There’s nothing worse than putting lots of time and effort into achieving a bomb wash day, only to wake up the next morning with flattened, pulled out curls and a tangled, knotty mess. Here’s how I protect my curly hair at night to minimise frizz, retain moisture and maintain curl definition. So my wash day results last longer throughout the week.
Since writing this post, I have changed how I protect my curls at night. I now use a Silke London Hair Turban, instead of my Buff. Everything else has stayed the same. You can watch this IGTV video, of how I use it, and what my hair looks like the next morning. And you can get 15% off Silke London on Look Fantastic, using code CURLYCAILINLF.

Silk Pillowcase
A silk pillowcase is an absolute must-have for curly hair! Or any hair type, and skin type too for that matter. I’ve tried a few, and even made my own. But I didn’t seem to be getting all the benefits of sleeping on a silk pillowcase that I hear about. I figured this was down to the quality of silk I was sleeping on. So when I was looking at some popular, well-known pillowcases, one name kept coming up in the reviews as the best on the market. One that no other silk or satin pillowcase compares to: Silkskin pillowcases. They’ve got lots of great info and articles on their website which are well worth a read.

Not just any silk pillowcase
Silkskin pillowcases are exclusively designed and hand-finished for the beauty industry and unlike any other I’ve seen, touched or slept on before. They are incredibly soft, made out of the finest and most durable natural silk available, Mulberry silk. Which is also naturally hypoallergenic, and breathable. They aren’t shiny, unlike most silk pillowcases. Which are actually satin pillowcases, made out of man-made, synthetic fabrics such as nylon, polyester and rayon. I didn’t realise what a big difference that actually made to my hair, and skin, until I started sleeping on a Silkskin pillowcase.

Now I don’t sleep without it! Not only is my hair holding it’s curl pattern and definition much better the next day. Which means I can go longer between wash days and refreshes. I also don’t have as much frizz, and can even sleep on my Silkskin pillowcase without any other form of protection (unintended bit of sexual innuendo there!) or pineapple at night! Silk contains very similar proteins to those in your hair, so your hair stays soft and silky as you sleep. As opposed to frizzy, knotty and tangled!

Retain Moisture
Natural, Mulberry silk also helps to retain moisture in your skin and hair, keeping them both hydrated and nourished. I’ve noticed my skin isn’t as dry in the mornings either. My skin has absorbed all my skincare oils and serums I put on at night, rather than my pillowcase. So if you do nothing else to your hair, or only invest in one thing to protect and preserve moisture in your curls at night; make it this unique, multi award-winning silk pillowcase from Silkskin.

Recommended & Used By
Recommended by dermatologists, skin care specialists, hairdressers and doctors. Not to mention used by royalty, and celebrities such as Nigella Lawson, Helena Bonham Carter and Jemima Goldsmith. Vogue and Marie Claire are also fans of Silkskin. They’ve worked with Chanel, Aveda and Dove. There’s a reason why they’re the best on the market – just like I’d read in those reviews.

Invest & Care
Purchasing a Silkskin pillowcase is an investment, but it’s worth it and will last for years! So long as you look after it properly. Use a special detergent suitable for silk. Wash on a 30-35 degree delicate or hand wash, and let it dry naturally. They ship worldwide on the Silkskin website. This is the best solution for avoiding frizzy, tangled knots. Or if you wash your hair in the evenings and like to sleep with your hair in a cast at night.

Protective Styles
There are lots of different protective styles to wear at night, such as braids, top knots and pinned curls. But these all alter the natural curl pattern, and I want to preserve and protect my curls. A really popular way to protect natural, or curly hair at night is to use a silk scarf. I tried this for a while before I got a Buff. I had to wrap it and tie it so tight so it wouldn’t fall off during the night, which it often did. And my curls got flattened, especially at the back, and the very front, and I kept getting headaches.

Sleeping in the Buff
Wearing a silk scarf at night didn’t work, so I tried out the Buff. Multifunctional headwear that’s a seamless tube of stretch fabric which feels like a lightweight cotton jersey. It’s made using a 95% recyclable performance microfiber, that’s got odor control, insect shield and UPF 50+ sun protection.

Admittedly I don’t need sun protection at night, but I went for the UV option because it was lightweight and would be cooler to wear at night. I’ve got a lot of hair, and don’t want to have a hot and sweaty scalp at night. I slip the Buff over my head first, so it’s sitting around my neck. Then I put my hair up in a pineapple, using my matching satin scrunchie from Coorie Curls. Get 5% off using code CURLYCAILIN5.

Then I pull the sleeve up over my face so that it sits around the edge of my hairline. I basically look like Marge Simpson! It’s tight enough to stay on during the night, but not too tight that it causes headaches. It can often slip up at night though, and does flatten the back but not as bad as a silk scarf. They do children’s sizes, and this is what I use to protect my daughter’s hair at night. You can buy them in my Amazon shop.

