If you're considering investing in anti-wrinkle creams or Botox injections to transform your face, it might be better to sleep on the problem.

Researchers have developed a copper oxide pillow case, designed to iron out lines and crow's feet.

In tests, those who used it for only four weeks had fewer wrinkles and lines than those with conventional bedding, the manufacturers say.

Beauty sleep: The copper oxide pillow case is said to reduce wrinkles and crows feet and the range includes gloves and a mask

Jeffrey Gabbay is the owner of the Cupron company, which used its expertise in making copper medical dressings to develop the pillow case along with a range of other copper sleep accessories including gloves and eye shields.

He said: 'The surgeon doing our wound-healing trial remarked how an increase in collagen was helping to heal wounds.

'We wondered if it might work on fixing wrinkles and lines on the face.

'So we had some copper woven pillows made up and noticed that over a few days of lying on a copper pillow lines on the face started to soften.'

Clinical trials, supervised by a dermatologist, were carried out on 57 volunteers for four weeks.

The volunteers were given either an anti-wrinkle pillow, which feels no different from normal fabric, or a similar conventional pillow.

By the end of the trial, those sleeping on copper pillows were statistically more likely to have experienced a reduction in the appearance of wrinkles.

Mr Gabbay, a textile scientist who runs his firm from Israel, said: 'It has been the most fantastic discovery.

'The fabric has an impact on all lines but is best at ironing out the finer lines.'

The researchers believe that moisture from the skin releases copper ions  -  charged atoms  -  from the pillow cases which stimulate the production of collagen below the surface of the skin.

As we grow older, collagen production slows down, causing skin to be less taut and allowing wrinkles and lines to develop.

So far the company has sold about 10,000 pillow cases on line in the U.S. for around £17 each, and hopes to launch its products in the UK.

Dr David Fenton, a Londonbased dermatologist, described the pillow as 'interesting'.

But he added: 'I would like to see a lot more independent, published research into its effects before people rush out and buy one.'