After growing my natural hair out for six years, I took a giant leap this spring and hopped on the viral copper hair trend. For a while, I loved it. I loved how the warm red shade complimented my skin tone and made my eyes pop, but after a few months, I grew tired of the maintenance. Despite my hair’s best interests, I recently asked my stylist to give me an ashy blonde balayage, one that would allow me to grow out my natural hair without an obvious rootline. While she absolutely killed it, delivering the blonde ‘do I had asked for, there was no way to avoid the damage. My once supple, medium brown hair is now a dry, blonde shadow of its former glory.

In my latest effort to mitigate breakage and retain whatever hair quality I have left, I decided to try swapping my dingy cotton pillowcases for silk ones. Apart from heatless curling rods and spiral hair ties, satin pillowcases are some of the most-recommended products that help preserve damaged hair. According to dermatologist Marnie Nussbaum, regular cotton pillowcases can zap moisture from our hair, making compromised hair even more prone to knotting and breakage.

“Cotton pillowcases can potentially absorb moisture and hydration from skin and hair,” dermatologist Marnie Nussbaum, MD, previously told Well+Good. “Silk allows the hair to move easily over the pillowcase without friction, thereby keeping its style in place. It also allows the hair to keep its natural oils and prevents frizz and dehydration.”

Bedsure Satin Pillowcase — $9.00

A quick Amazon search led me to the Bedsure Satin Pillowcase set, a $9 pack of pillowcases with over 190,000 5-star reviews (!!!). These silky pillowcases come in 20 different colors and four different sizes, providing a wide array of different size and shade combinations. I ended up opting for Champagne, an absolutely stunning light yellow-gold shade. And in two days flat (thanks, Amazon Prime), they were on my doorstep.

My honest thoughts

Upon arrival, I was genuinely shocked by the quality and texture. I was expecting a cheaper, clingier feel due to the price point, but I was pleasantly surprised by the ultra soft, slippery feel. They’re shiny, luxurious, and gorgeous. Quite frankly, if someone told me these were real silk, I would have believed them.

I quite literally noticed a positive difference in my hair overnight. I’m used to waking up with a rat’s nest of knots and frizz due to my compromised hair, but sleeping on satin left my hair in nearly the same state as it was when I went to bed. I’m assuming, just like Nussbaum said, that the silky texture allowed my hair to freely move around while tossing and turning, keeping it from turning into a mangled mess. My hair felt more supple after snoozing, too. I tend to use several leave-in products on my damp hair before going into bed, and unlike my previous cotton pillowcases, the satin pillowcases didn’t soak up all of the product from my strands.

One unexpected drawback of these pillowcases—or rather, all satin pillowcases—was how slippery and shifty they are. Their super slick texture makes them shoot off the bed if you make a sudden movement, kind of like pucks on an air hockey board. I’ve found that laying them down completely flat before hopping into bed helps with this.

Suffice to say, shifty pillows are a small price to pay for the benefits my hair has seen from using these pillowcases. If you’re ready to give satin pillowcases a try in the name of hair health, these Bedsure Satin Pillowcases are an effective yet affordable starting point.

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