Courtesy of Sleep&Glow
We’re always looking for new ways to battle premature and unwarranted wrinkles. From facial exercises to creams and treatments, our lastest find arrives in the shape of a pillow. Not your average sleep partner, the founder of Sleep&Glow Anna Polupanova set out to create a way to banish the sleep wrinkle. She tells us more.
Why did you decide to create Sleep&Glow?
One day, as a heavy side sleeper I noticed vertical wrinkles on my face. I went for a new round of fillers to my cosmetologist and discovered that the vertical lines were sleep wrinkles from sleeping on my side and squishing my face every night. I also learned that fillers or Botox would not be effective against sleep wrinkles unless I would change the way I slept. Botox for example ‘freezes’ face muscles to avoid expression wrinkles. But it does nothing against skin deformation and twisting when sleeping on the side or stomach. An average female head weighs around 5kg and all that weight presses face skin against the pillow. Botox cannot stop that from happening every night. The idea occurred to me – what if there would be a pillow for side-sleepers, which would minimize skin indentation and yet be comfy during sleep?
The alternatives on the market were not up to my standards. Some beauty pillows were just too uncomfortable to sleep on and did not respect orthopaedic principles of correct sleep positioning. Others claimed they were ‘beauty’ pillow, but in reality, they didn’t prevent skin from deformation during sleep. There is also a big hype about silk pillowcases and their anti-aging benefits. It is true that they may help reduce skin friction against the pillowcase fabric. However, a female head weighs around 5kg and if a lady sleeps on the side or stomach no pillowcase, even the silk one, can stop gravitation and skin deformation.
How does the Sleep&Glow pillow differ from your normal one?
The Sleep&Glow pillow has a patented 3D shape which helps fight against sleep wrinkles and morning puffiness. It also has a neck supporting bolster to provide a healthy neck and spine alignment. All ordinary and orthopedic pillows are not designed to avoid skin deformation when sleeping on the side. Usually, orthopedic pillows do have healthy neck support, but ordinary pillows filled with down, feathers or polyester fiber don’t.
Talk to us about the silhouette of the pillow?
The key feature of the pillow is the side cradles into which the face should be positioned during sleep on the side. The cradles support the head in the area of the chin and forehead while keeping cheek, eye and nose skin ‘floating in the air’. This is how the skin is not deformed and twisted during sleep. Another key feature is the transition between the head positing zone and the central head cradle. Multiple customers have praised the Sleep&Glow pillow for having helped them learn how to sleep on their backs. Finally, the front bolster provides neck support for a healthy neck and spine alignment during sleep.
What are sleep wrinkles?
Sleep wrinkles are vertical lines caused by repetitive facial skin compression when sleeping on the side or stomach. The areas most susceptible to sleep wrinkles are the forehead and the skin around the eyes, nose, and lips. Over time, sleep wrinkles don’t disappear in the morning but can turn into permanent wrinkles. Sleep wrinkles can worsen existing expression wrinkles, as the skin affected during sleep is usually creased along existing expression lines. The delicate skin around the eyes and lips is especially vulnerable to increased wrinkles caused by sleeping with a regular pillow. Sleeping on the back is the best sleep position helping to avoid sleep wrinkles, but according to the British Sleep Society, 69% of people prefer sleeping on their side. The Sleep&Glow pillow was created to help side sleepers prevent and fight sleep wrinkles.
How do they differ from normal wrinkles?
When we smile or frown, expression wrinkles are caused by repetitive facial muscle contraction. Expression wrinkles can be successfully corrected with injections, like Botox, or with hyaluronic, acid-based fillers. The injections either ‘freeze’ the face muscles (e.g. Botox) or fill in the ‘empty spaces’ under the wrinkled skin. These are mechanisms to treat expression wrinkles. When it comes to sleep wrinkles, skin indentation and twisting during sleep can last for hours. ‘Freezing’ face muscles won’t do much to avoid the skin deformation, while the fillers may provide a very short-term solution, if at all.
Why do you advise using silk pillowcases?
Silk has many unique benefits, which include not absorbing moisture or creams from the face, reducing hair breakage and tangling and maintaining a lower temperature than other fabrics, which is beneficial for the skin. The Sleep&Glow silk pillowcase is specially-tailored for the shape of the pillow, which is why its fabric is not stretched inside the side cradles leading to minimum skin friction against the fabric. It’s important to note that silk or satin pillowcases on their own may reduce friction between the skin and the pillow, but they cannot eliminate the pressure of a 5kg head causing skin indentation and eventually sleep wrinkles. Claims that silk or satin pillowcases fight sleep wrinkles are not true.
What advice do you have for people who move around a lot in their sleep?
The Sleep&Glow pillow has two face cradles for side sleeping and one head cradle for back sleeping, which allow people to toss and turn during the night and yet sleep in the right position to fight and avoid sleep wrinkles and morning puffiness.
How long does it take to get used to sleeping on the Sleep&Glow pillow?
Most people get used to sleeping on the Sleep&Glow pillow after a few nights. Sometimes it takes up to two weeks. Overall, 92% of customers find the pillow comfortable and effective.
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