The night kit: an evening routine in 4 steps

Wednesday, ten in the evening. Three pieces wait by the basin: a scrunchie, a headband and an eye mask folded in half. The fourth, the pillowcase, is already on the pillow next door. This is the realistic version of “get ready with me”: ten minutes, nothing to film, and the same order every night.

Step 1: how do you braid your hair loosely for the night?

Start with the hair, while your hands are still free of cream. Detangle from the ends up, with your fingers or a wide-tooth comb: the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) advises combing the ends first, then working higher. Then make one loose braid, three sections crossed without pulling, from the nape down to the ends. In its curly hair tips, the AAD suggests a loose braid or a loose ponytail on top of the head before sleeping.

Tie the end with a silk scrunchie, wound once or twice and never tight. Loose enough means you can slide a finger under each cross of the braid. Short hair can skip this step.

Step 2: why put a headband on for skincare?

The braid holds the lengths, but not the fringe or the short strands around your face. The Siluxe silk headband takes care of those. Slide it on from the nape up and set it just behind the hairline, with the twisted knot at the front.

Then your usual skincare, nothing new. Both hands are free, nothing falls into the cream, and what you apply stays where you put it, not in your hair. Give it a few minutes before you lie down, because creams and oils can transfer onto any pillowcase, silk included. Take the headband off and leave it by the basin for the morning.

Step 3: why does the pillowcase belong in a night routine?

It is the one piece you don’t hold. It is already on the pillow, so this step is simply lying down, cheek on the silk. The Siluxe silk pillowcase does its part all night: hair glides over silk instead of rubbing, so blowouts last and mornings start with fewer tangles. The braid you have just made rests on a smooth surface.

Step 4: what stays on the bedside table?

A glass of water, the book you are reading and the eye mask. It comes last: when you switch off the lamp, it goes on. Darkness, softly. For a mask that stays put without pressing, see how to choose a silk eye mask.

Where Siluxe fits

The kit is four pieces in the same silk, 100% mulberry silk at 22 momme, all designed in Paris: a scrunchie in M, L or XL (from $11), the headband ($43), the pillowcase ($99) and the eye mask ($41). Start with the piece your evenings miss most. Complimentary delivery from $100 on USD orders: the full kit qualifies.

On nights when ten minutes is too much, our five-minute evening reset keeps only the essentials.

FAQ

Braid first, or skincare first?

Braid first. Your hands are still free of cream, and the headband then only has to hold the front strands while you cleanse and apply your products.

Why wear a headband for evening skincare?

It keeps the fringe and the short strands off your face while you cleanse and apply skincare, so the products stay where you apply them, not in your hair. Both hands stay free. Set it just behind the hairline.

Should you sleep in a braid?

For long hair, a loose braid keeps the lengths together and off your shoulders. In its curly hair tips, the AAD suggests a loose braid or a loose ponytail on top of the head before sleeping. Keep it loose, with a soft tie.

Does the routine work with short hair?

Yes, without step 1. The headband still keeps short hair off your face during skincare, and the pillowcase and the mask need no length at all.

Sources

• AAD, 6 curly hair tips (30 June 2022): a loose braid or a loose ponytail before sleeping.
• AAD, Tips for healthy hair (updated 12 August 2024): comb the ends first, then work higher.