* I received a complimentary item for review purposes but opinions and love of silky soft pillow cases are all my own!
Silk. The epitome of luxury. But when the silk in question is Mulberry silk, it sounds all the more luxurious don't you think? No, nothing to do with that renowned brand you're thinking of (which admittedly is a relief which it comes to cost, because the Mulberry I'm talking about is much more affordable than its branded counterpart). What makes it Mulberry silk? Did you know that silk comes from silkworms? The main difference with Mulberry silk is what the silkworms are fed with (mulberry leaves no less!).
I'd heard about the numerous benefits of silk before now and have always been intrigued. Could a simple change in pillow case really make a difference to my hair and skin? When Calidad Home got in touch it couldn't have come at a better time. But what are these so called benefits of switching to a silk pillow case?
THE BENEFITS
1) Silk is hypoallergenic and all-natural - meaning it is far kinder on your skin than cotton and great for those with sensitive skin and / or particular skin conditions.
2) Sleeping on silk results in less of your skin's natural oils - and moisture - being lost at night. This means that your skin doesn’t go into overdrive trying to replace what it has lost overnight. With this in mind, sleeping on silk can help to prevent blocked pores and in turn, help to prevent acne. This is also great news if you are an eczema or psoriasis sufferer, as reducing the amount of moisture lost at night can help prevent dry, red, scaly patches of skin.
4) Silk pillow cases are said to not create those annoying pillow marks on your face after a night's sleep and subsequently is meant to be a good material for protecting your skin against wrinkles and the signs of ageing.
5) The charmeuse weave used (even that sounds fancy) creates a smoother finish and less friction than with cheaper, coarser silk products - meaning less chance of frizzy locks and a smoother, shiner finish.
THOUGHTS
Sounds too good to be true, right?
Suffering from a lot of the above, I was intrigued if I would see a noticeable difference after using the silk pillow case. I have naturally wavy hair but it's not in the best condition and is prone to fly-aways and frizz (I go through hair mousse and oils and serums like it's going out of fashion!). I had quite oily skin as a teen, but now I've hit adulthood, it seems to have gone the other way and has become all kinds of dry (sods law). I do suffer from eczema and psoriasis and it can be especially bad when sat in a London office where the air con does a number on me. Would dry skin be a thing of the past? Would I no longer need to spend half a month's salary on anti-frizz products?
THE RESULT
Do you know what? I was pleasantly surprised. I have never slept on silk before, but it was a lot smoother and much nicer feeling on the skin.
Did I notice any difference to my hair? I'm not sure to be honest. I did have my hair cut fairly recently so I can't really comment on if the reduced frizz is down to the pillow case or having my split ends removed. It's something I feel I would notice after a longer period of sleeping on silk. However I do find that whenever I have straight hair, my hair keeps its shape better and requires less 'topping up' (read: re-straightening) the next day.
One thing I did notice with certainty was how much smoother the skin on my face has been each morning, with a noticeable reduction in the patches of eczema and psoriasis that were there previously. And seeing as I haven't changed up my diet, lifestyle or skincare routine, I do feel like the silk is having a positive effect already.
PRESENTATION
My order arrived in the cutest pastel purple parcel and the pillow case itself was wrapped in paper every bit as luxurious looking as the silk itself.
DOESN'T SILK NEED DRY CLEANING?
I was cynical about how easily washable the pillow case would be and had visions of it being really fragile and needing dry cleaning or something. What I've come to learn is that silk is a very durable fabric and is machine washable (hooray) so no expensive dry cleaning bills necessary. I admittedly did find it quite difficult to iron when it was 'box fresh' and had folds on it from being in the post. Silk can be ironed but must be done so on a low heat. My advice? Hang the pillow case to dry flat post wash to reduce the need for ironing.
CHECK THE MOMME COUNT
If you are considering "going silk", tread with care, because the type of silk you sleep on matters. There are so many different grades of it of varying quality levels. Mulberry silk is supposedly the very best silk available and a 22 momme count (the silk equivalent of thread count!) exceeds the benchmark that is considered "good" (which is 13-19 for the record). Where possible opt for a 13-19 momme count or higher.
If you fancy giving a Mulberry silk a go, Calidad Home currently have 40% off their silk pillow cases here. The pillow case I have pictured is in white, but these also come in ivory, taupe, teal, black, chocolate and purple. As for me, I've been well and truly bitten by thetravel silk bug and am already eyeing up silk bed sheets which would be all kinds of luxurious, don't you think?
On an unrelated note, my cats absolutely love this pillow case. Which doesn't sound like a big deal, but for my cats, it is. I'm talking cats who are usually fearsome of pillow cases and actively jump clear of them to reach the headboard (weird creatures). But for whatever reason, they absolutely adore my new pillow case and love catching forty winks on it. Silk for the win!
