The History

No material in modern skincare has a longer track record. In fact, Copper appears in the oldest medical texts in existence, with every major civilisation that encountered it recording the same outcomes.

Records of copper as an antimicrobial and skin-healing agent appear in both the Edwin Smith Papyrus (c. 2600-2200 BC) and the Ebers Papyrus (c. 1550 BC), placing it among the earliest documented medicines in history. [1] Around 400 BC, Hippocrates used copper preparations to treat leg ulcers and skin conditions. [2]

Across the ancient world, the pattern repeated independently. Sumerian cultures (c. 4000-2300 BC) used pulverised malachite for general medicinal purposes. Egyptian cultures applied copper to eye infections and postoperative wounds. The Ayurvedic practice of storing water in copper vessels, known as tamra jal, was documented in Indian culture from approximately 2800 BC, used to purify drinking water. Chinese healers applied copper sulfate and sulfide topically for skin and eye diseases and administered it orally for systemic infections. Mayan, Aztec, and Inca surgeons used copper sulfate solution to disinfect wounds from trepanation surgery, with estimated survival rates exceeding 50%. Ancient Greek physicians used copper preparations for pulmonary, gastrointestinal, and cutaneous conditions, and copper bracelets for arthritis. [3]

Perhaps the most striking physical demonstration of copper's antimicrobial power: archaeologists at the Neolithic site of Mehrgarh, Pakistan, discovered cotton threads preserved inside cylindrical copper beads. The fibres survived for 8,000 to 9,000 years solely because of the copper's antimicrobial properties and the resulting mineralisation process. Without the copper, they would have decomposed entirely. [4]

The Biology

Modern science has mapped the mechanisms that those ancient practitioners observed by effect. Copper acts on skin in two distinct ways: it kills pathogens on contact, and it actively drives skin repair and regeneration. Both of those functions are delivered nightly by a copper-releasing pillowcase.

Antimicrobial action

Copper ions carry a positive charge. Bacterial cell membranes carry a negative charge. On contact, copper ions bind electrostatically to the membrane, disrupt the cell's charge balance, deform its structure, and kill it. [5] This mechanism does not trigger bacterial resistance the way conventional antibiotics do, which is part of why copper's antimicrobial record has remained consistent across millennia.

Copper vs. silver

In a study of 20 patients who had not responded to silver wound dressings, treatment with copper dressings produced a mean wound area reduction approximately 2.4 times greater than silver had achieved. [7]

Copper pillowcases: the delivery mechanism and what it produces

The mechanism is well established. Copper oxide particles embedded in pillowcase fibres act as a slow-release reservoir, releasing copper ions at low levels into the natural moisture between the face and the fabric during sleep. Those ions are then absorbed through the intact skin. [10] This is not a theoretical pathway. Copper absorption through intact skin has been confirmed in the literature, and the clinical outcomes across multiple trials are exactly what you would predict from what we know copper does inside the skin.

What copper does, once absorbed, is substantial. It stimulates dermal fibroblast proliferation, the growth of the primary building cells of skin. [6] It increases synthesis of type I, II, and V collagen, elastin, and fibrillin. [6, 7] It serves as a cofactor of lysyl oxidase (LOX), the enzyme that cross-links collagen and elastin in the extracellular matrix, which is what gives skin its firmness and resistance to sagging. [7] It acts as a cofactor of superoxide dismutase, protecting skin cells from free radical damage and inhibiting lipid peroxidation. [7] It regulates TGF-beta1, a protein central to maintaining skin homeostasis. [6]

An ex vivo study exposing human skin explants to copper ions at physiologically relevant concentrations quantified these effects directly. Elastin concentrations increased by approximately 100% within a single day of exposure. Pro-collagen 1 concentrations increased by approximately 20%. TGF-beta1 levels rose 2 to 4 times over four to six days of exposure. None of these changes were observed in control explants. [A]

The clinical outcomes across multiple independent double-blind, placebo-controlled trials confirm what that biology predicts.

