# What's a nice smooth pillowcase for sensitive skin? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 15, 2019, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-nice-smooth-pillowcase-for-sensitive-skin/840276 "2019-09-15T17:39:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2019, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-nice-smooth-pillowcase-for-sensitive-skin/840276/1 "2019-09-15T17:39:56Z")
I have been sleeping on cotton pillowcases all my life, some poly/cotton, and in the last few months, I find they aren’t so comfy any more on my thin sensitive-skin face. It’s like they ‘prickle’ and aren’t smooth and cool. I wash them in sensitive dye and odor free detergent. I look online and on Amazon and there are so many options. I don’t like polyester or microfiber, but that seems to be a top choice. Any opinions? Silk? Satin? 1 billion count Egyptian? Percale? ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2019, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-nice-smooth-pillowcase-for-sensitive-skin/840276/2 "2019-09-15T17:45:42Z")
High thread count cotton or t-shirt knit. I’m particular about my pillow cases too. Silk or satin slide around too much, to me. ---
**Author:** ![GreenWyvern](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greenwyvern/32/2834_2.png) [@GreenWyvern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenWyvern)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2019, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-nice-smooth-pillowcase-for-sensitive-skin/840276/3 "2019-09-15T18:37:39Z")
> [@salinqmind](#): > > I have been sleeping on cotton pillowcases all my life, some poly/cotton, and in the last few months, I find they aren’t so comfy any more on my thin sensitive-skin face. It’s like they ‘prickle’ and aren’t smooth and cool. I wash them in sensitive dye and odor free detergent. I look online and on Amazon and there are so many options. I don’t like polyester or microfiber, but that seems to be a top choice. Any opinions? Silk? Satin? 1 billion count Egyptian? Percale? I have a similar issue with pillowcases. Even though you’re using a ‘sensitive’ detergent, there may still be residues that are causing irritation. Try an extra rinse cycle for your pillowcases, and DON’T use fabric softener, which can be more irritating than detergents. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2019, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-nice-smooth-pillowcase-for-sensitive-skin/840276/4 "2019-09-15T18:58:22Z")
I like satin for their coolness. ---
**Author:** ![MoonMoon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moonmoon/32/2959_2.png) [@MoonMoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MoonMoon)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2019, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-nice-smooth-pillowcase-for-sensitive-skin/840276/5 "2019-09-16T01:10:41Z")
100% silk. I switched because of hair reasons (curly hair frizzes less on silk), but it’s also smoother on your skin. I’m a huge fan. ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2019, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-nice-smooth-pillowcase-for-sensitive-skin/840276/6 "2019-09-16T20:53:49Z")
I have a silk pillowcase that I always use. Love it love it love it. It did not really cost more than cotton pillowcases. Side note, why are pillowcases so expensive, compared to sheets? There’s a lot less fabric, it’s the same fabric, and they don’t seem to be particularly challenging to sew, it’s all straight lines. But I digress. The down side of the silk pillowcase is that it really shouldn’t be laundered with the rest of the linen, which I wash in hot water. But I have slipped up a couple of times and thrown it in there anyway and it didn’t destroy it. I originally bought it with the hope that my hair would slide around on it and not knot up and be a disgusting snarl in the morning, and it does that. But it is also always the right temperature, summer or winter. I feel like I fall asleep much more easily with my head on this pillowcase. Another side note: We once bought a set of satin sheets. Big, big mistake. It was extremely hard to keep them on the bed, and it also was kind of tense keeping us on the bed, as we were sliding around. Just the opposite of the flannel pajama plus flannel sheet syndrome where you’re stuck in bed and you cannot move or turn over or change your position in any way, because…flannel. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2019, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-nice-smooth-pillowcase-for-sensitive-skin/840276/7 "2019-09-16T21:10:36Z")
> [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](#): > > Side note, why are pillowcases so expensive, compared to sheets? There’s a lot less fabric, it’s the same fabric, and they don’t seem to be particularly challenging to sew, it’s all straight lines. But I digress. My mother noticed the same thing, so on at least one occasion, she bought a spare flat sheet and sewed her own pillowcases. As for the OP, are sateen cotton sheets any more comfortable than percale sheets? ---
**Author:** ![Teddie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7ab992/32.png) [@Teddie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teddie)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2019, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-nice-smooth-pillowcase-for-sensitive-skin/840276/8 "2019-09-16T22:29:02Z")
> [@MoonMoon](#): > > 100% silk. I switched because of hair reasons (curly hair frizzes less on silk), but it’s also smoother on your skin. I’m a huge fan. I’m not choosy about my pillowcases but I’ve had patients who are. 400/500 thread count is good as is 100% silk. I’ll happily sleep on cheapest cotton but 100% silk pillow cases are lovely, if you’re sensitive. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2019, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-nice-smooth-pillowcase-for-sensitive-skin/840276/9 "2019-09-18T17:13:00Z")
I’ve used well-worn soft cotton t-shirts as pillowcases in a pinch, they are nice, but of course, they’re t-shirts, not pillowcases! The top selling ‘silk’ one on Amazon is polyester, or microfiber, not actual silk. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2019, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-nice-smooth-pillowcase-for-sensitive-skin/840276/10 "2019-09-18T17:23:07Z")
Sheets made of jersey knit cotton (which is what t-shirts are made of) are available. You might try that, if you like that feel.