There’s no need to research every sleep mask material; we’ve done the work for you. Below, we compare the most popular fabrics used in sleep masks to identify the best material for skin benefits, breathability, and sleep-enhancing function.
The Comparison Criteria:
Based on the most important factors that you should be looking for when buying a sleep mask.
We're going to examine the most popular sleep mask materials: Hemp, Bamboo, Eucalyptus, and Mulberry Silk.
Their strengths and weaknesses as materials will be analysed, using the comparison criteria below to tell you which is the best material for a sleep mask, and which you can get the most benefits from.
Hemp: The Unexpected Powerhouse
Hemp, one of the oldest and most functional natural fibres in the world, is known for its resilience, antibacterial power, and sustainability. It offers impressive benefits for skin health and long-term durability, but how does it compete against our sleep mask essential criteria?
🛡️ 1. Antibacterial Power
✅✅✅ Best in class. Hemp is inherently antibacterial, making it perfect to protect your skin. Unlike bamboo, hemp’s antibacterial benefits are built into the fibre and don’t wash out after one wash.
💨 2. Breathability
✅✅✅ High. Hemp has an open, hollow fibre structure that allows air to pass through easily. This makes it an optimal material for temperature regulation and overnight comfort, especially in warmer climates or for sweaty sleepers.
💧 3. Moisture-Wicking / Drying
✅✅✅ High. Hemp is highly moisture-absorbent and wicks sweat away from the skin. It also dries fast, helping reduce the conditions that lead to clogged pores or irritation.
🔁 4. Durability & Wash Performance
✅✅✅ High. Hemp is among the strongest natural fibres available. It gets softer over time, and unlike bamboo, it doesn’t degrade with washing. This means your mask stays effective and comfortable for longer.
🧴 5. Skin Feel & Comfort
⚠️ Moderate. Hemp can feel coarse or slightly stiff, especially compared to silk or even bamboo. It’s not ideal for direct facial contact in a sleep mask because of its rough texture, which is why it’s rarely used in sleepwear.
🌱 6. Sustainability & Sourcing
✅✅✅ Best in class. Hemp requires little water, no pesticides, and regenerates soil as it grows. It’s widely considered the most eco-conscious fibre on the planet, especially compared chemically processed bamboo.
Skin Benefit Score: 5/5
Sleep Score: 4/5
Summary: Hemp is a skin-first powerhouse, but it’s not perfect on its own. For direct facial contact, it lacks the softness of materials like mulberry silk, making it slightly rougher against your skin. However, its antibacterial properties, breathability and sustainability, and all the other must-have benefits you would want from a sleep mask make hemp an exceptional sleep material.
Cotton: An Underwhelming Option
Cotton is often the default choice for sleepwear, and sleep masks are no exception. It’s soft, breathable, and widely available.
‘Cotton is breathable and comfortable, making it a solid choice for a basic sleep mask.’
- WIRED ‘How to Buy a Sleep Mask’
But when you consider skin health, long-term performance and overnight sleep benefits, cotton begins to fall short, especially compared to more functional, skin-supportive materials.
🛡️ 1. Antibacterial Power
❌ None. Cotton does not offer any natural antibacterial properties. It absorbs and holds onto moisture, creating an environment where bacteria can thrive, not ideal for acne-prone or sensitive skin.
💨 2. Breathability
✅ Good. Cotton is breathable in dry environments, which is why it's widely used in clothing. However, it loses performance when damp, holding onto heat and moisture rather than releasing it. So during warm nights, your mask can contribute to you building up sweat on your skin, impacting your sleep quality and the way you feel when you wake up.
💧 3. Moisture-Wicking / Drying
❌ Poor. Cotton absorbs sweat and facial oils but doesn’t dry quickly. Over time, this trapped moisture can contribute to breakouts and skin irritation, especially if you don’t wash your sleep mask often.
🔁 4. Durability & Wash Performance
⚠️ Weak. Cotton fibres break down with repeated washing, becoming rougher and less effective at maintaining their structure. This means your sleep mask won’t last as long and will probably need to be replaced. In comparison to other materials, hemp gets softer over time while retaining its strength and benefits.
