Pillowcases for Clear Skin: Fabrics that Support Clearer Skin

The following choices are those that are highly popular with consumers and reflect top rated reviews pertaining to their use, comfort, and skin health benefits.

Pillowcases for Clear Skin: Fabrics that Support Clearer Skin

Pillowcases For Acne: A Buyers Guide

Acne can be a problem at any age and is never something you want to wake up to. It can be caused by a variety of many things, some of which are hotly contested, but what everyone does agree on is that a dirty surface against your skin begets even more skin problems. If you find yourself struggling with acne, and feel you have tried everything possible to help get rid of it, you should turn to your bed linens as a possible culprit.

Laying your head against a pillow each evening allows the moisture, oils, and dirt from your hair and skin to transfer to the case. Over time this builds up and can create a surface that is not conducive to open pores, and clear skin. The best pillowcases for acne prevention are made from specific materials to help minimize this transfer and keep your skin healthy.

Why Use a Pillow Case?

As mentioned, dirt, oil, moisture, etc transfer to your pillowcase each night from your body. If you do not use a pillowcase, it will transfer directly to your pillow surface and can create a fairly unhygienic sleeping surface pretty quickly. Most pillows have a cotton or other breathable fabric, casing to allow for air flow and sleep comfort. These materials actually absorb moisture and oil, and can work deep into the fibers and materials of the pillow itself.

Although many pillows are washable, it is much more difficult to wash a pillow quickly- than trade out a pillowcase for a fresh sleep surface every week. Plus, not all pillows are machine washable, and this transfer can quickly ruin them.

What Causes Acne?

Acne is not caused solely by clogged pores due to dirty sleep surfaces. Ensuring you have a clean surface can help keep flare-ups from occurring, and help your skin heal, but it will not solve all your acne related problems.

Acne is caused by an excess of sebum, the waxy substance created by the body to help keep the skin surface hydrated and soft feeling. When sebum clogs pores, it can collect dirt and debris (such as dead skin cells) from the surrounding environment; this causes an acne flare-up. Hormones play a very large role in sebum production and can trigger too much due to the adrenal gland response to androgens (the male hormone). This occurs during puberty, menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause.

Other reasons surrounding acne flare-ups may be related to genetics, daily habits, sensitivities to fabrics, lotions, or pollutants, and even allergies. It can be difficult to narrow down the reasons why you are suffering from acne, but keeping a clean environment is something that can help keep your pores from becoming unnecessarily clogged.

Best Materials For Acne Prone Skin

As mentioned, there are some materials and fabrics that are better than others when it comes to skin care. Although we all love the natural feel of cotton, cotton can actually be your worst choice if you feel that your sleep surface may be a culprit of your skin problems. Cotton and other absorbent fabrics may provide good airflow and comfort, it also absorbs moisture and oil: locking in the dirt, dry skin, and dust within the fibers. This may not be noticeable to the naked eye, but builds up quickly and then transfers back to your skin.

This can clog your pores and dry your skin, which can actually increase the amount of sebum being excreted to help combat the dryness- further clogging dirty pores and creating acne breakouts. To help support your skin’s health, you want to look to certain fabrics known for their ability to sustain the elasticity of your sensitive facial skin and protect the natural moisture barrier.

– Silk

Silk is the threads of the cocoons woven my silkworms. Originally from China, it is now a major world export in many countries that are able to grow the mulberry tree upon which silkworms feed. This is a strong, durable thread and major textile fabric for both pure and blended material weaves.

It is not absorbent, naturally repels dirt, oil, molds, and other allergens, and provides a smooth, soft surface. Highly used within the beauty industry, it provides a wrinkle free skin surface to sleep upon, and also naturally supports suppleness and hydration.  Furthermore, it promotes skin cell renewal for healthy, radiant looking skin.

– Satin

Satin is denotatively defined as a type of material weave that staggers threads and floats them to create a smooth, matte surface. Typically made of silk, is also can be found made from nylon and polyester for a more affordable choice to consumers. Satin holds many of the same properties as silk, to provide a healthier sleep surface for your skin.

– Microfibers

Microfibers are made from polyester and nylon synthetic fibers to create a tight, soft, smooth weave. Because it is tightly woven, and of a material that naturally repels allergens, dust mites, and specks of dirt, it is a good choice to support skin hydration, surface texture, and clearer skin.

– Antimicrobial Silver Technology Weaves

Some new claims surrounding the use of silver threads woven into materials to aid in skin health has been recently under study. Although no concrete examples support the claims, none disproves it either. What silver claims to do is act as a natural antibacterial element that dispels allergens, bacteria, etc… as well as dispels odors. What silver is proven to do is interrupt a bacteria cell’s ability to form the chemical bonds necessary for survival. When used with polyester and poly blends in pillowcases – you can support your facial skin health- or at least, that’s the claim.

How to Choose the Best Pillowcase for Skin Health

Truly there is not a lot of variation in pillowcase choices in reference to the support they lend to your skin health. Choosing a fabric is based solely on personal preference, and what the company offers pertaining to color and pattern choice. All of the above-mentioned fabrics are conducive to healthier skin due to their tight weave, natural tendencies to dispel dust, dirt, and oil, and help support your skin’s natural hydration.

You may want to read: The Best Pillowcases for Skin

Conclusion

The best pillowcases for acne prone skin are made from very specific materials or use a silver technology to help stop the cycle of bacterial growth. Of course, laundering your linens regularly can go a long way towards keeping your sleep surface clean- but if all your efforts in the past have not yielded results, then you may want to consider trying a case specific to skin health.