1. Why silk products?
2. What is silk?
3. Silk vs Satin
4. How to tell real silk from polyester satin?
5. Choice of silk fabric---Silk Glossary
6. How to care silk products?
 

Why silk Products?
Many people only know silk are high-end, expensive and more comfortable, but they are not ware of the benefit of the silk products bring the human body:

     1, silk hygroscopicity and permeability
    
   Silk is a kind of natural protein molecule compounds, has not only good hygroscopicity, but also permeability, which makes it cool in the summer and warm in the winter. The unique ability to absorb the sweat and metabolites can draw moisture away from your skin and maintain the skin clean and avoid skin bacteria , prevention of eczema, skin itching and other skin diseases.

    2 the role of skin protection
    
     The composition of silk is more complex than a protein fiber, which contains 18 kinds of amino acids useful to humans. The contact to skin can not only

enhance the vitality of cells, anti-aging functions, but also  prevent hardening of the arteries  to help maintain the skin surface lipid membrane metabolism and  maintain
skin moisten and silky smooth. So the silk pajamas, pillowcases and other silk products are hotly pursued by consumer.

     3, the role of adjuvant therapy for silk
    
   For skin wounds, eczema and bedsores, silk has good adjuvant therapy function. Silk fabric employed to dress the wounds can absorb moisture and enhance humidity evaporation, keep the wounds clean and accelerate wound healing.

     4, the role of anti-ultraviolet for Silk
    
     Silk under the sunlight exposure will turn yellow, because silk absorbs the sunlight's ultraviolet rays. UV radiation is harmful to human skin, silk  can play a preventive efficacy of ultraviolet rays to avoid a direct human skin harm of UV radiation.

     5. the role of flame retardancy for silk
    
   In addition to the role of anti-ultraviolet radiation, silk also has fire retardant efficacy. Under silk , fire is not easy to burn the skin, its porous fiber gap also protect the human body for the attack of  harmful gas .

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What is silk?
 
Silk is a filament fiber formed from proteins secreted by silkworms.
The silk obtained from cocoons made by the larvae of the mulberry silkworm is called mulberry silk. The silk obtained from cocoons made by the larvae of the tussah silkworm is called wild silk or tussah.

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Silk vs Satin

Polyester satin and real silk products have very similar appearance, some polyester satin products are sold as silk products. But satin and silk are two different concept. Only the fabric made in silk fiber is the natural fabric has the silk fabric characteristic and good to your body health. The price for silk products is far higher than satin.
So calling or selling satin(without silk component) as silk products to the buyer who are not familar with silk is a kind of deceive,which is the taboo in silk business.
a) Definition:
i. Satin: A smooth fabric woven from silk, nylon or polyester with a glossy surface and a dull back
ii. Silk: silk can mean silk fiber, hereby it mean the fabric made in silk fiber
Silk and Satin are both fabric classification, but the criteria is not same, one is by fiber and one by woven method respectively.
b) Fabric
i. Silk should be only used to the fabric made in silk fiber or silk interweave.
ii. The satin can be made in silk, nylon or polyester or the other fiber, called silk satin(by silk), Sateen, Satin (faux silk by polyester),etc
c) Appearance
Not all Silk fabric have smooth slippery surface, such as crepe is more textured and heavier than common silk fabric. There are many different type silk fabric, chiffon, crepe, georgette, habotai, brocade, etc according to the different weave.Please check below for silk glossary.

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How to tell real silk from polyester satin 
 
1. Hand touch: Real silk feels soft and smooth, quite different from other fibers. Silk fabric offers mild luster without polar light and dullness on its surface.
2. Combustion: Silk is protein fiber. When burning, Silk fibers curl away from the flame, burn slowly with some melting, may self-extinguish when the flame is removed, and smells like burned feathers. Burned silk leaves a brittle, crushable round black bead after burning.

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Choice of silk fabric

Outer clothing: heavy crepe de chine, real silk suiting, spun silk habotai or silk-ramie, silk-cotton mixed fabrics, which are stiff, airy, chic and tasteful.

