How a Silk Antibacterial Pillow Case Can Help Your Skin

Having acne-prone skin or other skin conditions can make you self-conscious about your appearance. Bacteria on your face can contribute to acne breakouts, but there’s an easy way to prevent them.

An antibacterial pillow case made of silk offers a great way to maintain clean and healthy skin. Unlike cotton, this kind of pillowcase provides important benefits that protect and improve your skin, which can boost your self-esteem.

How can resting your head on a silk pillow case keep you safe from bacteria? Learning a bit about silk, including its antibacterial properties, can help you understand how changing out your cotton pillowcase for a silk one can greatly benefit your skin.

In Praise of Silk Protein

Silk that’s used to make a high-quality antimicrobial pillowcase comes from silkworm cocoons. Since these fibers are all-natural, they contain natural nutrients that are amazing for acne-prone skin.

Antioxidants in silk

Since silkworms feed on mulberry leaves which are filled with protective antioxidants, their silk contains antioxidants too. Antioxidants are naturally occurring vitamins and minerals that are essential for young-looking skin, as they reduce inflammation and allow your skin cells to heal themselves. This leads to clearer looking skin. 

In addition to antioxidants, silk contains special proteins that help your skin.

Sericin and fibroin

Sericin and fibroin are two different proteins found in silk. Sericin forms the exterior part of silk cocoon fibers, while fibroin is the interior part. Hair care products often use sericin, and skin care products usually contain fibroin.

Scientific studies have shown that fibroin contains amino acids that can boost your skin's health and can even prevent wrinkles. 

Read More: How the Silk Protein Sericin Helps Hair and Skin

Antibacterial properties in silk proteins

How are silk proteins in an antibacterial pillow case able to boost your skin's health? Studies on the use of silk proteins have been done to look for more effective ways to fight bacteria, such as E. coli. Based on a 2018 study published in Transgenic Research, silk fibers were shown to inhibit bacterial growth.

To get even more specific, sericin has been the focus of studies on the antibacterial properties in silk. A 2010 study published in the Iraqi Journal of Community Medicine found that sericin has antimicrobial and antibacterial activity, making a promising ingredient in the medical field, not just for antimicrobial pillowcase uses.

A 2020 study published in RSC Advances showed that silk has antimicrobial peptides that may be useful for developing ways to fight drug-resistant bacteria. So in addition to boosting skin health and helping those with acne-prone skin, silk may also be used to help people with bacterial infections. 

Sleeping on an antibacterial pillow case made of silk might not cure infections, but it can keep bacteria growth at bay. Even high quality cotton like Supima cotton can't do that. Cotton serves as a breeding ground for bacteria growth whereas silk kills bacteria. 

Importance of Clean Skin

Why is it so important to have an antibacterial pillow case? Your skin needs to stay clean and healthy to help lower your risk of skin problems like cystic acne and other health issues.

Prevent acne

Reducing sebum buildup is an effective way to prevent acne. If you have acne-prone skin, oil and acne-causing bacteria can cause this problem to flare up. Having an anti-acne pillowcase, such as an antimicrobial pillowcase made of silk, will lower your risk of breakouts.

Prevent inflammatory skin problems

Keeping bacteria and other harmful germs off your skin can help prevent inflammatory skin conditions, such as atopic dermatitis and psoriasis. When you make it harder for germs to build up on your face, you’ll have a lower risk of triggering these skin problems.

You press your face into your pillow for 8 hours each night, so it makes sense that if you care about your skin, you'll choose a fabric that prevents the growth of bacteria (silk) rather than contributing to an environment for more bacteria to grow (cotton). This is why silk has become such a fan favorite by people with acne-prone skin. 

Lower your risk of illness

Keeping your skin clean does more than help you look your best. According to the CDC, having clean skin helps reduce your risk of catching infectious diseases, like colds and the flu. If you touch contaminated surfaces, then touch your face, you can introduce germs through mucus membranes in your mouth, eyes, or nose.

Maintaining clean facial skin helps cut down on the amount of bacteria and other harmful germs on your face. This helps lower your risk of getting sick.

Benefits of Using a Silk Antibacterial Pillow Case

What kinds of benefits does an antimicrobial pillowcase offer? When you rest your head on one of these, consider the following.

Silk vs cotton pillowcases

Cotton pillowcases can absorb natural oils, sweat, and bacteria that collect on your skin. This leads to buildup on your pillowcase, which can trigger acne and other skin problems. Silk pillowcases provide a clean surface for your face when you go to sleep.

