May Lindstrom very kindly sent me TBC for my kit, no strings attached. I loved it so much I purchased one for myself!
The myth, the legend, The Blue Cocoon... One of the green beauty community's famed skincare products. Loved by Caroline Hirons, praised by Into the Gloss, veiled in mystery and intrigue. It's $180 blue face balm people- I mean who? What? How?
What is it?
As much as I appreciate the flowery language on May Lindstrom's site describing her products, I'll paraphrase.
It's a balm-to-oil concentrated treatment/moisturizer that calms and hydrates the skin with Camellia See Oil, Shea Butter, Marula Oil, and Blue Tansy Oil (along with a long list of others). Many people report that it helps soothe their anxiety, due to the calming and warming effect of blue tansy.
Claims:
- "Eases feelings of emotional anxiety while releasing heat
- Provides nourishment and relief to even the most delicate and troubled skin conditions
- Results in a complexion that is quiet, and a mind that is clear"
As you can tell from the claims on the website, this is presented as a skincare product as well as a mood enhancer. Surprisingly, the skincare benefits are not very clear from the description. I did some digging, and no one really lists the claims clearly. From what I can gather, this is supposed to calm your skin (meaning reduce redness, sooth irritation, soften dryness) and offer deep moisture.
Ingredients: *Camellia Oleifera (Camellia) Seed Oil, ***Butyrospermun Parkii (Shea) Butter, ***Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, ***Sclerocarya Birrea (Virgin Marula) Oil, Calodendrum Capense (Yangu) Oil, *Adansonia Digitata (Baobab) Oil, *Tanacetum Annuum (Blue Tansy) Oil, **Commiphora Myrrha (Myrrh) Oil, *Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, **Boswellia Carteri (Frankincense) Oil, *Pelargonium Graveolens (Geranium Rose) Oil, *Vanilla Planifolia Co2 Total Essential Oil, Schisandra Sphenanthera Co2 Fruit Extract, *Helichrysum Italicum (Immortelle) Oil, Ravensara Aromatica Oil. * Certified Organic ** Wild Harvested *** Fair Trade, Raw & Unrefined
MY EXPERIENCE:
I'll just get it out of the way- I think this stuff is pretty spectacular, but much like the Vintner's Daughter, it's hard to put my finger on why. It leaves my skin feeling soft and slick, but not in a greasy way. It's what I reach for after a day in the sun, or a clay mask. This is a very pampering product.
Scent: A warm, almost chocolatey sweet. Borderline gourmand, but not in a syrupy sweet way. The sweetness of the shea butter with the warmth of the blue tansy envelopes you like a hug.
Feel: Similar texture to coconut oil, but a bit more firm. As it warms on the hand, it melts into a thin oil with quite a bit of slip.
Packaging: Heavy, beautiful dark glass. Very lux. I'm not a huge fan of jars in general for sanitary reasons, but it couldn't realistically be packaged any other way.
Use: I apply this at night, on top of my treatments/serums for an extra boost of moisture and to seal the treatments in. It's too heavy for me to use in the day, but I could see how someone with dry or mature skin might like this under makeup. I usually use the top of nail to scrape out a peal-sized amount that I rub between my fingertips and apply to my skin by gentle pressing it in.
IN SUMMATION:
The Blue Cocoon is gorgeous, and a spiritually satisfying product. You can tell that the founder, May Lindstrom herself, pours her heart into her creations, and there is a maternal love that you can feel when you use them.
I'm not so sure there are physical changes to my skin when I use this that I wouldn't get from a simple face oil. But that being said, this is a truly special concoction. If you can get your hands on a sample. I highly reccomend it. If the experience of The Blue Cocoon resonates with you, it is worth the price tag. If this doesn't sound like your cup of tea, save your money and pick up a Mad Hippie or Acure face oil, which are clean, fabulous, and at a great price point.