Pineapple
My favourite way to protect my curls at night is putting it up in a pineapple. Not only does it protect my curls, because they’re sitting on the top of my head. They don’t get squashed or flattened as I move around at night. It’s also great for root volume! Not to mention it’s the easiest thing to do, and requires minimum time and effort. Always a winner when you’re exhausted and ready to fall into bed at the end of the day!

Invisibobbles
There are a few different hair accessories I use, but the effect is all the same. It’s just a matter of finding out which one you prefer, and what works best for your hair. You can use an Invisibobble, which are great for fine hair. I’ve got a lot of hair though, so I find they get tangled in my curls when I pull them out in the morning. Top Tip: if your Invisibobble gets stretched out, simply put it in bowl of hot water, and it will shrink back to it’s original shape! I’ve found that only works with genuine Invisibobbles though, not the generic ones.

Satin Scrunchies
Satin scrunchies circa the 1980’s are back in fashion, and great for protecting curly hair at night! My one is from Coorie Curls and I love it! You can get 5% off using my code CURLYCAILIN5. If you’ve got long hair, loop your hair twice into a loose bun to protect it at night. This will prevent the ends of your hair from getting stretched and flattened out, losing curl pattern and definition. Although my satin scrunchie doesn’t get tangled in my hair, it does pull my curls a little when I pull it out the next day because I have to loop it twice. One loop is too loose to hold my hair up securely throughout the night.

Puff Cuff
My favourite way to put my hair up in a pineapple is using the Puff Cuff. Get 10% off code CURLYCAILIN10. It took me a while to learn how to secure them in my hair, and get them back out again. But once I got the hang of them, I use them all the time now. They don’t disturb or ruin my curls when I’m putting them in, or taking them out. I use the mini Puff Cuff size most of the time, but if you’ve got fine hair use the micro. Which is also great for half up, half down styles. Check out my Amazon shop for Junior and Original sizes too, or use code CURLYCAILIN10 to get 10% off on the Puff Cuff website.

I got a great laugh when I got some sent to my cousin. He didn’t know what to think when they arrived, labelled as a Puff Cuff and looking like some kind of torture device/sex toy! I love Puff Cuffs because they don’t pull the curls, or leave any kind of bend or mark in my hair either. So when I take my hair down, it looks just as good as when I put it up!

Protecting Short Hair at Night
If your hair is too short to put in a pineapple, you can try Medusa Clipping. Using small hair claws or large u-shaped bobbi pins like these, pin your hair up towards the top of your head. If that doesn’t work or is too uncomfortable, you can use a silk bonnet or cap. My advice would be to invest in a Silkskin pillowcase and leave your hair down. After all, night time is for sleeping and so your body can rest. Not for worrying about your hair, frizz, knots, tangles and curl definition.

So there you go, a rather long post on how I protect my curly hair at night! Not my usual kind of images and photographs I usually post on my blog! (Insert shy monkey face emoji here) A special thank you to Ballymagarvey Village, an award-winning exclusive wedding venue in Co. Meath, Ireland. They very kindly let me take these images in the beautiful bridal suite in the main house. The whole venue is stunning, unique and one of a kind. All the things you’d imagine from a fairytale Irish country wedding venue. Check out their website for more info and details, or their social media for the gorgeous decor throughout the seasons and holidays.

