The difference between real and fake silk

We need silk!

It is impossible to imagine life without the beauty industry, silk. Silk bedding has many benefits, such as making the skin more hydrated. Unlike cotton, silk does not absorb moisture, so our skin does not dry out. In addition, silk reduces split ends because there is less friction between hair and pillow. Silk therefore offers many advantages. Because silk is so popular, but also expensive, there is also a lot of counterfeit silk for sale. In this blog I will tell you the difference between real and fake silk, how you can recognize this and what you should pay attention to when purchasing silk.

Where does silk come from?

Real silk is made from the silkworm or silk moth that feeds on mulberries. Actually, we should say that silk is made by the silkworm. When a silkworm prepares to transform into a butterfly, a cocoon is created. This cocoon consists of a strong wire. This thread, and you may have guessed it, is what we call silk. The largest silk production is located in China, where the origin of silk production lies. Today, the silkworm is farmed worldwide, but China is still one of the largest export countries.

The difference between real and fake

Real silk is so popular because it is very soft, the fabric also shines very nicely and it has many beauty benefits. Because silk production is intensive, real silk is an expensive product. The price of silk used for clothing or bedding can easily be 30 to 40 euros per square meter.

Fake silk, on the other hand, is made from polyester, a synthetic fabric. Fake silk is often sold under the name satin, which sometimes causes confusion. Satin is not a fabric, but a weaving technique that can be used for any type of fabric. The satin weaving technique ensures that the fabric becomes soft and shiny, which is why it resembles silk. Since fake silk is made of polyester, it is much cheaper than real silk. You pay less than three euros for a square meter of fake silk!

How do you recognize real silk?

To make sure you're buying real silk, here are some tips to help you identify whether you're dealing with real or fake silk.

• The price. As just described, real silk is much more expensive. Sometimes sellers can deliberately make their fake silk products more expensive to give you the impression that you are buying real silk, so always make sure to check what the material is.
• The material. Real silk is made from the silkworm, make sure you can find this somewhere on the product. No sign of this? Then you are probably dealing with fake silk unfortunately
• The shining. Real silk has a sheen that changes color when you move the silk in the light, fake silk has a white sheen that doesn't change in the light.
• Real silk gets warm when you rub it in your hands, fake silk doesn't.
• Fold the silk. Real silk is smooth and does not crease or fold, while fake silk folds quickly and the creases remain.