This is the moment when you wake up and realise that your face is covered in creases - usually vertical in various lengths and distances from each other - from sleeping with your face smooshed into the pillow.
If you also have the combination of barcode face and wild-woman-of-Borneo hair.. this will be the answer for you
SILK PILLOWCASES.
What a bloody revelation. There is absolutely zero friction with these beauties. My hair remains in the condition that it was before bed and I can report I have not had a single face-pillow crease when using these.
FAQ's
If they're not cotton won't I get really sweaty...NOPE. This was my fear as I am generally quite a sweaty/dribbly sleeper. They are just as absorbant as a normal cotton pillow case.
Aren't they really expensive...Compared to your supermarket basic cotton friend then yes, however I found a few amazing companies that do incredibly reasonably priced ones
Will I have to get them dry cleaned...I suppose you probably should but I have washed mine at least 10 times on a 30 degree wash , and simply hang them to dry (as opposed to tumble drying which would likely destroy them) . They dry super fast and don't need ironing if you dry them this way
Things to look for
1) Depending on your sleep pattern you may need to specifically look for 100% silk on BOTH sides. Because unless you are the aforementioned Sleeping Beauty, you will most likely shift your pillowcase around in the night and if you turn it over you will end up sleeping on cotton. However if you don't do this..
2) Silk is not measured in thread-count as that only exists as a way to determine how close your cotton sheets are to feeling like silk ones. Instead they are measured in Mommes (mm).
1 momme = 4.340 grams per square metre; 8 mommes is approximately 35 grams per square metre.
Gauze—3 to 5 mm
Organza—4 to 6 mm
Chiffon—6 to 8 mm (can be made in double thickness, i.e. 12 to 16 mm)
Raw silk—35 to 40 mm (heavier silks appear more 'wooly')
Charmeuse—12 to 30 mm
Organza—4 to 6 mm
Chiffon—6 to 8 mm (can be made in double thickness, i.e. 12 to 16 mm)
Raw silk—35 to 40 mm (heavier silks appear more 'wooly')
Charmeuse—12 to 30 mm
Ideally you would want a pillowcase that is a minimum for 19mm so aim for Charmeuse silk
3) Mulberry silk is considered to be the highest/most luxurious quality due to its purity and longer strands which give a smoother feel over raw/wild silk
3) Try and buy natural colours i.e. undyed. This is purely a personal preference as I feel the less chemically altered the fabric is, the better in terms of skin health and decreasing risk of allergy or reaction. It is also easier to clean them as you don't have to worry about disturbing the dye.
4) Check they are actually silk not satin!
5) I generally prefer a zip closure simply because it seems to hold the pillow case more taught/smooth which will also reduce hair frizzing/face denting opportunity
My faves
1) Budget friendly for non-fidgety sleepers. £10.25
This has a cotton underside - which is pretty good quality and probably a higher threadcount than most full cotton pillow cases. This means you are only paying for half the silk so definitely a good one to try if you are not ready to take the plunge and get the double sided more expensive option
2) Double sided heaven £18.99
3) 25 Momme luxury £24.49
Annoyingly, you can tell the difference between the 19 and 25 momme silk. The 25 momme has a much higher shine due to the thickness and quality of the silk. If you can splash out for the 25 then I would, if not the 19 gives the same results and has lasted perfectly well in my washing machine (although obviously a hand wash would be preferably)
4) The perfect in between - 22 momme comfort £14.99 NOW on amazon, for a PAIR, usually £33!
Emmet/Oropy Both Sides Luxury Mulberry Silk Pillowcase 22 Momme
This is the perfect inbetween. 22 momme, zip closure, undyed, silk both sides.
