Satin Silk Pillowcase | Satin Pillow Covers

Silk vs Satin

Before we get into which is better for your skin and hair, we should properly define what satin and silk fabrics are. If you are like the general population, you have no idea.

All you know is that both silk fabric and satin fabric are smooth silky to the touch and are nice to sleep on.

What Is Silk?

Silk is a natural fiber produced by larvae for building cocoons.

The silkworm excretes the sticky liquid protein and pushes it out through its mouth. To make its cocoon, the worm will perform about 300,000 figure 8s and produce about 1 kilometer of filament.

Unfortunately, hatching destroys the thread. Thus, the thread has to be unraveled before the caterpillar comes out as a moth. Heat in the form of either boiling water, steam or hot air is applied to soften the binding agent and unwind the cocoon.

The heat also kills the caterpillar. To produce one pound of raw silk, about 2500 caterpillars sacrifice their lives.

What Is Satin?

Satin is a weave rather than an actual fiber of its own. The fabric is made by weaving over x number of threads and under one.

For example, 4/1 satin weave is made by passing over four threads and under one. This pattern is what creates a soft, shiny side and a dull, matte side to the fabric.

Satin can be made from several different raw materials. These include nylon, rayon, polyester, wool, and silk. This a fabric could be both silk and satin!

The Main Difference Between Silk and Satin

Both fabrics offer some beauty benefits. But how do you decide which one to choose?

For most people, the deciding factor is the price.

Silk is a natural fiber, and extracting it is a labor-intensive process. Not to mention a whole lot of caterpillars literally give their lives to produce this luxury fabric.

This gives silk a luxury price tag. You can literally pay several hundred dollars for a top of the line silk pillowcase.

On the other hand, you can buy a quality satin pillowcase made from polyester and enjoy many of the same benefits for less than $20.

But polyester sounds so scratchy! We promise that it isn’t when it is woven using the satin weave. In fact, many people can’t tell the difference just by touching it.

Remember, the raw material isn’t as important as the weave. The weave is what gives satin the soft, luxurious feel that we know and love.

Cleaning Satin 

Bacteria and dirt will build up more slowly on silk or satin than on cotton, but you still need to wash it frequently. You don’t want to be applying a fresh layer of skin irritants every time you go to sleep!

For this reason, read the label carefully before deciding between silk or satin pillowcases. Some have to be dry-cleaned only, some must be washed by hand, and others can go into the washing machine.

To keep things convenient, you’ll want to choose a pillowcase that you can throw in the wash. Just remember not to wash it with clothing that has zippers or anything else that could snag the material.