Cocoon Apothecary Skin Care Starter Kit | Review

I have sensitive skin; in my youth, I had been to the dermatologist before the age of 10 and I rarely test out new skin care products for fear of adverse reactions. That said, when given the opportunity to test out the Cocoon Apothecary Skin Care Starter Kit, made from organic, eco-friendly products, all I needed was assurance that the products were appropriate for sensitive skin, and I was sold.

When the box arrived, it was beautiful; a small unbleached cardboard box, tied with a simple ribbon and a fluttering butterfly. I almost didn't want to open the box and delve into my goodies.

Step one is the Petal Purity Facial Cleanser, which felt light on my skin, but effectively cleaned my face of the days' grime with extracts of and lavender and geranium, without leaving my skin feeling tight and dry.

Step two of the Cocoon Apothecary regime is the Rose Dew Facial Toner, which takes advantage of the natural astringent properties of witch hazel and combines them with rose hydrosol to calm the skin and reduce irritation.

The third and final step was the very rich and creamy Rosey Cheeks Facial Cream, which is 'packed with antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids to support elasticity, promote collagen production and fight free-radical damage'.

The Cocoon Apothecary products are strongly rose scented, and I was extremely cautious during the first few applications of the product, as scented products rarely work for me. Fortunately, I had no redness or irritation as a result of using the products, in fact, my skin feels softer after a month of use and I no longer have dry, dull spots on my cheeks. A little bit of product goes a long way, so the 3.3 oz bottles of product in the starter kit feel like they are going to last a long time.

 Our skin is the largest and most visible organ in the body and if we think, even for just a moment, that it doesn't matter what products we use on our skin, we are certainly fooling ourselves. Cocoon Apothecary is bringing nature back to us and I for one am loving the softness I'm feeling after using their products.

Cocoon Apothecary Skincare Products are available at select stores and online on their website, Well.ca and Amazon.ca.

I received product in exchange for this review, however all opinions are my own.

Soapwalla Body Oil & Deodorant Cream Review & Coupon Code

I have always had sensitive skin, as a child I would frequently have red, inflamed and itchy skin.  I was around 8 when I first went to the dermatologist, he told me to wash my face with distilled water and that I should use Cetaphil as a cleanser.  To this day, I still use Cetaphil, it is the only product that I can consistently use on my face without breaking out in acne or a rash.  I've only ever had one facial, for fear of a skin reaction, and sadly it didn't go well.

That being said, I am older and wiser now and am always on the look-out for high quality natural skin care products.  I am always cautious when I try a new product and occasionally I find something fantastic.  I recently had the opportunity to test out some Soapwalla products, for the purposes of this review, and was more than impressed.

Soapwalla is created by the Soapwalla Chef, Rachel in the comfort of her home, using organic, food-grade ingredients and pure essential oils.  The products were borne out of necessity, as Rachel also had trouble finding products for her sensitive skin.  When I asked her how she learned about making personal care products, she informed me that just like I would have done, she scoured the internet, bookstores and libraries, reading everything she could and watching every video she could get her hands on before starting Soapwalla.  Gotta love a resourceful woman!!

I had the opportunity to try out the Soapwalla Luxiurious Moisturizing Body Oil and the Soapwalla Deodorant Cream.  Soapwalla Luxurious Mouisturizing body oil is all natural, vegan and smells absolutely amazing.  It's not too floral (that would make me sneeze) and not too citrusy, its just slightly sweet and left me sniffing my hands after applying it on the boy.  I used the body oil primarily on the boy's scalp; it is very dry and prone to eczema, if I don't moisturize before bed each night, he will have a very flaky and itchy scalp in the  morning.  Unlike straight grapeseed oil (which I often use) the Soapwalla moisturizing oil didn't leave the boy's hair greasy and seemed to absorb quickly. 

I have tried various natural deodorants, including a salt rock, but they've never really been strong enough to take care of my sweat and odour.  I don't sweat profusley, but unlike many people I know, I do sweat. Soapwalla Deodorant Cream "utilizes superfine vegetable powders, clays, and lavender, peppermint and tea tree essential oils to absorb moisture, inhibit bacteria, and ensure a long-lasting and highly effective experience."

Soapwalla Deodorant Cream smells minty and delicious, is vegan and free from chemicals, aluminum and petroleum, so you can feel good about slathering it on your armpits and let me assure you, you will need to slather it on.  The first few days I wore Soapwalla deodorant cream, I started to find that I had the slight stench of sweat as the day came to a close, but after generously applying it to the entire armpit (as suggested by Rachel) I found that it was much more effective, apparently I had been a little stingy with the product the first few days.

Overall, I found that both Soapwalla Luxurious Moisturizing Body Oil and Deodorant Cream I tested out lived up to their claims, smelled great and worked well.  Rachel was super helpful and happy to provide any additional information or guidance I needed.  I had a great experience with Soapwalla and rate them a 4.5/5.

Coupon Code:

Want to try out some Soapwalla Products? Save 10% off your purchase (valid through July 15) by entering coupon code MSB10 in the comments section on the Etsy purchase page.

Benefits of Essential Oils:

Rachel was kind enough to provide the following details about the benefits of some of the essential oils used in the Soapwalla Luxurious Mouisturizing Body Oil and Soapwalla Deodorant Cream.  As a knowledge junky, I found this information very useful, I hope you do too.

Lavender: renowned for its skin healing properties and antiseptic properties. Benefits a host of skin conditions, including eczema, psoriasis, rashes, scars, etc.

Tea tree: an incredibly potent antibacterial and antiseptic oil. Tea tree is unique in that it is active against all three varieties of infectious organisms -- bacteria, fungi and viruses. Heals skin rashes, balances oily skin, reduces dandruff.

Evening primrose: a rich source of gamma linoleic acid, an Omega 6 fatty acid that has anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects. Anti-aging, nourishes and balances the skin.

Carrot seed: Remedies and moisturizes dry, mature, or wrinkled skin. Some believe that it removes wrinkles and rejuvenates the skin by removing toxins. Reduces skin irritation and balances redness.

Sea Buckthorn: A miracle oil, typically used to treat sun-damaged skin, ulcerations, scar tissue, wrinkles, eczema, burns, etc. Some small studies have proven its ability to combat wrinkles, acute dryness and other symptoms of prematurely aged skin.

Rosehip Seed: rich in Vitamin A, essential fatty acids, linoleic and linolenic acids, and Vitamin E, all of which reduce pore size, diminish the effects of skin aging and result in firmer, smoother, and more youthful skin with greater elasticity.

Jojoba: Jojoba oil is actually a wax,  not an oil, and absorbs easily into the skin. Jojoba is also non-allergenic and non-comedogenic (non-clogging), which makes it ideal for those with sensitive skin as it won't irritate the skin. 

Lemongrass: tones skin and acts as a gentle antiseptic. It's a natural insect repellent and can reduce headache and other muscular pain.