Medical clinical research data confirm the anti-dryness and irritation efficacy of silk sleep gloves. According to a randomized controlled trial (sample size n=240) published in the Journal Dermatological Treatment in 2023, patients with atopic dermatitis who continuously used silk gloves for sleeping for 4 weeks The transdermal water loss (TEWL) of the skin decreased by 38.2% compared with the control group (the instrument measurement value decreased from 15.3 g/m²/h to 9.5 g/m²/h), and the water content of the stratum corneum increased by 32% (the Corneometer value increased from 42AU to 55AU). This improvement mechanism originates from the multi-level structure of silk fibers: The capillary network composed of its 1.5μm pore diameters (with a density of up to 500 roots /mm²) can form a directional water delivery system, controlling the sweat evaporation rate at 0.18ml/cm²/h (0.25 for cotton gloves), and maintaining the relative humidity of the skin surface within a stable range of 55%±5% (under the condition of environmental humidity fluctuations of 20%-60%). Tests of the bionic skin model in L ‘Oreal’s laboratory have shown that the combination of 18 amino acids in silk protein can increase the rate of skin barrier repair by 27% (shortening the healing cycle from 14 days to 10.2 days).
Empirical evidence in materials science reveals its advantages in friction mechanics. The test of ASTM D1894 standard shows that the coefficient of kinetic friction of mulberry silk is only 0.19±0.02 (0.48±0.05 for cotton fiber). During the 8-hour sleep process, the frequency of hand friction is reduced by 0.8 times per minute (2.1 times for cotton), directly reducing the risk of mechanical irritation injury by 67%. Sleep monitoring by the Swiss Institute for Thermal Engineering in 2024 revealed that the thermal resistance of silk gloves reached 0.06 m²K/W (15% higher than that of cotton), combined with a thermal conductivity of 0.04W/(m·K), which compressed the temperature fluctuation range of the hand to ±1.3℃ (±4.5℃ for cotton) at a room temperature of 22℃. Avoid abnormal activity of sweat glands caused by body temperature imbalance (a 42% reduction in abnormal sweating volume). In actual cases, clinical data from Shiseido in Japan shows that consumers who used its patented sericin protein-coated gloves reported a reduction in the frequency of nocturnal itching attacks from 3.2 times per hour to 0.7 times per hour (a reduction rate of 78.1%), and 89% of users stopped using topical hormone ointations (with an average annual reduction in drug spending of $145).
The microbial control performance was quantitatively verified in the laboratory. The antibacterial test of ISO 20743 standard confirmed that the 24-hour antibacterial rate of sericin against Staphylococcus aureus reached 91.5% (only 30.2% for cotton fabrics), and the proportion of fungal growth area was controlled at 3.2% (27.5% for cotton). This biosafety was materialized in the clinical trial at the Royal Free Hospital in London in 2025: After eczema patients used silk gloves for sleeping, the colony-forming units (CFU) in the lesion area decreased from 2.8×10³ per square centimeter to 3.5×10² (reduction rate 87.5%), and the frequency of seeking medical treatment for secondary infections decreased by 73% (annual medical expenditure savings of $312). A survey by market research firm Mintel shows that in winter when the environmental humidity is lower than 40%, the incidence of skin cracking among silk glove users is only 8.7% (34.5% for cotton users).
The economic benefit model confirms its cost advantage. Although the initial purchase cost was 25-40 (5-15 for cotton), the retention rate of moisture retention performance of silk gloves after 600 washes was still 82% (28% for cotton), and the daily cost calculated based on a 3-year service life was only 0.03 (0.07 for cotton). The life cycle assessment of the Heinstein Institute in Germany shows that the carbon footprint of high-quality mulberry silk gloves during the manufacturing stage is 0.8kg CO2e/ pair (which can be reduced to 0.5kg with regenerated silk technology), which is 33% lower than the 1.2kg of cotton products. The 2024 financial report of Silk Therapeutics disclosed that its silk sleep gloves product line contributed 32% of the company’s profits (with a marginal profit margin of 58%), and the customer repurchase rate reached 47.3% (the industry average of 21%). This virtuous cycle is driving technological iteration – the newly launched nanofilament interweaving process has increased the fiber strength to 2.5cN/dtex (traditional filament 1.8cN/dtex), extending the product’s service life to 40 months and continuously consolidating its technological moat in the field of improving dry and irritating skin.