🧴 5. Skin Feel & Comfort
⚠️ Moderate. Cotton starts soft, but after washing, it can begin to pill and lose its smoothness. It also lacks the glide or thermoregulating cooling sensations of silk or satin weaves, which most sleepers prefer against their skin, helping get a relaxing and recovery-minded sleep.
🌱 6. Sustainability & Sourcing
⚠️ Moderate. While organic cotton has better green sourcing initiatives, conventional cotton is water- and pesticide-intensive, making it one of the least sustainable natural fibres. Hemp, by contrast, grows rapidly without chemicals and regenerates soil.
Skin Benefit Score: 2/5
Sleep Score: 2/5
Summary: Cotton is comfortable and affordable, and even WIRED recommends it as a breathable choice. But for skin-focused sleepers looking for antibacterial protection, moisture management, and long-term softness, it simply doesn’t hold up to the other candidates in this list.
Bamboo: Soft and Popular, But Is It Really Optimal For Your Skin?
Bamboo is often marketed as the skin-friendly, sustainable alternative to cotton or silk, and while it has its strengths, many of its benefits depend heavily on how it’s processed. Most bamboo fabric on the market today is bamboo viscose or rayon, which goes through heavy chemical processing that strips away much of the raw plant’s antibacterial and eco-friendly qualities, as the marketing claims.
🛡️ 1. Antibacterial Power
⚠️ Low. Raw bamboo has natural antibacterial properties, but these are largely lost during the viscose/rayon process. Some bamboo fabrics are treated with chemical finishes to restore this, but these fade after washing. Compared to hemp, bamboo’s antibacterial power is inconsistent and unreliable in real-world use.
💨 2. Breathability
✅ Good. Bamboo viscose is generally breathable and helps regulate temperature. However, it can retain more heat than hemp, especially in heavier weaves or when blended with synthetics.
💧 3. Moisture-Wicking / Drying
⚠️ Moderate. Bamboo can absorb moisture well, but dries slowly compared to hemp or performance fabrics. This can create a damp environment if you sweat overnight, which isn’t ideal for acne-prone or sensitive skin.
🔁 4. Durability & Wash Performance
⚠️ Low to Moderate. Bamboo fibres, especially viscose or modal types, break down more quickly with washing than hemp or even cotton. You may notice pilling, thinning, or a loss of smoothness over time, affecting the sleep mask's longevity.
🧴 5. Skin Feel & Comfort
✅✅ Very soft. Bamboo is praised for its ultra-smooth, almost silk-like feel in some cases. It's gentle against the skin and works well for people with sensitive skin or those who prefer lightweight comfort.
🌱 6. Sustainability & Sourcing
⚠️ Moderate. While bamboo as a plant is highly renewable, the common production methods for turning it into fabric (like viscose) use toxic chemicals and are not highly environmentally friendly unless they follow closed-loop processes like Lyocell.
Skin Benefit Score: 2.5/5
Sleep Score: 3/5
Summary: Bamboo is soft and breathable, but its antibacterial and sustainability claims don’t hold up unless it’s specially processed, and even then, its benefits remain inferior to hemp. For everyday use, it's a comfortable choice, but not the best-performing one for skin health or longevity.
Eucalyptus (Lyocell): Smooth and Sustainable, But Not Sleep Optimised
Eucalyptus-derived fabrics (Lyocell) are often positioned as eco-luxury alternatives to cotton or bamboo. They're praised for being silky-smooth, moisture-managing, and environmentally friendly, and they do live up to much of that promise.
🛡️ 1. Antibacterial Power
✅ Good. Eucalyptus’ (Lyocell) moisture-absorbing fibres create an environment where bacteria struggle to thrive, offering reliable antibacterial protection to keep your skin clear and comfortable. Lyocell’s antibacterial benefits are also built into the natural structure of the fibre, making it a sustainable choice.
However, hemp remains the leader for antibacterial performance as its fibres are packed with unique bioactive compounds that actively inhibit a broader spectrum of bacteria, providing a level of natural defence that eucalyptus can’t achieve.
💨 2. Breathability
✅✅ High. Lyocell is known for being light, breathable, and cool against the skin. It allows air circulation and helps regulate body temperature during sleep.
