Maybe you’re a hair and skincare product junkie with cabinets filled to the brim with jars and bottles.
Maybe you’re a minimalist that washes your face with body wash. Either way, I have a budget-friendly beauty purchase that can change your hair and skin, and maybe your whole life. OK, dramatic. But I’m seriously passionate about this one!!!
Friends, allow me to introduce you to my bedtime bestie: the satin pillowcase.
It all started when I was 15 and bought satin bedsheets from Urban Outfitters for my birthday as part of a “mature” room refresh. They were RED. It was a big mood for a high school sophomore, haha. Anyway, after sleeping on the sheets for a few weeks, I noticed something—my hair was sleeker and smoother, I was getting less split ends, and my skin was clearer.
I didn’t know what was going on, but definitely didn’t think it was my sheets. Fast forward a few years and sheet sets later, and I found myself missing the cooling effects of the satin (I’m a hot sleeper and I find satin makes a huge difference for nighttime temps), so I bought a few pillowcases off of Amazon.
The same things started happening as my accidental high school experiment. Happier skin, happier hair. I finally put two and two together and did some research.
Turns out, cotton pillowcases can be sneaky little things—they draw out moisture (meaning skin care products and natural oils) which can dull your skin tone. Not to mention the moisture in your hair can be depleted, which can make it brittle and cause damage and split ends.
Cotton pillowcases also collect bacteria and dead skin, making it more likely for acne to pop up since you’re spending so much time with your skin up against them. If you’re already struggling with acne, this can obviously exacerbate the issue.
So with all that being said, there is an alternative—and it’s satin, baby! The beauty benefits of satin are kind of amazing, starting with hair. Satin is a slippery soft surface, so obviously your hair won’t get “caught” on the fibers like it can with cotton—it’ll just slide right over them.
If you’re someone that tosses and turns a lot, you may see a big difference in the health of your hair after sleeping on satin for awhile, and you may notice that it just looks less unkempt in the morning as well.
As far as skin goes, satin doesn’t absorb moisture and isn’t as conducive to trapping bacteria, so naturally you might notice a difference in the clarity and the brightness/moisture level of your skin.
Some sources say that because satin doesn’t create harsh folds like cotton it can prevent wrinkles, but there’s really no evidence to back this up, so I remain a skeptic on this point.
If you’re ready to try, I have a budget option, middle of the road, and a splurge option for you. Apparently, the mulberry silk is awesome, but I’ve used the very inexpensive brand on Amazon for years and have had great results.
Anyway, let me know if you have any questions below! I love a good budget beauty buy that makes a difference, and this definitely fits the bill. 🙂
xo Keely
