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The White Company’s pure silk pillowcase looks the part, but is it a skin and hair saviour?

We put this luxe bedding through its paces to see if it could whip our bed-head into shape

Helen Wilson-Beevers
Friday 03 September 2021 12:30 BST
Silk not only reduces pull on hair and skin, but is also hypoallergenic and has natural temperature-regulating abilities
Silk not only reduces pull on hair and skin, but is also hypoallergenic and has natural temperature-regulating abilities (iStock/The Independent)

The White Company is a high street staple synonymous with classic clothing, furniture, and home accessories. Its hallmark is stylish simplicity, and products offering a comprehensive lifestyle experience, across home, fashion, fragrance and childrens-wear.

Within the home section are luxurious bed linens, and a selection of silk pillowcases. And, alongside cottons in different thread counts and styles, plus an Oxford silk pillowcase, is its silk beauty pillowcase for hair and skin. Named as such because of the known benefits lying on a silk pillowcase can bring, the smoothing texture minimises friction as you sleep, ensuring less pulling on skin and hair.

Plus, this super-soft layer isn’t absorbent like cotton, so key hydration won’t be drawn out of the skin overnight. They are also hypoallergenic, so those with sensitive skin may find gentle silk pillowcases a soothing option, not to mention their natural temperature regulating ability.

We wanted to see how well our hair and skin fared sleeping on this beauty buy, discovering whether The White Company’s timeless style would be recognisable while delivering noticeable results.

We decided to try the pure silk pillowcase and investigate its claimed skin and hair benefits for ourselves.

Read more:

How we tested

Using the same bedding to ensure our results were consistent, we tested this pillowcase over several weeks, on both warm and colder nights. We were on the lookout for how calming it felt for our skin, and how comfy it was to sleep on. We also considered momme level (the density of the silk weave), what the pillow looked like in our bedroom and whether we saw extra skin hydration.

The White Company pure silk pillowcase

The White Company pure silk pillowcase indybest.jpeg

Buy now £65, Thewhitecompany.com

Rating: 8/10

Momme: 19

Arriving in a simple cardboard sleeve, the back of this flat box helpfully details the benefits of sleeping on silk, general info about The White Company bed linens, and care instructions. But its plastic-looking envelope window would need to be removed before recycling.

We sampled the chalk colour, but you can also buy a petal pink shade. Trying the 50cm x 75cm option, our tester noticed how this slipped easily onto a standard pillow, lying smooth without any tightness to the delicate fabric. A larger 50cm x 90cm version is available, too, at a slightly higher price of £80.

Read more: Is the Dr Jart+ rubber mask worth the hype?

Made from 100 per cent silk, its natural proteins are billed as being nourishing. Meanwhile, the envelope end and simple edging are streamlined touches, and we instantly noticed its supremely soft composition. The white silk looked glossy on our bed, adding that signature luxe The White Company touch.

Momme level refers to the silk thread’s weight, and this one, at 19, feels high quality while also retaining a fluidity. In fact, it reminded our tester of a flowing, elegant silk dress.

We found the composition lightweight, and comfy, as well as supple on our skin. Plus, its tactile smoothness brought comfort both while falling asleep and during the middle of any night restlessness.

Read more: The best silk bedding for a hint of luxury come bedtime

Because of the pale colour, we were careful to fully remove our eye makeup before bed, knowing mascara marks would show. Having said that, when using evening skincare, our tester didn’t notice any transferring or staining the pillowcase.

Waking up the next morning, we did see complexion freshness from a lack of pillow creases. And night-time creams, masks and serums definitely soaked into skin efficiently, thanks to the pillowcase optimising hydration levels, as our skin looked more moisturised and glowing as a result.

It’s worth noting that our tester’s often-fluffy bedhead-prone hair didn’t stick out everywhere as usual, after sleeping on this silk. In fact, we saw quite a tamed difference, meaning our morning brushing and styling routine took less time, too. In theory, this enabled extra time in bed, serving up a win-win situation.

Read more: 9 best hair straightener brushes for sleek locks

The washing instructions told us to go for a delicate cold machine wash before we hung it up to dry. And, if you want, the case can be ironed on a low setting.

Despite the silk being a light fabric that is seemingly quite delicate, after a few washes, it still retained shine, and the overall glossiness hadn’t dulled (as we’ve witnessed can unfortunately sometimes happen with silk pillowcases when washing them). Even when trialling without ironing to save the faff, there weren’t really any major creases. either.

The verdict: The White Company pure silk pillowcase

Although £65 feels like a large amount of money to spend on one item of bedding, having done our research, the price of this silk pillowcase from The White Company sits about average on the market.

We immediately noticed its luxurious look, which added a stylish lift to our tester’s bedding. And we saw glowing skin hydration and appreciated how the soft composition calmed our face overnight. We also loved that we could awake minus any hair sticking out at all angles. And of course, we mustn’t forget how easily machine washable the case is too.

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Voucher codes

For the latest discounts on skin and hair care buys, try the links below:

For more inspiration and options, check out our round-up of the best silk pillowcases that prevent frizzy hair and help reduce wrinkles

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