Most "silk" sold online is a satin weave of polyester. The listing looks the part. The first night even feels close. Then the cloth pills, holds heat, and never lists a momme weight.
HZLISY is a Hangzhou shop. We sell 100% mulberry silk scrunchies, pillowcases and 65 cm square scarves, finished here and shipped by air. This guide is the long version of how we specify those pieces - fibre, momme, mill grade, size, care - and what we refuse to claim.
If you only remember three checks: the fibre line must say 100% mulberry silk; a momme number must be printed; the origin should be a real mill town, not a mood board.
Quick answer
Mulberry silk is a natural protein fibre from Bombyx mori silkworms fed on mulberry leaves. Satin is a weave. A polyester satin pillowcase can look glossy and still contain no silk.
For daily sleep, buy 22 momme 100% mulberry silk and measure the pillow insert in centimetres. For hair ties, 22 momme in a slim 2 cm band is the everyday piece; 19 momme in a 5 cm band is the fuller overnight shape. For a square you can knot at the neck or on a bag, 14 momme at 65 x 65 cm is light enough to tie.
HZLISY ships from Hangzhou, China. Air delivery to most addresses in North America and Europe is typically 10-15 business days after dispatch. Orders of $50 or more include free air shipping. Checkout does not collect destination import VAT or duty.
Silk reduces friction against hair and skin compared with cotton. It does not grow hair, erase wrinkles, or treat skin disease. Anyone who tells you otherwise is selling a story, not a cloth.
Who this guide is for
You are comparing a $15 "silk" pillowcase with a $100 one and cannot see the difference in the photos. Or you already own a satin scrunchie and want to know whether mulberry silk is worth the swap. Or you found HZLISY, saw 14 / 19 / 22 momme on different products, and want the map before you checkout.
We wrote this for that person. The short pages on this site cover one topic each. This one holds them together.
What mulberry silk actually is
Silk is a fibre. The useful kind for hair and sleep goods is mulberry silk: long, even filaments from domesticated silkworms. The cloth we cut is degummed - the sericin coating is washed off so the face is smooth rather than stiff.
Wild silks (tussah, eri, muga) are still silk. They are shorter, more irregular, and usually the wrong face for a pillowcase you sleep on every night. "Pure silk" on a label can mean any of these. "100% mulberry silk" is the line we print.
Hangzhou is one of China's historic silk centres. HZLISY is the retail shop of Hangzhou Lisiyu Apparel Co., Ltd., founded in Hangzhou in November 2023. We are not a 400-year-old mill, and we do not pretend to be. We use this city's supply base for finished accessories, then write the weight and size on the product page.
If a brand will not name the fibre, the weight, and a place, you are shopping a photograph.
Silk vs satin: the mix-up that still wastes money
Satin is a weave structure with a smooth face and a duller back. You can weave silk as satin. You can also weave polyester, acetate or nylon as satin. When a marketplace title says "silk satin pillowcase" and the fibre line says polyester, you bought satin.
We keep a shorter explainer here: How to tell mulberry silk from polyester satin. The field version is this:
| What you are comparing | 100% mulberry silk | Polyester satin |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A protein fibre | A plastic fibre in a satin weave |
| Label to trust | "100% mulberry silk" plus a momme number | Often "satin," "silk-feel," "silky" |
| Heat and moisture | Absorbs a little moisture; usually cooler overnight | Traps heat; moisture sits on the surface |
| After many washes | Sheen softens; cloth still a fibre | Face dulls, pills, can feel tacky |
| Typical honest price (queen pillowcase, 2026) | Tens of dollars into low hundreds | Pocket money |
A polyester satin scrunchie is not useless. It is cheaper, it is smooth on day one, and it is fine for a child who will lose it. It is the wrong cloth if you want a fibre that breathes and lasts.
We do not sell polyester as mulberry silk.
How to read a silk label in under a minute
Open the product page. Ignore the lifestyle crop. Read four lines.
1. Fibre. Accept only "100% mulberry silk." Walk away from silk-touch, art silk, silk blend (unless the percentages are printed and you still want that blend), and satin with no fibre named.
2. Momme. This is silk's weight standard, not a marketing score. No number usually means the seller hopes you will not ask. Our map: scarves 14 momme, fuller scrunchie 19 momme, slim scrunchie and pillowcases 22 momme. Longer notes: What momme means on HZLISY silk.
3. Grade, if they print one. Our pillowcases are specified as 6A-grade long-strand mulberry silk. That is the mill's filament grade. It is not an OEKO-TEX certificate and it is not a lab report for your customs file. If a shop advertises "7A," be sceptical - 6A is the top of the usual mill ladder.
4. Origin and care. Hangzhou, China is a real answer. "Imported luxury silk" is not. Care should say cool water, no wring, no hot dryer. If the tag says tumble dry hot, the fibre is probably not what the title claims.
Price is a fifth check, not a romantic one. A 22 momme queen pillowcase cannot be sold at takeaway-dinner money once you pay for fibre, cutting, sewing, and air freight. If the number looks impossible, it usually is.
