A lifetime ago (well actually it was just last year but it was when I only had one good arm to blog with so it felt like a different lifetime) I had a series called Friday Favorites. I'd feature just one product or brand and write why I loved it so much. No sponsored posts, no brands offering the item for free, I wrote because I was a raving fan and wanted to share with you too. I think it's about time to start this series back up again!
You've likely read in some women's magazine that you should sleep on a silk pillowcase because it prevents creasing of your skin and hair. That it is a must for women with frizzy or curly hair, and can prevent wrinkles. But does it REALLY work? And come on, silk can't be thrown in the washer and dryer with the rest of the bed linens, is such a pillowcase worth the laundry effort?
This summer I was trying to coax out my curls and bought a satin pillowcase from Amazon, reading it would help. Machine washable and available in a bevy of colors to fit any décor (I chose a dark teal), the price was less than a hair product binge at CVS.
I don't really know if the satin helped my hair because the polyester pillowcase was so hot, I'd get all sweaty and uncomfortable and when I woke each morning I'd find the pillow on the floor (usually covered by a very happy and comfortable sleeping dog). I'm one of those who needs a cool pillow and prefers to sleep with one foot peeking out from the covers and maybe even the window open. A poly satin pillowcase was utter torture, I'd rather have frizz. When the temps dropped, I brought back out the satin pillowcase and it still was too hot and slippery for me.
Each Christmas, I make my list of items I wouldn't usually purchase myself and this year I added a 100% silk (not polyester or another synthetic material) pillowcase. And my sister bought me one, this one specifically.
I am so very much a convert. I know you didn't want me to admit that, because it IS a bit of a PITA to launder, but it's so good it inspired me to bring back this Friday Favorites series. I've been using it for almost three months and I've noticed:
- Bedhead isn't half of what it used to be (see before... as for after just believe me it's not nearly as bad!). Before the pillowcase, if I went to sleep with a bit of product in my hair I woke looking like that Instagram photo. Now, I have been known to do a bit of finger or wood-bristle strategic brushing and be on my way. So yeah, more time laundering but less time getting ready in the morning.
- Curls are better. My hair is naturally curly, but it's fine and doesn't hold the curl. I can have Shirley Temple ringlets at bedtime and wake looking like Kip Winger. With the pillowcase I end up looking a bit more like Sammy Hagar AKA something that can be fixed with a spray bottle or a curling iron.
- Face is happier. Have you ever woken and seen the creases of your pillow pressed into your face? It's adorable when Emerson stumbles into our room in the morning with that, but it's not adorable when it happens to my face, which doesn't bounce back as quickly. Well no more with this pillowcase. No matter how hard I sleep or for how long, no creases.
- It's nice and cool. It's cooler than 100% cotton and far cooler than microfiber, polyester satin, or any other synthetic or blend. It dissipates my body heat better, and I don't have to keep flipping it during the night.
- It's not as slippery. Unlike the poly satin, the silk pillowcase doesn't slide out from under my head when I am sleeping.
- It's a good replacement for me. I get up before Karl almost every morning. I go downstairs and let out Cindy, eat breakfast, do some blogging, maybe exercise. I come upstairs... and Karl is spooning the silk pillow. Every morning, he grabs the pillow and uses it as my replacement. He says it feels a lot like me - soft and silky. Whatever floats his boat and keeps him sleeping through my hairdryer works for me!
As for the dreaded laundry... I put it in a lingerie bag inside-out and wash it with other delicates on the Gentle Cycle of the machine, and then hang dry. No it doesn't look as pristine as it did when I got it Christmas Day, but it's still strong and in one piece and gets the job done. It may be the pillow I hide behind others when I make my bed, but it's one I'd buy again in an instant. I can't wait to see how it works this summer when my curls are in full effect!
