How a good hair day helped me start a business
I get asked a lot about why I chose to start a business selling silk items. I guess it's not the first thing that comes into people's minds when they decide to go it alone.
My answer is because sleeping on silk is amazing. There's no complicated response. I sleep on silk. I love the benefits of sleeping on silks, and I want to share that with others.
As a teenager, I slept on cotton pillowcases and continued using cotton in my twenties.
There's nothing wrong with cotton. It's comfy and durable. I'd often wake up with creases on my face and thought it was a sign of a good night's sleep. I didn't really consider what those creases were doing to my youthful skin.
And I believed that my hair was naturally greasy. It was inevitable that every morning I would wake up resembling Ms Trunchball from Matilda.
I tried everything to solve my oily hair. Daily washing. Less frequent washing. Brush changes. Blow drying. None of it worked. No matter what solution I tried, I never woke up like I'd just walked out of the salon.
Then a friend suggested I try a silk pillowcase
I didn't really think that was the answer but thought what the hell and bought one.
Honestly, it was one of those 'oh my god' moments. Talk about an instant effect. I woke up the next morning without my usual limp, lank hair. At first, I put it down to luck, good judgement, a different shampoo. But it was the same the next morning. And the next. Honestly, I felt like this silk pillowcase had changed my life.
I don't think I have ever used a product I believe in so much
It wasn't just the lack of greasiness that sold me. It also stopped my hair from having lots of static. Like many women in their twenties, I had probably over-dyed my hair, and the result was fly away hair. I had found myself tying my hair back every morning, trying to tame it. With my silk pillowcase, that static had gone.
Now I don't claim to jump out of bed with long, luscious locks all shiny and bouncy. But I do know my hair is happier and healthier since I made the switch to silk.
What also disappeared overnight were the face creases. With cotton, my face would move across the pillow, and the material would grip it. Over time these creases actually become permanent. I hadn't realised by getting a full night's sleep, I was actually ageing myself.
Sleeping on silk means less friction between you and the pillow, and your face glides along the fabric. More movement means fewer wrinkles.
Look, I know the score. For as long as you can remember, you've been bombarded with beauty and health tips. As women, we're constantly being sent mixed messages. Get stuck into a career but remember your fertility drops off a cliff at 35. Get more vitamin D but never go out in the sun. Be a feminist but stick to the rules. It's confusing, overwhelming and extremely frustrating.
I don't want to add to that noise. I'm not here to tell you that silk will transform your life, and it's the secret to beautiful hair and skin.
All I can do is say I loved sleeping on silk so much that I set up a business selling silk pillowcases. That's how convinced I am.
If you're considering changing your pillowcase to silk, I'd say go for it. I honestly believe you won't change back.
Check out Lexi and Teal's range of beautiful silk pillowcases here.