure the temperature is kept below 30C. The safest method if your machine doesn't specify exact heat settings is either cold or just one level above.
A delicate bag is also optional, depending on your washing machine and whether or not it tends to grab items and tear them.
If you wish to maximise the life of your pillowcase, hand washing is the ultimate method but whatever you do, do not place it in a tumble dryer.
For silk pillowcases, a momme weight of 12 to 19 is considered good quality, while a momme range anywhere between 19 and 30 is deemed very high quality. Anything lower than 12 will not be as durable and will be prone to more damage and tearing. In our test, the top performers were 19 momme or higher.
Our best overall buy is This Is Silk’s natural white pillowcase for being refreshingly cooling and soothing our skin. Meanwhile, if you’re looking for a super luxurious option, we love Gingerlily’s tangleweed blue silk pillowcase. Finally, Silk Works London’s beauty sleep set provides an eye mask option too and we’re big fans of the wide selection Slip silk pillowcases offer.
For the perfect night’s sleep, read our review of the best pillows.
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