💧 3. Moisture-Wicking / Drying
✅ Good. Lyocell absorbs moisture efficiently and wicks it away from the skin, helping keep your face dry overnight, perfect for a skin-safe overnight environment.
🔁 4. Durability & Wash Performance
⚠️ Moderate. Stronger than bamboo viscose and doesn’t break down as quickly and with delicate washing care, the longevity of lyocell sleepwear can be extended. However, it’s not as robust as hemp but is considered above average compared to other natural fibre
🧴 5. Skin Feel & Comfort
✅✅ Good. Lyocell is lightweight, silky to the touch, and very gentle on skin. For people with sensitive skin or who dislike the texture of hemp, lyocell offers a premium-feeling experience, making it great for sleepwear.
🌱 6. Sustainability & Sourcing
✅✅✅ High. Lyocell is produced through a closed-loop system that reuses 99% of solvents, making it one of the most sustainable and low-impact fabrics available, far more environmentally friendly than bamboo viscose.
Skin Benefit Score: 4/5
Sleep Score: 4/5
Summary: Eucalyptus-derived lyocell is sustainable, breathable, and smooth, but it lacks antibacterial protection, and its performance drops if not washed frequently. A beautiful fabric and great fabric for sleepwear, but not exceptional for skin health compared to hemp.
Mulberry Silk: The Gold Standard for Luxury Sleepwear
Mulberry silk is the staple material in luxury sleep products, and for good reason. It’s exceptionally smooth, naturally hypoallergenic, and helps reduce friction on skin and hair. Often recommended by dermatologists and beauty experts, silk is widely seen as the premium choice for comfort and softness.
While silk excels in its feel, it has a few functional limitations that may affect long-term skin health and maintenance:
🛡️ 1. Antibacterial Power
⚠️ Moderate. Silk exhibits some antimicrobial resistance in lab tests, but it’s not truly antibacterial in the way that hemp is. You’ve seen brands advertise mulberry silk as ‘99.7% antibacterial’, but this applies to untreated silk in controlled settings, and studies show this effect reduces significantly after even just one wash.
💨 2. Breathability
⚠️ Moderate. Silk is breathable in lightweight weaves (like 16–19 momme), but most premium sleep masks use 22–30 momme silk, which are denser and provide that ultra-luxurious feel, however, at the cost of being less breathable. This can lead to a warmer sleeping experience, especially for hot sleepers and can promote bacterial growth, leading to skin breakouts.
💧 3. Moisture-Wicking / Drying
✅ Good. Mulberry silk is naturally moisture-wicking, drawing sweat and oils away from your skin and helping keep your face dry and comfortable overnight. This helps maintain a fresh feeling and supports skin clarity, especially for sensitive or acne-prone skin. However, silk does not dry as quickly as some plant-based fibres like hemp, so it’s important to wash your silk sleep mask regularly to maintain optimal hygiene and performance.
🔁 4. Durability & Wash Performance
✅✅ Good. While silk feels strong at first, it’s sensitive to friction, abrasion, and repeated washing. Without gentle care (ideally hand-washing or delicate cycle), it can lose its lustre, fade, or weaken over time.
🧴 5. Skin Feel & Comfort
✅✅✅ Best in Class. This is where silk justifies its reputation. The smooth, glide-like texture minimises friction against your hair, reduces the risk of sleep creases, and is extremely gentle on sensitive, acne-prone, or mature skin. For many, this lightweight luxury feel is the primary reason to choose silk.
🌱 6. Sustainability & Sourcing
✅ Natural, but not low-impact. Silk is a natural protein fibre, but producing mulberry silk is labour- and resource-intensive. It requires the cultivation of silkworms, large amounts of mulberry leaves, and often involves ethical considerations around silkworms. With that being said, it’s biodegradable and far more eco-friendly than synthetic fabrics, making it a strong green material.
Skin Benefit Score: 4/5
Sleep Score: 5/5
So, What's the Best Material for a Sleep Mask? (Ranked):
- Hemp - 9/10
- Mulberry Silk - 9/10
- Eucalyptus (Lyocell) - 8/10
- Bamboo - 5.5/10
- Cotton - 4/10
So, which material would be best for a sleep mask? Let’s compare:
Hemp vs. Mulberry Silk: Function or Feel?