If you’re struggling with halo frizz and not sure why, make sure you check out this post. As the cause may not be what you think.
Or if you’re not sure if your skin is dry or dehydrated, and want to follow a skincare routine along the same principles as the curly girl method, then check out this post.
*Some items in this post were gifted, but not in exchange for any review or recommendation. My content, recommendations and the way I write is not sponsored or influenced by any gifted items, advertisers, affiliate partnerships, brands or PR’s.
*This post contains some affiliate links, which means I get paid (a very small) commission on products you purchase through my links. This in no way affects you, the price you pay or the way in which I write about products featured on this site.
Thank you for this post! I’ve been following SOME CG methods for a long time, not realizing I was following CG methods. So when I discovered there was more to it than just using sulfate-free co-wash only twice a week, I went down the rabbit hole. Fortunately, my journey to Wonderland landed me here! At your fabulous blog! So here’s my issue, my roots are still getting oily pretty easily by day 2 or 3, I’m guessing because I haven’t found the right balance yet. Consequently when I take out the pineapple, my roots are so pasted upright that it’s more than just “lifted.” It’s like it’s not lying in the correct direction and that impedes the ability of all of it to “settle.” The canopy sits on top awkwardly and the underlying bits lose the beautiful curls that were visible in the pineapple because of the canopy crushing them with it’s awkward non-settling. Before I knew about CG I would loosely braid my hair at night to keep my curls from getting frizzy, then shake them out in the morning and scrunch. Admittedly, the volume was negatively impacted, as were the curl patterns close to the scalp on my crown. Now that you’ve basically heard my life story (haha), do you have any suggestions other than the silk pillowcase? Should I just try leaving it down and see what happens? Thank you so much! You’re blog has been so helpful. 🙂
Hi Megan, thanks so much! So glad you found your way to my little corner of the internet. I’m wondering if the products you’re using are too heavy and that’s what’s causing your roots to become so greasy and all the things you described. A silk pillowcase isn’t going to fix that. What products are you currently using?
I think you were right! I’ve switched to some lighter product lines, principally removing Shea Moisture products from my routines and that seems to have helped. Now that I’ve solved the oily roots issue, I’m finding that although I can get to day 4 or 5, when I pull the pineapple out, the back of my hair is mostly straight…every day. It’s like it’s pulled out the curl. I’ve been having to use a lot more water to refresh and almost completely re-styling. Solve one problem… on to the next! Haha. Thanks for your feedback.
Hi Gabriella. I’ve been doing Curly Girl since my sister suggested it to me in June and your blog has really helped navigate the different aspects of it. I try to do the pineapple at night, but my hair is down past my shoulder blades so I kinda have to put it in a bit of a bun/pineapple thing instead. Do you have any other suggestions that might help for someone with longer hair?
Thank you!
Hi Kat, so glad you’ve found my content helpful on your journey. Yes, if your hair is longer, looping it into a loose bun instead of a pineapple is the best way to protect it at night – or my preferred way anyway. There are also silk bonnets which are great for longer hair, but I find they can sometimes flatten the curls. Hope that helps x
Great post addressing options for flattened curls at night. A common challenge for us curly girls. I was intrigued when I first heard about the pineapple but I have not tried it yet.
I have been sleeping on silk pillowcases for years and will not sleep without them. Satin refers to a type of fabric weave. Traditionally silk was used for satin fabric but in modern times and in order to offer a cheaper option, polyester satin is what is more readily available and what most people think of when they hear the word satin. If you want to make sure you are getting a high quality silk pillowcase that will hold up well look for the silk momme weight. Anything 19 momme and up will be a great option. If it has a satin or charmeuse weave even better for no friction.
Yup cotton pillowcase really ruin my hair. Ughhh
Hey, thanks for your great post! I’ve seen quite a few things regarding buffs, but I was wondering – will they not have the same affect as cotton pillowcases in that they’ll absorb the hair’s moisture and cause breakage?
Inspired by this .. have tried to purchase puff cuffs but they seem to be out of stock everywhere ( I’m in the uk)
Have you any suggestions for a similar alternative product that I can get hold of ? Thanks
Sorry, I’m not aware of any product that’s similar. PuffCuffs are extremely unique. I bought a multi pack over 3 years ago and still have them all, none of them have broken or been lost. I would just keep trying. You can get 10% off PuffCuff using code CURLYCAILIN1O.
This is a great post — and also I love what you are wearing. Where did that set come from?
Would you believe, that’s my mom’s silk teddy from decades ago! It’s vintage at this stage. But I’m pretty sure she bought it in Harrods, London.
Love these silk suggestions! I know you have used the silk scarf to create the pineapple which is a great idea. I’ve found silk turbans to be really useful and so much so we set up our own unique brand of affordable turbans. They are ready made so look really cute like the 1940s retro head scarf style and stay put.. but Good fitting is paramount so it doesn’t slip off at night so we make sure there is a range of sizes for hair and head shapes. Would love you to check them out and see what you think!
Hi! I’ve been trying to look after my curls for a while now after years of scraping them back into a ponytail 😀 I’ve noticed I tend to get flat straggly curls right at the back of my head, I wonder if its that I don’t look after the bit I can’t see as well? or that I’m sleeping on it? Any thoughts would be really appreciated please! I have noticed that the back is also a fairly different colour (naturally) though, so maybe it’ll always stay like that?
Hi Celina, if you’ve been scraping your curls into a ponytail for years, then it’s going to take a while for the hair to heal and repair the damage caused from that. Just because you stop causing the damage every day, doesn’t mean the damage is going to repair straight away. But it’s also worth bearing in mind that you can have different curl patterns on your head, that’s very common. And things like coats, jackets, collars, hoodies and scarves can all affect the bottom layers of your hair.
Hi Gabriella
I purchased the Kate Silke London turban wrap and I’ve watched your video on how you put it on before bed.
My hair is quite long with 2c/3a loose curls and waves so I pineapple and then try to place the turban on my head following your instructions but it’s very difficult to flick the pony part of my hair in and then pull the turban back over my head.
Now that your hair is much longer, how do you manage it?
Are you planning an updated tutorial?
Many thanks.
Deirdre
Hi Gabriella,
Thank you for all this info and on your blog!
I have extremely protein sensitive hair. Do you know if the silk protein in the silk scarf will cause frizz?
Thank you,
Dot