Jasmine Silk - Silk Beauty Cocoons

Having been introduced to silk pillowcases, I will never ever go back to resting my head on anything else. I don't even think I ever could. I am a bit of an insomniac at times and I need my comforts, I don't like pillows that get hot, I like cool pillows and the coolness of the silk is really comforting.

The lovely people over at Jasmine Silk, a family run company who was founded in 1982, and is a world leader in finest quality silk.  Their range of products includes absolutely everything you can think of from silk filled duvets, pillows, mattress toppers, and silk blankets and even popular beauty accessories like silk eye masks and silk gloves. Aside from a brand new black silk pillowcase, which is just divine to sleep on, I was intrigued by the Silk Beauty Cocoons, which I have seen before but had never used until now.

It is said that in ancient times, Chinese princesses were renowned for their beautiful and youthful appearance and that the secret behind their smooth complexion was due to the fact that they cleansed and massaged their face with silk beauty cocoons. These Silk Beauty Cocoons are currently on offer for just £7.50 which is incredible and you bet I have ordered another set.

If you didn't know, Silk cocoons contain something called the protein sericin, this is an important moisturising element found in anti-ageing creams and serums. When you gently massage your face with these cocoons, they release the sericin while at the same time, the textured surface of the cocoon gently exfoliates to create a strong anti-oxidant effect.

These beauty cocoons can also help to promote metabolism and they nourish the skin to leave it feeling soft and radiant. Having spent the last 18 months mostly working from home being sat in front of the laptop for more hours than I like to admit, my skin hasn't been its usual self. I am still lucky that I don't suffer from breakouts, have never had acne or anything similar, but my skin can look dull and lifeless, I do have the beginnings of lines and wrinkles and I do have combination oily skin which means I have that mid-afternoon shiny face. Products such as these Silk Beauty Cocoons are said to be particularly effective for pores and around the oily t-zone area of the nose and forehead.

To use them couldn't be simpler and because they come packaged inside their own organiza bag, I hang mine in the bathroom off the cupboard door, mainly so I don't forget to use them or I put them away and then forget I have them. Firstly, as with other products, you need to remove all makeup, skincare, sun care and anything else that might be lurking on your skin with a good cleansing of the face, having done that, you place one of the Cocoons onto the end of your fingertip as shown below.

Then, dampen the cocoon with warm water, don't soak it through and then apply it to your face, neck and and décolletage using small circular motions, pretty much as though you are applying a physical exfoliating cream, lotion or other product.  On the skin, the silk cocoons are really gentle, you can hardly feel that they are there, but they do an incredible job at exfoliating the skin without being overly abrasive.  After using them, which I have been doing at least once a week, my skin feels as smooth as it would do using other exfoliating products.

Each Silk Beauty Cocoon can be used twice, after using, I pop mine onto my bathroom shelf to dry and then I will use it again.  It is worth noting that each package from Jasmine Silk contains around 20 of the Silk Beauty Cocoons and if you are planning to go away anywhere and want to cut down on the number of products you put into your bag, these are an amazing addition and are naturally lightweight, so plenty of room for adding other much needed and loved products in.

You can find these Jasmine Silk, Silk Beauty Cocoons right here and if they are something you have always wondered about, have wanted to try or like me, curiosity for the better of you, then grab then quick!

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.

My Evening Skincare Routine With Origins

There are two products that feature in my evening skincare routine and I think they work brilliantly together.  Before I go to bed, I always remove my make-up, wash my face and then apply one of these two products:

Origins High Potency Night A Mins Mineral Enriched Renewal Cream which is a bit of a mouthful, is the one in the brown glass jar and I was introduced to it back last year at a Company event in Central London which you can read about HERE.  

Described as follows:

"Put dullness to rest. Wake up radiant & refreshed. Now nature's famed night cream is newly fortified with a system of time-released resurfacers plus Vitamins C, E & H, minerals & moisture-rich replenishers. While relaxing aromas lull you to sleep, skin sloughs away dry, dead layers. Origins High Potency Night-A-Mins™ helps the appearance of dullness.

98% of those who tested it agreed - used regularly, skin was renewed and refreshed in the AM. Helps the slumber deprived wake up on the bright side of the bed. So why face dull skin. Sleep it off tonight"

The cream itself, which is bright white in colour is also quite thick which means you dont need to use too much of it to cover your face. I find this cream really hydrating and with the weather constantly changing my skin is in need of a little TLC and I like that I can apply a night cream and when I wake up in the morning, I have lovely soft, smooth supple skin. I was told that this cream had a funny scent to it, but I actually quite like it, quite fruity, not quite orangey but definitely a hint of a citrus scent for me.

The cream is said to work best for people who have combination/dry skin and as I have combination skin which is oily but with dry patches, I tick all the boxes for this cream. I wouldn't hesitate to repurchase this when it runs out, a full size 50ml jar costs £34 and is available with free delivery from Origins' website.

The second product that I have been using is the Overnight Drink Up Intensive mask, which I read so much about on other blogs that it soon rose up my wishlist and I bought it.

Described as:

"Origins Drink Up™ Intensive Mask makes skin feel smoother and hydrated

Skin depends on water for its youthful functioning. But all day long, skin loses vital moisture. And the busier you are, the more it loses. This intense moisture replacement mask deeply quenches compromised moisture reserves and builds a reservoir for tomorrow. Japanese Seaweed repairs skin's barrier to prevent future dehydration and signs of premature ageing.

This again is a cream with a fairly thick consistency and a little really does go along way.  I use this as instructed which is is twice a week currently and I simply complete my bedtime routine as mentioned above and then instead of using Night-A-mins cream, I use this in its place.

To apply, you are supposed to literally slap it on ensuring that there is a thick layer on your face, which is what I was told in Boots where I bought mine from, then leave it on your face overnight to sink in and work its magic.  With ingredients like Apricot Kennel Oil (which is amazing for keeping your skin hydrated) Avocado oil and Mango butters, all of which have moisturising qualities that help your skin to retain its moisture, you won't be surprised to find that it is absolutely amazing.  Every time I use this, I am always surprised to find how soft and smooth my skin is the following morning, especially if I have been suffering some dryness on my cheeks or forehead which is where I have problems.

A 100ml tube retails for £22 from the Origins website and again, once mine runs out, I won't hesitate to repurchase it because I absolutely love it and I love knowing that if my skin does need a little more TLC than the cream above can give me, this is just brilliant for doing that.

Both of these products have left me wanting to try more from the Origins range as I absolutely love both products.  

Have you got any favourites from the Origins range?  What would you recommend trying?