As it turns out, a set of silk sheets can do more than give your room a super-fancy Marie Antoinette vibe. Swapping your go-to cotton pillowcase for a silk version packs major beauty benefits for your skin and hair, putting a literal spin on the term “beauty sleep.”
Although your current pillowcase may feel soft to the touch, the friction created by tossing and turning at night can be damaging to the hair follicle, ultimately resulting in more frizz and less shine.
“Cotton is a material meant to absorb moisture, and it will do just that to your hair,” says Ali Batista, hairstylist and Kevin.Murphy Stylemaster. “Hairstyles that lack moisture tend to appear frizzy, lifeless, and more prone to static. Silk is a material that will allow hair to slide around more smoothly so you will have less breakage, and no more bed-head.”
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Additionally, your complexion can benefit from a silk pillowcase, especially if your skin is on the sensitive side. Depending on the material or dyes used in a piece of fabric, your seemingly-normal cotton pillowcase may be the culprit behind any irritated areas.
Silk is completely natural (and hypoallergenic), so it’s much more gentle on your skin, and there is a far slimmer chance that you’ll wake up with an unwanted crease across your cheek. Just like it helps your hair stay more hydrated, silk won’t draw the moisture out of your skin. Additionally, the material breathes much easier than others, meaning those hours late into the night spent searching for the cool side of the pillow are officially over.
This story originally appeared on Instyle.com.