Surprising Benefits of Silk

Actress Jane Birkin’s mother may have been onto something when she told her daughter, “When you’ve got nothing left, all you can do is get into silk underwear and start reading Proust.”

Silk underwear — or silk anything, really — is a small luxury, but it has big benefits. The soft, strong substance not only makes great protection for a silkworm’s pupal stage but also has tremendous effects on women’s health. When spun into sheets, pajamas, and scarves, silk may help ease menopausal hot flashes, prevent the effects of aging, and relieve certain skin conditions. Read on to find out more about why silk may be the other fabric of our lives.

A Cool Haven From Hot Flashes

Hot flashes, that sudden warmth in the face, neck, and chest, are among the most common — and uncomfortable — symptoms of menopause. They’re caused by fluctuating hormones and by a lower threshold for heat that occurs as women age, says Charla Blacker, MD, an obstetrician-gynecologist at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. For the 75 to 85 percent of women who suffer from this women’s health issue, she suggests sleeping in light, breathable silk pajamas or on cool silk sheets to help turn down the heat.

A Youthful, Glowing Complexion

The tightly-woven, smooth fibers of silk help keep moisture close to the skin, says Jennifer Peterson, MD, a dermatologist at the Dermatology & Laser Surgery Center in Houston. When you wake up after sleeping on a silk pillowcase, your face will be better hydrated than if you slept on cotton. This is a great beauty tip for those with dry, flaky skin. As a bonus, she says, hydrated, plump skin cells show fewer fine lines (wrinkles!) and more luminosity than dehydrated skin cells.

Relief for Skin Irritation

"Multiple studies have pointed to the antimicrobial properties of a special European silk fabric called DermaSilk," Dr. Peterson says. Dermasilk differs from regular silk in that it's free of sericin, a protein produced by the silkworm. Sericin and other protein or bacteria can aggravate eczema and other skin conditions, so antimicrobial agents help skin stay clear and free of irritation. "One particular study showed improvements in patients with the skin condition eczema who used Dermasilk, but not in those who used cotton," she adds.

Additionally, because it is composed of long, smooth, natural fibers tightly woven together, silk helps decrease skin's loss of moisture and is better tolerated than other fabrics by people with sensitive skin, Peterson says. Stay away from synthetic fibers, wools, and even some cottons that may contain small, stiff, woven fibers that can cause irritation.

Help for Vaginal Yeast Infections

In the area of women’s health, new Italian research shows that silk underwear may reduce itching and redness associated with recurrent vaginal yeast infections. Half of study participants wore briefs made from Dermasilk, and the other half wore cotton. After six months, 90 percent of the silk group had fewer symptoms, and recurrences were decreased by 50 percent. “DermaSilk’s antimicrobial properties and unique fiber weaving prevent it from accumulating too much moisture, one of the risk factors for recurrent vaginal yeast infections,” Peterson says.

A Break From Allergies

“People are very rarely allergic to silk,” says Neal B. Schultz, MD, a New York City dermatologist. This is because silk is free of any potentially irritating added chemicals and contains natural substances that ward off various environmental allergens (and resulting skin conditions), including dust mites, mold, and fungus, he explains.

Healthy, Shiny Hair

“Silky smooth” isn’t just an expression. Beauty experts claim that the luxurious fabric can help keep your hair soft, moisturized, and free of pesky tangles. “Sleeping on a cotton pillowcase will cause hair to bunch, knot, and get staticky,” says New York City salon owner John Corbett, who recently founded the nonprofit Hair2Help for cancer patients and their caregivers. “On a soft silk pillowcase, however, hair will slide, which is much less damaging.”

Silk may also help preserve your style while you sleep, he adds. Decades ago, women slept on satin pillowcases or wrapped their heads in toilet paper to preserve their teased and tortured hairstyles. The modern-day equivalent is to sleep on — or in — silk. “One of my favorite beauty tips for women is to wrap a silk scarf around your head when you sleep,” Corbett says. “The oils won’t increase as much in your hair, and you’ll be able to hold on to your blowout for an extra day or two.”

A Good Night's Sleep

According to the National Center for Sleep Disorders Research at the National Institutes of Health, 30 to 40 percent of Americans have problems sleeping. And experts say that bedding may be at least partly to blame in some of these cases. Sheets that irritate your skin, bunch up, or invite dust mites in will interfere with a good night’s rest. Silk, with all its aforementioned benefits, is the fabric that will dress your bed for the sweetest possible slumber.

“There are also pretty good studies showing that what we call ‘sleep wrinkles’ form on the side of your face on which you sleep,” says Jeffrey Spiegel, MD, a facial plastic surgeon and professor at Boston University. One way to prevent them? Use a silk pillowcase, which is gentler and less likely than cotton to resist the face and cause wrinkles. Talk about beauty sleep!

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