When it comes to choosing the ideal fabric for your skin and sleep quality, two materials rise to the top: Hemp and Mulberry Silk. Both are breathable, hypoallergenic and great for your skin, but have very different strengths.
Hemp is the most functional fabric on the planet. It’s naturally antibacterial (even after repeated washing), breathable, and incredibly durable, but it isn’t as soft as silk and can feel slightly rough when used alone.
Silk, on the other hand, is beloved for its ultra-smooth texture and timeless luxury. It’s soft, hypoallergenic, and gentle on even the most sensitive skin, but it requires delicate care and lacks true skin benefits.
🛡️ Antibacterial Protection
Hemp: Inherently anti-bacterial and hypoallergenic without treatments or coatings. This protection doesn’t wash out either, making it ideal for long-term skin hygiene.
Silk: Often advertised as ‘99.7% antibacterial’, but only in lab-controlled conditions and in real-world use, its resistance drops significantly after just one wash.
✅ Winner: Hemp
💨 Breathability
Hemp: Has a primed hollow fibre structure that promotes airflow and temperature regulation. Great for sleepers who feel hot at night.
Silk: Lighter weaves breathe reasonably well, but premium sleep masks often use 22–30 momme silk, which is denser and traps more heat.
✅ Winner: Hemp
💧 Moisture Control
Hemp: Wicks moisture effectively and dries quickly, helping reduce skin irritation and pore congestion.
Silk: Absorbs some moisture but holds onto it. It can feel damp or warm if not washed regularly.
✅ Winner: Hemp
🔁 Durability & Washing
Hemp: Gets softer over time, resists wear, and stays effective wash after wash.
Silk: Requires gentle handling and can lose texture or structure with repeated washing.
✅ Winner: Hemp
🧴 Skin Feel & Comfort
Hemp: Structured and slightly rough on its own. Not ideal for direct facial use and can be uncomfortable for side-sleepers
Silk: Smooth, cooling, and ultra luxurious. Customers love mulberry silk for its in-hand and on-face feeling, being described as ‘pure luxury’.
✅ Winner: Mulberry Silk
🌱 Sustainability
Hemp: Requires no pesticides, uses minimal water, and regenerates soil, the world's most sustainable material.
Silk: Natural and biodegradable, but resource-intensive to produce and often raises ethical concerns around animal welfare.
✅ Winner: Hemp
Hemp wins on function.
Silk wins on feel.
And EnduraSilk™ is designed to win on both.
EnduraSilk™: The Complete Sleep Material
55% Hemp - The Skin-Clearing Fibre
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Inherently Antibacterial
Hemp naturally resists the growth of bacteria thanks to its dense, porous structure and phytochemical profile. Unlike treated fabrics, these benefits are inherent to the fibre and remain effective wash after wash. This helps reduce skin congestion, irritation, and microbial buildup. -
Highly Breathable & Moisture-Regulating
Hemp’s hollow fibres promote airflow and draw moisture away from the skin. This helps keep the surface cool, dry, and balanced, crucial for those prone to overheating, sweating, or irritation under sleep masks. -
Strengthens with Use
Hemp doesn’t degrade like many natural fibres. With proper care, it becomes softer over time while maintaining its strength and shape, ideal for nightly use and long-term performance.
45% Mulberry Silk - For Skin-Loving Luxury
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Ultra-Smooth & Friction-Reducing
Grade 6A mulberry silk offers one of the lowest friction coefficients among natural fibres. The satin weave used in EnduraSilk™ ensures a gentle glide across the skin, minimising irritation, sleep lines, and stress on sensitive or acne-prone areas -
Naturally Hypoallergenic & Non-Comedogenic
Pure mulberry silk is free from common allergens and resistant to dust mites, making it suitable for reactive or eczema-prone skin. It doesn’t trap oil or dead skin cells as readily as synthetic fabrics, keeping pores clearer through the night. -
Luxury Without the Heat
While traditional high-momme silk can trap warmth, EnduraSilk™ uses a 12–16 momme range with a high-thread-count satin weave. This delivers the same rich, dense feel, but with better breathability and temperature balance.