In a 2009 study, 57 healthy volunteers aged 40 to 60 used copper oxide pillowcases or control pillowcases for four weeks. Expert grading by a dermatologist and cosmetologist found statistically significant reductions in wrinkles, crow's feet, and fine lines at both two and four weeks (p<0.001), as well as significant improvement in general skin appearance (p<0.001) in the copper group. No such changes occurred in the control group. [8]

A 2012 study extended this to eight weeks with 61 volunteers aged 30 to 60. Skin surface was measured using 3D imaging equipment (PRIMOS system) at baseline, four weeks, and eight weeks. Three separate roughness parameters improved in the copper group at both four and eight weeks (p<0.02). The average reduction in wrinkle depth was approximately 9% per month. No adverse reactions were recorded. [8]

A 2016 study of 45 women aged 37 to 54 examined whether copper oxide pillowcases produced skin lifting and brightness improvements in addition to wrinkle reduction. After four weeks, the copper group showed statistically significant skin lifting on the cheek (p=0.039) and eye area (p=0.001). Skin brightness increased at two weeks (p=0.024) and four weeks (p=0.008). No significant changes occurred in the control group across any of these measures. [B]

Copper is also one of the weakest contact sensitisers among metal compounds. Applications containing up to 20% metallic copper have produced no adverse reactions or toxicity in clinical testing. Copper is currently used in dental amalgams and intrauterine devices at far higher exposure levels than topical use involves. [7]

So how does Sleepy Face work?

Sleepy Face pillowcases are made from a proprietary, patented bamboo fibre with copper ions impregnated directly into the material. The fibre is smoother than silk.

The bamboo creates a breathable, gentle contact surface. The copper ions deliver antimicrobial, collagen-stimulating, and skin-regenerating activity across every hour of sleep, without creams, without effort, and without washing out.

Bryan Johnson, founder of Blueprint, the most documented personal longevity protocol in the world, lists a copper pillowcase as part of his optimised sleep environment. His published protocol states: "Curate your sleep environment. Invest in a comfortable mattress and pillows. I have a copper pillowcase." [9]

References

[A] Ogen-Shtern N, Chumin K, Cohen G, Borkow G. Increased pro-collagen 1, elastin, and TGF-beta1 expression by copper ions in an ex-vivo human skin model. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology. 2019. doi:10.1111/jocd.13186.

[B] Borkow G, Elias AC. Facial skin lifting and brightening following sleep on copper oxide containing pillowcases. Cosmetics. 2016; 3:24.

[2] Hippocrates, ancient Greek medical writings (c. 400 BC).

[3] Borkow G, Gabbay J. Copper, an ancient remedy returning to fight microbial, fungal and viral infections. Curr Chem Biol. 2009. PMC4556990.

[4] Neolithic site of Mehrgarh, Pakistan. Archaeological evidence cited in: Rigo C et al. Dermatology and Therapy. 2025.

[5] Rigo C et al. Copper and zinc as modulators of the wound healing process. Dermatology and Therapy. Springer. 2025. doi:10.1007/s13555-025-01575-z.

[6] International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2024. PMC11011755.

[7] Borkow G, Gabbay J. Copper, an ancient remedy returning to fight microbial, fungal and viral infections. Curr Chem Biol. 2009. PMC4556990.

[8] Borkow G, Gabbay J, Lyakhovitsky A, Huszar M. Improvement of facial skin characteristics using copper oxide containing pillowcases. International Journal of Cosmetic Science. 2009; 31(6):437-443. // Baek JH, Yoo MA, Koh JS, Borkow G. Reduction of facial wrinkles depth by sleeping on copper oxide-containing pillowcases. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology. 2012; 11:193-200.

[9] Bryan Johnson. Blueprint Protocol: Sleep. blueprint.bryanjohnson.com/blogs/news/bryan-johnsons-protocol.

[10] Borkow G, Elias AC. Cosmetics. 2016; 3:24. (slow-release mechanism).[1] Edwin Smith Papyrus (c. 2600-2200 BC); Ebers Papyrus (c. 1550 BC). As cited in Borkow G, Gabbay J. Copper as a biocidal tool. Curr Med Chem. 2005.