Two friends are seeing their business skyrocket after launching a unique pillow that they claim reduces the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and folds.
Hannah McCann and Renata Belperio felt their 30s were catching up with them and they were tired of waking up every morning looking groggy and with wrinkles on their faces from sleeping on ordinary pillows.
They also constantly battled puffy eyes, found their eyelash extensions had fallen out overnight, and spent hundreds of dollars trying to fix their problems.
‘These lines were taking longer and longer to disappear over the course of the day. Then we did some research, tried everything on the market to help us look a little fresher in the morning, but nothing seemed to work,” the Brisbane duo told FEMAIL.
Taking matters into their own hands, they set to work designing their own unique pillowcase to address the issue they were both facing, pouring their life savings into the idea.
In March 2022, the Beauty Sleep Co was born, selling satin pillowcases and soft pillows, billing $5,000 in one day.
Hannah McCann (left, 31) and Renata Belperio (right, 32) co-founded Beauty Sleep Co in March 2022, selling “anti-aging” pillowcases, despite having no prior business experience.
The pillow and pillowcase have a “unique design” with moon cutouts on each side to limit pressure around the delicate eye and face area while you sleep.
While the business was only officially launched 12 months ago, the couple began developing the idea before the pandemic hit Australia while working full-time corporate jobs.
“We have no background in beauty or e-commerce, but we spent years researching and educating ourselves on beauty do’s and don’ts,” they said.
Hannah and Renata say the pillow and sham have a “unique design” with moon cutouts on each side to limit pressure around the delicate eye and face area while you sleep.
This is said to help minimize fine lines and sleep creases that become permanent over time and helps you wake up without puffy eyes.
“It can be really difficult to correct these sleep wrinkles with injectables and other treatments, as they build up over years and years, so prevention is best!” said the duo.
The products also prevent lashes from pressing and pulling overnight and keep hair soft.
The Selene Pillow, made from a blend of microfiber and shredded memory foam, is $148, while the cruelty-free satin Selene Pillowcase is just $36.
Melbourne mom and fashion icon Rozalia Russian also endorsed the product on social media, leading to a rapid spike in sales.
Before and after pictures from a customer show the results of sleeping on the soft pillowcase, leaving skin wrinkle-free (right)
And while silk pillowcases have been all the rage for the past two years, Hannah and Renata say they don’t “do enough” to reduce facial lines and wrinkles.
“The average head weighs as much as a bowling ball, so a silk pillowcase will do nothing to stop that kind of pressure against your face that causes sleep wrinkles when sleeping on your side,” they said.
“They were also falling apart so quickly because of the nature of the fabric and then we found out the way they are produced and were horrified.”
This may come as a surprise to some, but traditional silk pillows are made using a process in which approximately 3,000 silkworms are boiled alive in their cocoons to yield just 250 grams of silk. We knew we had to find an ethical alternative.’
For comparison, Beauty Sleep Co products are cruelty free.
But running a business from scratch isn’t easy, and the two have faced some stressful bumps along the way, including a stressful sampling process.
But running a business from scratch isn’t easy, and the two have faced some stressful bumps along the way.
“We lost a LOT of money on our first container of stock as our original manufacturer changed materials to a lower quality at the last minute,” they recall.
“As the lockdowns were in full swing during our sourcing phase, we were unable to visit our warehouse. We had spent a lot of time undergoing quality control and sampling from afar and did not place an order because we were so committed to producing a perfect product.
“When our first order arrived, it was nothing like what we expected – we were so heartbroken and didn’t think we could go ahead and order again.”
Hannah and Renata have also found themselves working all hours of the night, often ending the day with a midnight margarita.
But despite the painful sampling process, they produced the perfect product. Today, Hannah works in the business full time, while Renata still has her job in human resources.
The Selene pillow, made from a blend of microfiber and shredded memory foam, is $148, while the cruelty-free satin Selene pillowcase is just $36. Both products are cruelty-free
In the future, Hannah and Renata hope to shake up the beauty industry with their products, and customers have already left positive feedback.
‘A friend recommended this pillow for sleep apnea. Now I can have a perfect sleep because the design of the pillow does not interfere with the mask. It also feels silky smooth on the beard. Worth every penny, happy days/nights!’ one wrote on the website.
‘Best pillow ever! In love with my pillow, and will be buying more for the whole family. Treat yourself! another wrote.
‘I can’t tell you how much I love this pillow. For years I have searched for the perfect pillow, and this is perfect! The shape is so comfortable and I swear I fall asleep faster! The only problem is my family keeps trying to fight me over it, I think we will all have one soon,” added a third.