Have you ever slept on silk before?
Silk. The epitome of luxury. But when the silk in question is Mulberry silk, it sounds all the more luxurious don't you think? No, nothing to do with that renowned brand you're thinking of (which admittedly is a relief which it comes to cost, because the Mulberry I'm talking about is much more affordable than its branded counterpart). What makes it Mulberry silk? Did you know that silk comes from silkworms? The main difference with Mulberry silk is what the silkworms are fed with (mulberry leaves no less!).
I'd heard about the numerous benefits of silk before now and have always been intrigued. Could a simple change in pillow case really make a difference to my hair and skin? When Calidad Home got in touch it couldn't have come at a better time. But what are these so called benefits of switching to a silk pillow case?
THE BENEFITS
1) Silk is hypoallergenic and all-natural - meaning it is far kinder on your skin than cotton and great for those with sensitive skin and / or particular skin conditions.
2) Sleeping on silk results in less of your skin's natural oils - and moisture - being lost at night. This means that your skin doesn’t go into overdrive trying to replace what it has lost overnight. With this in mind, sleeping on silk can help to prevent blocked pores and in turn, help to prevent acne. This is also great news if you are an eczema or psoriasis sufferer, as reducing the amount of moisture lost at night can help prevent dry, red, scaly patches of skin.
4) Silk pillow cases are said to not create those annoying pillow marks on your face after a night's sleep and subsequently is meant to be a good material for protecting your skin against wrinkles and the signs of ageing.
5) The charmeuse weave used (even that sounds fancy) creates a smoother finish and less friction than with cheaper, coarser silk products - meaning less chance of frizzy locks and a smoother, shiner finish.
THOUGHTS
Sounds too good to be true, right?
Suffering from a lot of the above, I was intrigued if I would see a noticeable difference after using the silk pillow case. I have naturally wavy hair but it's not in the best condition and is prone to fly-aways and frizz (I go through hair mousse and oils and serums like it's going out of fashion!). I had quite oily skin as a teen, but now I've hit adulthood, it seems to have gone the other way and has become all kinds of dry (sods law). I do suffer from eczema and psoriasis and it can be especially bad when sat in a London office where the air con does a number on me. Would dry skin be a thing of the past? Would I no longer need to spend half a month's salary on anti-frizz products?
THE RESULT
Do you know what? I was pleasantly surprised. I have never slept on silk before, but it was a lot smoother and much nicer feeling on the skin.
Did I notice any difference to my hair? I'm not sure to be honest. I did have my hair cut fairly recently so I can't really comment on if the reduced frizz is down to the pillow case or having my split ends removed. It's something I feel I would notice after a longer period of sleeping on silk. However I do find that whenever I have straight hair, my hair keeps its shape better and requires less 'topping up' (read: re-straightening) the next day.
One thing I did notice with certainty was how much smoother the skin on my face has been each morning, with a noticeable reduction in the patches of eczema and psoriasis that were there previously. And seeing as I haven't changed up my diet, lifestyle or skincare routine, I do feel like the silk is having a positive effect already.
PRESENTATION
My order arrived in the cutest pastel purple parcel and the pillow case itself was wrapped in paper every bit as luxurious looking as the silk itself.
DOESN'T SILK NEED DRY CLEANING?
I was cynical about how easily washable the pillow case would be and had visions of it being really fragile and needing dry cleaning or something. What I've come to learn is that silk is a very durable fabric and is machine washable (hooray) so no expensive dry cleaning bills necessary. I admittedly did find it quite difficult to iron when it was 'box fresh' and had folds on it from being in the post. Silk can be ironed but must be done so on a low heat. My advice? Hang the pillow case to dry flat post wash to reduce the need for ironing.
CHECK THE MOMME COUNT
If you are considering "going silk", tread with care, because the type of silk you sleep on matters. There are so many different grades of it of varying quality levels. Mulberry silk is supposedly the very best silk available and a 22 momme count (the silk equivalent of thread count!) exceeds the benchmark that is considered "good" (which is 13-19 for the record). Where possible opt for a 13-19 momme count or higher.
If you fancy giving a Mulberry silk a go, Calidad Home currently have 40% off their silk pillow cases here. The pillow case I have pictured is in white, but these also come in ivory, taupe, teal, black, chocolate and purple. As for me, I've been well and truly bitten by the
On an unrelated note, my cats absolutely love this pillow case. Which doesn't sound like a big deal, but for my cats, it is. I'm talking cats who are usually fearsome of pillow cases and actively jump clear of them to reach the headboard (weird creatures). But for whatever reason, they absolutely adore my new pillow case and love catching forty winks on it. Silk for the win!
Have you ever slept on silk before?
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