Beauty sleep isn’t just about getting the recommended seven to nine hours of shut eye, because even if we’re getting plenty of rest, we can still wind up looking a bit beat. Especially during the ever busy shadi season that hits Pakistan multiple times a year, looking well rested and fresh is impossible without the help of layers upon layers of makeup.
There are several beauty products that promise to work their magic while we’re asleep, but the one tip we often forget about is a silk or satin pillowcase. The high-sheen fabric can do wonders for both our hair and skin.
Satin pillowcases help to prevent frizzing and roughing of the cuticle on any hair texture and can help to prolong styles, whether your hair is curly, wavy or straight.
Sadly, standard 100-percent cotton pillowcases are moisture-sucking and cause a lot of friction, which can cause significant hair breakage. Not only do these things wreak havoc on our hair, but our skin is also affected.
Resting on a smoother surface will help reduce the appearance of sleep lines and the formation of wrinkles on your face. In addition, for people with acne, friction can be a big deal — it can cause lesions to open and spread bacteria to the pillowcase.
And for those of us who aren’t jazzed about sleeping on such a slippery surface (even if it does have beautifying benefits ) there are plenty of cotton-esque alternatives. For example, sateen (silk-like cotten) or high thread-count (800 or more) pillowcases are almost as effective as 100-percent silk options.
Lucky for us, all kinds of loose cloth is easily available in Pakistan (Ashiana in Karachi, Lahore Centre in Lahore), so getting your hands on silk or satin to get stitched into a pillowcase, especially if you don’t want to splurge, is easy peasy. Time to catch some Zzzzzzz’s!