In Bed With: Pillowcases That Promise Skin Care
What if you could go to bed and wake up looking more beautiful than you did when you put your head on your pillow? Yes, a good nights sleep works wonders, but there are plenty of products out there that aim to take your beauty to the next level – and all you have to do is lie there. What’s better than that?
But do they actually work? I put them to the test to find out.
The first pillow case I took to bed with me was Skin Laundry’s Sleep Cycle pillowcase ($30), which is treated with charged silver ion technology to provide a natural anti-microbial effect to help reduce the presence of harmful bacteria. Basically, this pillowcase is supposed to clean your skin while you sleep. Sounds great to me!
The first night, I pulled the white case over my pillow, washed my face and went to bed. The next morning, and subsequent mornings after that, I found the case had some smudges of makeup on it, even though I had washed my face. I’m a pretty clean person and it kind of freaked me out that this pillowcase was possibly cleaning my face more than Cetaphil could. The Sleep Cycle pillowcase is cotton, and slightly rough feeling, which wasn’t my favorite, but I definitely felt like my skin was super clean and soft every morning.
Dr. Whitney Bowe, an NYC based dermatologist, explains there is real science here. “Silver does have antibacterial benefits, so it could definitely show promise in helping to fight acne.”
Next up, I spent a few nights with Iluminage’s Skin Rejuvenating Pillowcase. This pillowcase has copper infused fibers that they claim will help minimize fine lines and wrinkles. Dr. Bowe told me that “copper technology helps regenerate new collagen in the skin to make skin firmer, improves skin’s blood vessel circulation and increases the skin’s natural defense mechanism.”
This case was super soft, almost as smooth as a satin pillowcase, which felt great to go to sleep on. After using for a couple of weeks, I didn’t detect any noticeable minimization of lines, but my skin felt very firm and much softer. My hair also didn’t tangle, likely due to the satiny texture of the fabric.
Iluminage also makes a Skin Rejuvenating Eye Mask ($35) which is also embedded with copper and promises smoother skin around the eyes within four weeks. I took the eye mask to bed almost every night for several weeks – but it usually ended up around the top of my head or tangled in my sheets. It was just as soft as the Iluminage pillowcase, and anti-aging aside, blocking out light definitely helped me sleep better during a few hectic weeks peppered with travel.
In lieu of investing in special pillowcases, I asked Dr. Bowe her advice for overnight skincare. Spoiler: wash your face before bed, always.
“Cleanse your skin thoroughly with a face wash that is recommended for your skin type, Dr. Bowe recommends, and “Wash pillowcases every two to three nights.”
She also told me, “I also recommend exfoliating one to two times per week. Exfoliating eliminates the buildup of dead skin cells which can create a breakout or make your skin appear dull. Dead skin cells can also get trapped in your pillowcase, hence the importance of keeping both your pillowcases and skin clean!”
I’m definitely a fan of beauty pillowcases, but the biggest thing I learned is to keep whatever pillowcase you’re using super clean. After scrubbing your face every morning and night, you probably don’t want to put it into a dirty bedclothes.
Let’s keep in touch! Follow Yahoo Beauty on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.
