Cotton or Silk? The Real Difference for Skin, Hair and Sleep
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Cotton is the familiar choice. It is in T shirts, pyjamas, duvet sets and almost every home in Ireland. Silk sits in a different category. It has been valued for centuries for its softness, cooling feel and natural glow. When it comes to the fabrics that touch your face for eight hours, the difference between cotton and silk is significant.
If you use a pillowcase or sleep mask nightly, this is the comparison that matters.
Cotton 101
Cotton earns its popularity through ease. It is affordable, hypoallergenic and simple to wash. It comes in countless weaves and thread counts, which is why it dominates bedding aisles.
But for sleep accessories that stay in direct contact with your face, cotton falls short. It absorbs moisture, creates friction against skin and hair and gradually loses its shape. Comfortable, yes. Supportive of your skin, hair or sleep quality, no.
Silk 101
Silk comes from natural silkworm fibres and has a soft, cool-touch finish that feels completely different from cotton. It glides instead of dragging. It absorbs far less. It helps regulate temperature so you sleep comfortably throughout the night.
Still Suain uses 23 momme Organic Mulberry silk for all pillowcases and sleep masks. The higher weight brings richer softness, stronger fibres and long term durability. This is silk built for nightly use, not delicate occasional wear.
Here is what silk does better than cotton, especially in pillowcases and sleep masks.
1. It helps prevent sleep creases
Cotton has texture that grips the skin. When your face presses into a cotton pillowcase or mask, that resistance creates folds that can develop into lines over time. Silk is naturally smooth, allowing the skin to move freely without tugging or compression. A silk sleep mask is particularly gentle on the under-eye area where skin is thinnest.
2. It protects your hair
Cotton creates friction. Silk removes it. On cotton, hair snags and dries out, which leads to breakage and frizz by morning. Silk pillowcases keep hair smoother, reduce tangles and maintain moisture levels. Anyone with curls, extensions or colour-treated hair notices the difference almost instantly.
3. It keeps you cool
Cotton breathes. Silk breathes and regulates. It stays cool against the skin and adapts to your temperature through the night. For mask wearers, this matters. A silk sleep mask does not trap heat around the eyes the way cotton does, which means deeper, uninterrupted sleep.
4. It keeps your skincare on your skin
Cotton absorbs skincare. Silk does not. A cotton pillowcase or mask pulls your serums and moisturisers away from the skin, reducing their effectiveness. Silk absorbs far less, supports better hydration and stays cleaner for longer. That means fewer breakouts and less irritation.
5. It lasts longer
High quality Mulberry silk outperforms cotton in strength and longevity. Cotton stretches, thins and fades with repeated washing. Silk keeps its structure when cared for correctly. Our 23 momme organic silk is intentionally selected for durability and nightly resilience.
Expert Approved
Dr. Sonya Williams
Facial Aesthetician, The Dalkey Clinic
"Suain’s use of high quality, organic mulberry silk means that their products promote skin hydration, help to reduce fine lines, and are naturally anti-bacterial. Additionally, they help to prevent hair breakage. I recommend Suain’s products to my patients.”
Her recommendation reinforces what customers experience. Better skin. Better hair. Better sleep.
The Verdict
Cotton works for everyday use. But when it comes to skin, hair and overall comfort, silk is the clear upgrade. A Mulberry silk pillowcase improves your sleep environment immediately. Pairing it with a silk sleep mask enhances those benefits even further by protecting the most delicate areas of the face.