Momme, without the mystique
Momme (mm) is how much silk is in the cloth. Higher momme is denser. Denser is not automatically "better." A 14 momme square knots. A 22 momme pillowcase survives nightly use. Put 22 momme at the neck and it fights you; put 14 momme on a pillow and it wears through.
HZLISY uses three weights on purpose:
| Piece | Momme | Why that weight |
|---|---|---|
| Square scarf, 65 x 65 cm | 14 | Light enough to knot at the neck, in hair, or on a bag |
| Full scrunchie, 5 cm band | 19 | Fuller shape for buns and thicker hair; overnight-friendly volume |
| Slim scrunchie, 2 cm band | 22 | Denser everyday tie for ponytails and half-ups |
| Pillowcase | 22 | Nightly friction surface; Standard / Queen / King in centimetres |
People chase 30 momme because the number is bigger. For a pillowcase you can, if you like the hand. For a scrunchie it is usually wasted weight. Buy the weight that matches the job.
What 6A means - and what it does not
Grade describes how even and long the filament is. 6A is the mill specification we print on sleep pieces.
It does not mean:
- the finished pillowcase was tested to OEKO-TEX Standard 100 (ask us if you need a current test document)
- the product is medical-grade
- lower-momme accessories are "not real silk"
A 14 momme scarf can be honest mulberry silk. It is simply a lighter cloth. Mixing grade and momme in one sentence is how shops confuse buyers. Momme is density. Grade is filament quality. You want both named on a pillowcase. On a scrunchie, fibre + momme is the useful pair.
Scrunchie fibre is not an empty claim on our side: a third-party report (ref. 260565158-2, May 2026) is on file for a mulberry silk scrunchie sample. PDF: Testing.
Hair, skin, and sleep - what the cloth does
Cotton terry and percale grab. A smooth silk filament slides. That is the whole mechanism.
On hair, less grab means fewer kink marks from a tie and less overnight tangle from a pillow. On skin, less grab means the face is not dragging on a coarse weave for eight hours. Silk also takes up a little moisture, which is why it often feels less clammy than polyester satin in a warm room.
What we will not write: silk pillowcases reverse ageing, cure acne, or regrow a hairline. Those lines show up in marketplace copy because they rank. They are not how cloth works, and they are not how we sell.
If you have a diagnosed skin or hair condition, talk to a clinician. A pillowcase is still a pillowcase.
The practical test is boring and reliable. Sleep on 22 momme mulberry silk for two weeks. Wash it once the way the care page says. Then decide if the morning hair and the hand-feel beat cotton. Most people who keep the case are responding to friction and temperature, not to a miracle protein.
The HZLISY edit: what we actually sell
Four finished pieces, two sets. Composition is 100% mulberry silk at the momme on the page. Default colours and closures are listed at checkout; email info@hzlisy.com within 24 hours of an order if you need a different in-stock colour on a set.
Slim scrunchie - 22 momme, 2 cm
Everyday ponytail and half-up. The band is narrow on purpose so it sits close to the hair instead of making a statement doughnut. Fibre test PDF on the Testing page.
Shop: Mulberry silk scrunchie - slim 2 cm
Full scrunchie - 19 momme, 5 cm
Buns, thicker hair, overnight. The extra width is the point; the slightly lower momme keeps the puff from turning into a brick.
Shop: Mulberry silk scrunchie - full 5 cm
Square scarf - 14 momme, 65 x 65 cm
Neck, hair, or bag. 65 cm is the size that still knots without looking like a tablecloth. At $65 it sits well above our $50 free-air-shipping line.
Shop: 14 Momme Silk Square Scarf | 65 x 65 cm
Pillowcase - 22 momme, 6A mill specification
Zipper or envelope. Measure the insert; silk does not stretch like jersey.
| Name you know | HZLISY centimetres |
|---|---|
| Standard | 48 x 74 cm |
| Standard / small | 51 x 66 cm |
| Queen | 51 x 76 cm |
| King | 51 x 91 cm |
Used or unsealed pillowcases cannot be returned. That is hygiene, not fussiness. Size notes: HZLISY pillowcase sizes.
Shop: 22 Momme 6A-Grade 100% Mulberry Silk Pillowcase
Two sets (both above the $50 free-shipping line)
- Everyday Silk Set - slim 22 momme scrunchie + 14 momme scarf. $73.90.
- Sleep Silk Set - 22 momme pillowcase + slim scrunchie. $108.90. Default Queen / zipper / champagne unless you note otherwise.
If you are buying one thing to test the fibre, buy the slim scrunchie. If you already believe the fibre and sleep on cotton, buy the pillowcase in the size you measured.
How we tell real silk from the fake (without burning the good case)
Do these in order. Stop when you are sure.
Label. 100% mulberry silk + momme. Missing momme is the usual tell.
Hand and temperature. Real silk warms in the hand, then settles. Polyester satin stays the same slightly plastic cool. Real silk has a quiet rustle (old word: scroop). Satin squeaks.