Skirt or skirt-like trousers: medium weight fabrics with considerable draping property, such as heavy crepe de chine, crepe de chine, Sangbo crepe damask,

Fashions: printed crepe de chine plain, mulberry waved fabric or georgette, ctc,

Underwear, lingerie: spun silk, silk knit, charmuse are especially comfortable due to their smoothness and function of skin health care.

Silk glossary
Brocade silk: A woven silk, rich with interwoven design, decorated with gold and silver thread. 
Charmeuse silk: Luxurious, a popular dress silk. It has a shiny satin face and dull back. The fabric is soft in feeling and drapes very well.
Chiffon silk : This fabric is softer, thinner, sheer and transparent. Woven from tightly twisted yarn and has crepe like texture drapes beautifully.
China Silk - (Habotai):  The term means soft as down in Japanese. This fabric is smooth even weave it comes in various weights from light to heavy.
Crepe silk: Crepe is heavier and more textured then crepe-de-chine, but not as slippery. The heavier most luxuries fabrics, and are made from three or four ply yarns.
Crepe-de-chine silk :Crepe-de-chine has a smooth slippery surface. It drapes beautifully and is available in several weights.
Doupioni (Duppione) silk: Silk reeled from double cocoons. Silk doupioni is a crisp fabric with irregular slubs in the yarn, Most popular silk for wedding gowns.
Faille silk:  Ribbed silk with crosswise rib effect. Fabric is lightweight, soft in feel and a slightly grainy.
Georgette silk:This fabric is sheer crepe silk, heavier than chiffon and with a crinkle surface.
Jacquard silk: This fabric is smooth, elegant and is made on a jacquard loom. The fabric has a soft or slightly crisp hand depending on the weave.
Gambiered canton silk: Please find details at Paradise_Silk_Supply blog
Gambiered canton gauze:Gambiered interweave of pure silk w/ cotton or linen

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How to care silk products

1,The dark and the light-colored silk clothing should be washed separately

2. The silk clothes with sweat should be washed or soaked with water immediately , and avoid to the use of hot water above 30 degrees ;

3.Requests for special washing detergent, No alkaline detergent, soap, detergent or other detergent. Do not use disinfectant .

4.Wash

 Hand Wash: All duvet covers, sheets, pillow cases and apparel are washable. The preferred method is hand laundered in lukewarm water with mild soap or detergent using a gentle hand movement. Do not soak too long. Rinse in cool water, in the last rinse water, you can add several drops of vinegar, which is helpful to keep the vivid color of the silk. Roll silk in a towel to remove excess water. Never wring water from silk.

 Machine Wash: Only applicable to the item with permission in the care guidlines. Wash in cold water with mild detergent, no bleach, on a gentle cycle. Wash silk separate from other items and do not overload washer to avoid any unnecessary wear to the fabric. Silk dries quickly. Tumble dry on very low heat only if necessary.

 Dry Clean: Comforters are dry clean only.

5.Ironing

Silk has a resistance to creasing or wrinkling, most will smooth out naturally. If ironing should become necessary, press the damp silk on the reverse side with an iron set on low. Silk charmeuse (satin) requires a cool iron to bring back sheen.

Note: These are general care guidelines for silk. Please refer to specific care instructions on each label. Look for the following universal symbols.
Silk Duvet Care:

 1,Use duvet covers and pillow cases and wash regulary to prevent silk duvet from dirt and keep the silk duvet clean.

2,Under very few condition, the some parts of the silk duvet get dirty unluckly,you have to clean the silk duvet,You can use the mild shampoo,gently wash the dirty part, and get dried under the temperature not too hot.Or you can send your silk duvet to the proffesional dry laudry service.

3,Common care: several times per year, air under moderate sunshine without covers not more than 1 hour  to get the moisture vapored, and gently patting the silk duvet,make the duvet loose,soft and elastic again.

4,The duvet made with long strand silk,the silk thread is sewed and fixed with the duvet case,so the silk will not shrink and duvet need not recap.

5, Do not get the silk duvet directly contact with the aculeated or keen-edged item.

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