December is just around the corner, but the Christmas spirit is already here! LAO has surprised you with the launch of its first gift boxes, perfect for Christmas.

The softness box puts silk in the spotlight, as it includes, in a duo with a cleansing treatment of your choice, a mulberry silk scrunchie, handmade in Alsace.

Silk has many benefits for hair and can be particularly beneficial during this winter period when our hair is subjected to a lot of friction from our scarves, hats, and synthetic sweaters.

Let's discover together the benefits of silk for our hair, and as a bonus, share with you the benefits of silk for our skin. Stay tuned until the end of the article to learn how to care for your silk clothing and accessories.

What is silk?

A little history to begin! The appearance of silk fabric production dates back to 2500 BC and the technique for producing silk was created in China with the Silk Road .

Silk is a natural material produced by insects, usually silkworms. It is used in textiles and cosmetics.

It is a noble and fragile material, but particularly durable. However, it requires special care, which we will discuss at the end of this article.

For now, let's discover the benefits of silk together!

1) Silk, a soft material for hair

As we mentioned above, our hair is subjected to a lot of friction, especially during the winter and at night. In winter, our hair is damaged by rubbing against our clothes, and at night, our hair is in constant contact with our pillowcase.

Materials that your hair rubs against, such as cotton, can be harsh on your hair and damage it.

Silk can be a solution to avoid these damaging effects on hair because it is a very soft and delicate material. Once tried, a silk pillowcase is often adopted!

At LAO, we decided to create a gift set with a handmade mulberry silk scrunchie that won't damage your hair thanks to its softness and will make a wonderful gift for the holidays.

2) A material that does not dehydrate the hair

Silk is a very low-absorbency material. Unlike your synthetic or cotton pillowcase, it won't absorb moisture from your hair overnight, nor will it absorb any hair masks or oils you apply before bed (1). This means it won't dry out your hair or make it brittle.

For hair that is already dry, curly, or frizzy, it is often recommended to sleep with a silk pillow or a fabric to protect the hair at night to prevent it from becoming rough.

3) The virtues of silk for the skin

Much more than protecting the hair, silk is also ideal for the skin!

For people suffering from eczema or dermatitis, this article will interest you! In fact, a study conducted on 30 people suffering from atopic eczema showed that silk could significantly relieve this condition (2). The patients wore silk clothing for several days without other anti-eczema medications and a real improvement in their skin was noticed.

Similarly, silk could also be used to treat acne. Silk protein fiber is used in some cosmetics and studies have proven the effectiveness of silk in treating acne (4).

How to care for silk fabric?

Silk is a delicate fabric, so it requires special care.

Regarding washing, silk fabrics can be machine washed but at a low temperature, with a very, very gentle spin cycle, and not with just any product! It is recommended to avoid detergents containing bleaching agents as they can weaken the fabric. The best practice is to use a delicate laundry detergent or Marseille soap and wash the fabric at 30 degrees by hand!

Above all, do not wring the silk by twisting it, as this could irreparably damage its fibers.

Instead, take a towel, blot up the water with it, and then let the fabric air dry.

When it comes to ironing, iron at a minimum temperature and iron the garment inside out to avoid damaging it. Or even better, use a steam diffuser that won't come into direct contact with the fiber.

Sources

1. Washington Post. Silk Pillowcases for Better Hair and Skin: What You Need to Know. Available online at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/wellness/silk-pillowcases-hair-skin-benefits-myths/2021/04/05/a7dcad7c-866a-11eb-82bc-e58213caa38e_story.html

2.NCBI PMC. Silk pillowcases for hair and skin health: the science behind the hype. Available online at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7137929/

3. ClinicalTrials.gov. NCT00767104: Effects of Silk Pillowcases on Skin Hydration. Available online at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00767104

4. PubMed. Silk pillowcases reduce sleep wrinkles. Available online at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28239832/