Is your skin not glowing even though you invest in skin care products? Your bedding set might be the troublemaker. Everything in contact with our skin, including bed sheets and pillowcases, can be the cause of breakout.
Why do bedding sets affect your skin condition?
During sleep, our body sheds more than 30,000 skin cells per hour. They build up in your bed sheets and pillowcases together with dirt and sweat. In a week, the amount of bacteria on the surface of your bed is almost 3 million, higher than a toilet seat. If you don’t wash your bedding set regularly, this build-up of dirt is transferred back to your skin and causes blemishes.
The pimple caused by a dirty bedding set is called Acne Mechanica. This type of acne is caused by skin constantly in contact with materials or objects.
How to make a better bedding set routine for your skin health
- Look for natural fibre. Fabric made of natural fibres is better in terms of breathability. This is because the more air that passes through, the less bacteria is trapped. Look for 100% cotton, bamboo, linen, silk or copper fabric.
- Change and wash your bedding set regularly. Wash your pillowcases and bed sheets at least once a week, if necessary, twice a week. You can also have some pairs of bedding set to change them every few days to avoid the build-up of sweat and dirt.
- Choose gentle detergent for laundry. It’s best to use dye-free, fragrance-free detergent. For example, the bedding set made of 100% cotton becomes softened over time without using softeners.
So which fabric to choose?
Many of us know 100% organic cotton is good for the skin, especially for those who have sensitive skin. However, cotton is not hypoallergenic and antibacterial. This means it can store more dust and bacteria in the fabric if you don’t change or wash it consistently. So let’s look at other materials.
Silk:
- Compared to cotton, less friction on the skin and prevents irritation or damage.
- A smoother surface.
- Hypoallergenic, antibacterial and antifungal.
- Prevents tangled hair and hair breakage.
Better moisturise retention Yoram Harth, a board-certified dermatologist and the medical director of MDacne, explained in the article from Healthline,“It’s Time to Add Silk or Copper Pillowcases to Your Sleep Routine.”
“Silk pillowcases are gentler on the skin of people with acne or sensitive skin than rough cotton pillowcases.”
“Silk pillowcases absorb less of the moisture and dirt and thus may be a better choice for people with acne.”
Linen:
Linen, like Silk, is known for its breathable and moisture-wicking properties, allowing sweat away from the skin. In addition, Linen grows without harmful chemicals such as pesticides and herbicides, which makes it non-toxic for the skin.
- Linen is hypoallergenic.
- Non-toxic.
- Temprature regulating.
“Linen is a naturally breathable fiber due to its porousness. This means that air can circulate freely, wicking moisture away and preventing mold from growing. And—although linen has a looser weave than silk or cotton—it’s sufficiently tight that dust mites cannot penetrate. These properties make linen bedding an ideal choice if you suffer from asthma or eczema.” - Is Linen Bedding Good for Your Skin?, Modern Dane.
Copper:
Copper pillowcases have antimicrobial and healing benefits for breakouts and may reduce fine lines and wrinkles.
The benefits of using Copper pillowcases are:
- Prevents the growth of bacteria.
- Heals skin inflammation.
- Reduces wrinkles and fine lines, antimicrobial and antibacterial.
A New York City-based board-certified dermatologist, Susan Bard, MD, explained in an article from Healthline, “It’s Time to Add Silk or Copper Pillowcases to Your Sleep Routine.”
“- the copper may help keep bacterial counts low, and users prone to acne have reported improvement with copper pillow use.”
“Copper is a vital cofactor necessary in collagen synthesis,”
“Increased collagen production leads to improvement in fine lines and wrinkles.”
Even though Copper pillowcases are very new to the market, it has been infused in hospital linens and other medical fabrics to prevent the spread of bacteria. Additionally, it’s been placed in bandages for wound treatment.
Bamboo:
Bamboo fabric is considered a renewable fabric because of how convenient it grows. It doesn’t require a specific environment and grows up to 3ft daily. Compared to cotton, Bamboo uses less water to develop, and no toxic chemicals are used. Cotton can’t grow in diverse circumstances and needs more water and extra care. Unless 100% organic, they grow with pesticides and herbicides.
- Bamboo is hypoallergenic and antibacterial.
- Cooling and breathable.
- Allows better moisture retention.
- Smooths surface, which reduces the friction on the skin.
- Prevents the growth of dust mites.