Clear, healthy skin

Sleeping on a silk anti-bacterial pillow case can help you achieve healthier skin. Silk proteins can leave your skin looking radiant while also lowering your risk of developing wrinkles and other aging signs.

Minimize acne breakouts

An antimicrobial pillowcase gives you an effective way to lower your risk of an acne flare up. In addition to using skin care products designed to treat acne, a silk pillowcase offers another layer of protection against this skin problem.

Retain moisture

A silk antibacterial pillow case will help your skin retain moisture, leaving you with hydrated, healthy skin rather than dry skin. Cotton pillowcases absorb moisture from your skin, leaving it dry and flaky. 

Even if your skin is oily, it's important to keep it hydrated. This will help manage your skin's pH levels and regulate oil production. 

Reduce friction

A top-quality 100% mulberry silk pillowcase creates almost half as much friction on your skin as a cotton pillowcase. This means less irritation on your skin and a smoother skin texture. Micro-irritation caused by high-friction fabrics like cotton can cause inflammation, which can lead to acne breakouts. 

Prevent hair breakage

Silk pillowcases keep your hair healthy as an added bonus. These pillowcases prevent hair breakage from occurring, resulting in healthy, shiny hair.

Caring for a Silk Antimicrobial Pillowcase

A silk antibacterial pillow case can go a long way toward helping your skin stay clean and healthy. However, even an antibacterial pillow case will eventually get dirty. So washing your silk pillowcases regularly helps keep them clean and free of oil, sweat, and bacteria.

Washing silk antibacterial pillowcases

You should wash your pillowcase once a week or more often if needed. This helps get rid of any germs or oil that might build up on it. Since silk is delicate, use a gentle detergent with no bleach or harsh chemicals. Never use fabric softeners or dryer sheets on your silk items when you're doing laundry. 

Avoid washing silk pillowcases in hot water, since this can cause the threads to deteriorate. Instead, wash your pillowcases in cold water on a gentle cycle using a gentle detergent. It's ideal to toss them in a mesh laundry bag while they're in the wash so they won’t snag on other items.

Read More: Introducing Blissy Wash: Laundry Detergent For Your Blissy and Delicates

Drying silk antimicrobial pillowcases

What’s the best way to dry a silk antibacterial pillow case? Air drying silk pillowcases is ideal, but it’s not always practical. The good news is you can tumble dry Blissy Silk Pillowcases, under the right conditions.

If you’re using the dryer for your pillowcase, just make sure you use the lowest temperature setting, preferably without heat. High temperatures can affect the quality of your silk pillowcase. 

How long should you dry silk for? No more than 20 minutes! After this, take your pillowcase out and let it air dry.

Read More: Can You Dry Silk Pillowcases in the Dryer?

Choosing a High-Quality Silk Antibacterial Pillow Case

So you’re convinced that a silk antibacterial pillow case is essential for caring for your skin while you sleep. But how do you make sure you choose a high-quality one? Silk pillowcases aren’t all the same. You’ll find them in different qualities based on what’s known as their grade and momme weight. 

Here’s a hint: look for a silk antimicrobial pillowcase with a grade of 6A and a momme weight of 22. Instead of thread count, silk has "momme weight", which measures the fabric's density. This momme weight indicates better quality for more comfortable sleeping and healthier, clearer skin.

Check the type of silk that pillowcases are made of as well. Look for a 100% mulberry silk pillowcase. To make it easier, check out Blissy Silk Pillowcases. Our pillowcases are made of 100% mulberry silk, and they’re made of the finest grade 6a, 22-momme weight silk. You'll feel like you're sleeping at a five star hotel! 

Find Your New Antibacterial Pillow Case Today

If you’re ready to start enjoying the benefits of sleeping on a silk antibacterial pillow case, visit Blissy. Our antimicrobial pillowcase selection includes a wide range of colors and stylish designs to choose from. There's a Blissy pillowcase to match any bedroom décor! 

We have three different sizes available for adults, including standard, king, and queen. For the younger crowd, we have our Blissy Junior line which includes sizes in toddler, youth, and standard. 

When you try Blissy, most customers begin to notice a change in their skin within a week. The wonderful thing about Blissy is that you can try our pillowcases risk-free for 60 nights. That means if you're not satisfied with our product, you can return it after using it for 60 nights for a full refund! 

So what are you waiting for? Take steps toward clearer skin and get Blissy today.