The Disadvantages to Silk Pillowcases and Silk Bed Sheets: What You Need to Know

Read Before You Buy Silk: An honest take on the drawbacks of silk bedding

If you're thinking about investing in a silk pillowcase or silk sheets, you definitely want to start with a little research. There's a lot of information out there about silk bedding, and not all of it is accurate. As a savvy consumer, you'll want to learn everything you possibly can about silk, including its benefits and -- just as important -- its disadvantages or drawbacks.

At Mulberry Park Silks, we're giving you head start on this very necessary homework. We've put together a list of five commonly identified disadvantages of silk bed linen, including expense and difficulty of care. Read on and discover the pros and cons of silk for yourself.

Silk Pillowcases and Silk Sheets: The 5 Common Disadvantages

When you think about buying silk pillowcases, sheets, and bedding, you're probably thinking about how luxurious silk looks and feels. Or, you may be entertaining all the ways sleeping on silk can improve your beauty sleep, minimize wrinkles, and prevent bedhead (making your pricey blowout last longer!). But there's a lot of myth and mystery out there in the marketplace about silk, particularly when it comes to the disadvantages and drawbacks of this luxury bedding material. Let's take an honest look at some objections and drawbacks to silk bedding and clarify fact from fiction.

1. Silk bedding is expensive

Expensive is a relative term, but yes, genuine 100% mulberry silk sheets can be more costly than other fabrics such cotton and polyester. There is also quite a bit of poor quality silk in the market that looks and feels flimsy and is sold at a lesser price. Some “silk” isn't really even silk at all; it's a blend of silk and polyester fraudulently labeled as silk, or satin, which is a man made, chemical-based fabric.

When it comes to pure silk, you absolutely get what you pay for. At Mulberry Park, we use the acronym Silk CHARMS to describe the high quality of our silk:

Each of these attributes is a mark of quality, and as such affects the price of genuine silk. That said, you should never overpay for silk. Understanding these silk terms will help you recognize when silk is a good value.

2. Silk bedding is hard to care for

Actually, silk bedding does require special care, but it is not at all difficult to do. In fact, you can launder your silk bedding right in your washing machine if you follow a few simple instructions. Run your silk sheets and silk pillowcases in a load by themselves in cool water on a gentle cycle. We recommend using a detergent specially formulated for silk and also placing your silk items in mesh laundry bags to protect them from snags and tears. Hang your silk items to dry indoors or outdoors away from direct sunlight. Ironing is not necessary; once you put your silk bed sheets back on the bed they will smooth out naturally. Use a cool iron if needed to restore the luster of your silk pillowcase.

3. Silk fades in the sun

Silk is a natural, protein-based fiber; this accounts for its unique luster, feel, and beauty. As such, silk is prone to fading when exposed to direct sunlight, either indoors or outside. Even this best silk bedding will fade if left in direct sunlight. This is why we recommend always hanging your silk to dry away from the sun. Happily, your silk sheets should air dry very quickly, even indoors.

4. Silk is too delicate

Silk is soft, lustrous, and gentle to the touch. Poor quality, cheap silk, is flimsy. And while you should take care to protect your silk from snags and tears (for example, by using a mesh laundry bag when washing as we recommend above), good high quality silk sheets and silk pillowcases should last as long as their cotton counterparts. All Mulberry Park Silks bedding is made from Grade 6A silk fiber, the highest quality silk in the marketplace woven from silk thread that is superior in strength and beauty. Although silk is delicate, as long as you take proper care of your silk, it should last as long as cotton.

5. Silk sheets are cold

Only when you need them to be! Yes, silk sheets are known for being uniquely cool and comfortable to sleep on in hot weather. But the cellular structure of silk protein makes it naturally insulating and temperature regulating. That means your silk sheets will keep you cool in the summer and warm in the winter. They are a fantastic choice for staying comfortable year-round in any sleeping conditions.

Silk Pillowcases and Silk Sheets: Seven Important Benefits of Silk Bedding

Along with its luxurious look and feel, the best silk bedding delivers some great benefits for health, beauty, and overall wellness:

1. Silk bedding helps hair and skin retain its natural moisture

Unlike cotton bedding, which is absorbent and actually removes precious natural oils, protein-based silk does a wonderful job of keeping your hair and skin well-moisturized as you sleep. In fact, many high-end hair and skin products contain fibroin, a protein found in silk fiber. Additionally, silk bedding is well known for its hair and skin health benefits.

2. Silk helps prevent tangles, frizz, and bedhead

When you sleep on silk, your hair glides across the surface of the silk pillowcase free of friction. This means you wake with fewer tangles, frizz, or breakage. Silk is particularly gentle on curly hair, fine hair, color-treated hair, and newly regrown hair (which is why sleeping on a silk pillow case is recommended for individuals experiencing chemo-related hair loss).

3. Silk Pillowcases minimize sleep wrinkles

Remember what we just said about your hair gliding across the soft charmeuse surface of a silk pillowcase? The same goes for your face. The fibers in a cotton pillowcase can pull and tug at delicate facial skin, In contrast, silk is smooth friction free, which minimizes the incidence of fine lines and sleep wrinkles. Talk about great beauty sleep! This is one of the reasons why you should choose a silk pillowcase for your hair.

4. Silk is naturally hypoallergenic and non-irritating

Silk is a protein-based natural fiber that is naturally hypoallergenic, mold- and dust mite-resistant, and non-irritating to even the most sensitive skin. It is a wonderful option for anyone suffering from environmental allergies; eczema, acne, or other skin irritations; and even babies.

5. Pure 100% silk is temperature regulating

As we mentioned earlier, natural 100% silk is a breathable fabric that helps regulate temperature year round. Silk bed sheets also wick moisture away from skin (see above) which helps keep you comfortable as you sleep.

6. Mulberry Park Silks bedding is safe and healthful

Low-quality silk may contain pesticides, fertilizer, bleach, groundwater waste, and other chemicals. All silk from Mulberry Park Silks has been independently OEKO-TEX® lab certified to be free from any harmful chemicals, toxins, and irritants from raw materials to end product. We are proud of our commitment to meeting these high standards in every silk item we produce.

7. Mulberry Park Silks is a great value

From its founding, Mulberry Park Silks has kept its promise of providing the highest quality silk bedding and silk accessories at affordable prices. We don't overcharge, or inflate our prices to cover the fees of celebrity endorsements. We'll tell you exactly what you're getting with our silk, and why it costs what it does. Our goal is to educate our clients and help them become informed shoppers who understand the value, worth, and beauty of our fine high quality silk.

We hope we've helped demystify some of the questions you have around purchasing silk bedding. A silk pillowcase, silk sheets, silk duvet cover (comforter cover) or sham is an investment, and it's always wise to do your own research.

Consider Starting With a Silk Pillowcase

One of the most wonderful things we've noticed in our business is how our clients fall in love with our products (we get it, we had this happen to us as well!). We routinely get calls from people who've been gifted one of our silk pillowcases and are looking to purchase another because their partner or family member keeps stealing it. We also have clients who are completely new to silk and looking to explore. For them, we recommend purchasing one of our 19 momme pillowcases or 22 momme pillowcases to start. After several weeks, we find that they too are reaching back out to learn more about silk sheets bedding. Our silk bedding is wonderfully versatile in that it can be purchased as a set or a piece at a time. If you want to start slow, begin with one of our luxurious pillowcases!