In the previous blog post of this series, we explained why silk is so precious in its natural fiber form: structural features make natural silk fiber both flexible and strong. Now we’d like to expand on the unique properties of silk that make it great not only for hair, but also allow it to promote beautiful looking skin through a good night’s sleep.

Silk sheets and pillowcases are the epitome of luxury— best known for keeping you cool on warm nights and warm on cool nights. It is the unique features of silk protein that care for our skin in this dichotomy of conditions. Silk’s ability to regulate your body’s temperature through a range of conditions can be easily explained if we understand how it interacts with water and air.

Natural silk holds a number of ‘world records’ in nature. Previously, we discussed how it is one of the longest naturally produced fibers in nature. To add to that, Silk is one of the most hydrophobic, or water-repelling, natural proteins. If you’ve ever seen a spider web during a rainstorm, or after a period of rain, you may have noticed drops of water suspended from a silk thread, in perfect form. That’s because water doesn’t really ‘like’ silk—water is not absorbed by silk and doesn’t actually come into contact with silk protein at the molecular level. Instead, the water is repelled and forced into a concentrated drop.

So why is this good for your skin, and comfortable for sleeping? When it’s hot and humid, silk protein can help main a consistent level of humidity against your skin, drawing away any excess moisture to keep you cool. But when it is cold and dry and skin dries out as a consequence, silk works as an insulator, keeping the surface of your skin warm and repelling the water back onto your skin to keep you moisturized.

Real, natural silk (as opposed to the byproduct sericin) has the power to make us look younger and more beautiful, regardless of its form. Whether woven into a fabric or developed into a natural, liquid silk for our skincare treatment, silk’s anti-aging properties shine through.

In Part 3 of this series, we will share one more interesting fact about silk that has allowed us to take the way we use silk in skincare to a completely new level. In the meantime, we recommend silk sheets for a comfortable night’s rest and beautiful morning complexion!

-Silk Therapeutics blog team