Light. Tilt it. Mulberry silk shifts - a soft, pearly change of tone. Polyester throws one hard shine from every angle.
Water (on a seam allowance, not the face of a new pillow). A drop sits, then eases in. On polyester it often beads.
Burn, only on a spare thread, over a sink. Silk smells like burnt hair and leaves crushable ash. Polyester melts to a hard bead and smells like chemicals. Do not test the pillow you plan to sleep on.
None of these replace a fibre lab. They stop you paying silk money for satin.
Care that does not ruin the cloth
Cool water. Silk or pH-neutral detergent. No bleach, no fabric softener, no wringing, no hot dryer. Press water out in a towel. Dry flat or hang away from strong sun. Iron on low while slightly damp, with a cloth, if you must.
Machine wash is allowed on a delicate cycle in a mesh bag, if you accept a little more wear. Hand wash is gentler. Full page: Silk Care.
The fastest way to kill a pillowcase is a hot dryer. The second is sleeping in earrings that catch the weave.
Shipping from Hangzhou, returns, and the fee nobody puts in the hero banner
Orders leave Hangzhou by air. Most addresses in North America and Europe see 10-15 business days after dispatch. Tracking follows when the carrier scan exists. Estimates are not promised arrival dates. Customs and holidays add time.
Free air shipping at $50 and over. Under $50, a flat $10 air fee.
Checkout collects product price and shipping. It does not collect your country's import VAT, GST or duty. Those bills, if any, come from local customs. Check your de minimis threshold before you order if surprise fees annoy you.
Unused items in original condition: 7 days from delivery, you pay return shipping unless we shipped the wrong thing or a defective one. Used pillowcases: no. Policy: Shipping & Returns.
Payment is PayPal, including card checkout where PayPal offers guest pay. We do not ask for card numbers by email.
A 60-second buying checklist
- Fibre says 100% mulberry silk.
- Momme is printed and matches the use (14 scarf / 19 or 22 scrunchie / 22 pillowcase).
- Pillowcase size is in centimetres you measured, not a vibe.
- Grade 6A, if present, is treated as mill spec, not a health certificate.
- Origin is a place. Hangzhou is ours.
- Care matches silk. Hot-dry instructions are a warning.
- Price can support fibre + sewing + air freight.
- Return rules for used sleep goods are written down.
If a listing fails two of these, close the tab.
Frequently asked questions
Is HZLISY real mulberry silk?
Yes. Pieces are 100% mulberry silk at the momme printed on each product page. We do not sell polyester "silk-feel" fabric as mulberry silk. Pillowcases are 22 momme with a 6A mill specification. A scrunchie fibre report (260565158-2, May 2026) is on the Testing page.
What momme should I buy?
Buy 22 momme for a pillowcase you will sleep on. Buy 22 momme for a slim everyday scrunchie, 19 momme for a fuller 5 cm scrunchie, and 14 momme for a 65 cm square scarf. Match weight to the job; a bigger number is not a personality.
Is silk better than satin for hair?
Silk is a fibre. Satin is a weave. A silk satin exists, but most "satin pillowcases" are polyester. Both can feel smooth. Only mulberry silk is a natural filament that takes up a little moisture and usually sleeps cooler. We still do not claim medical hair results.
How do I choose a silk pillowcase size?
Measure the insert. Our map is Standard 48 x 74 cm, Standard/small 51 x 66 cm, Queen 51 x 76 cm, King 51 x 91 cm. Silk does not stretch. A short case crushes the pillow; a long one bunches.
How do I wash a mulberry silk pillowcase?
Cool water, mild silk or pH-neutral detergent, no wring, no bleach, no hot dryer. Mesh bag on delicate if you machine-wash. Dry away from strong sun. See Silk Care.
Do you ship from Hangzhou to the US and Europe?
Yes. Dispatch is from Hangzhou, China, by air. Typical delivery is 10-15 business days after dispatch to most North American and European addresses. Free air shipping on orders over $50. Import charges may apply in your country.
What does 6A-grade silk mean on HZLISY pillowcases?
It is the mill's filament grade for those sleep pieces. It is not OEKO-TEX and not a substitute for a destination-market lab report. Email info@hzlisy.com before you order if import testing is required.
Can I return a silk pillowcase?
Unused, original condition, within 7 days of delivery, after you email the order number. Used, washed, or unsealed cases cannot be returned.
If you want one next step
Read the product page for the piece you will actually use this week. The spec block is the honest part.
Start here: Why Silk | Shop | About
Questions the page does not answer: info@hzlisy.com
HZLISY - Hangzhou Lisiyu Apparel Co., Ltd., Hangzhou, China. Journal updated September 2026.
Where to go next in the collection
If you want to apply this guide directly, the three pieces that cover most of it are the 22 momme mulberry silk pillowcase in your insert size, the 14 momme 65 x 65 cm square scarf, and the 22 momme slim scrunchie. Sizing detail is in the pillowcase size guide, weight detail in what momme means, and the fibre test in our lab report.