We spend about a third of our day in bed (make that two-thirds come the weekend, thank you). Great news for our mood, bad news for our skin. Our pillowcase is a breeding ground for bacteria – harbouring all the sweat, oil and straight up dirt from your skin and stashing it right there. The longer we wait before sticking it in the washing machine, the more bacteria builds up. Thus, the vicious cycle of clogged pores and acne, commences. This is why you should be changing it.
By Rachel Spedding
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1 What's the problem?
It’s good to be loyal to a beauty routine. Cleansing on the evening, regularly purging makeup brushes (right?), and treating our skin with kindness. Now for the pillowcase. It's constantly collecting your body’s oils (even when your face is freshly washed), oils from your hair and dust from your bedroom. Unlike that bacteria-speckled phone of yours (a story for another time), your skin is in direct contact with your pillow for 6-10 hours. Enter: breakouts.
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2 How to deal with it?
Just like those definitely-100%-absolutely-freshly-washed makeup brushes, no matter how many creams, exfoliants or serums we use on our skin, if our case isn’t clean, our skin won’t be either. Make washing it a regular feature in your beauty routine to avoid irritation – though make sure your washing products are gentle too. Silk pillowcases come highly recommended (me – an enabler?).
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3 The science bit
Alright, how is one supposed to wash properly? Two things to note – and there's no judgement here. 1) If you’re a pyjama wearer, and shower every night before bed, you’ll need to wash your case every two weeks, ideally. 2) If you sleep naked (surrounded by dinner crumbs and the house cat), and you shower in the morning, you should be washing your pillowcase at least once a week. Wash at 60° – no less – to kill all that built up bacteria.
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4 And my hair?
Same goes. The pillowcase soaks up sebum from the scalp and will dirty that freshly washed mane on the regular. If your hair tends to get greasy rather quickly, consider washing your case the same day that you shampoo, that’ll keep it oil-free for longer. As for drier hair, opt for silk or satin pillowcases (a real excuse this time), they reduce friction on the hair follicle, to protect your strands long-term. Healthier hair, and less time spent detangling.
Of course, there's no greater skin fix than a deep cleansing facial (you can book that here).
With Treatwell, you can book beauty online at all your favourite salons – simple, hassle-free, and you can do it on the go. Discover amazing salons in your area.