For years, many people believed they had “problem skin.”
Skin that flushed easily.
Skin that reacted to everything.
Skin that never quite felt comfortable, no matter how many products they tried.
They were told to use stronger actives. More exfoliation. More correction.
But what if the problem was never their skin?
What if it was the way skincare was being made?
Cocoon Apothecary began with that question.
What if the problem was never their skin?
Where it started
In 2003, after witnessing how a simple, thoughtfully made botanical cream transformed her mother’s skin, Jessica Burman realized something important:
Skin responds differently when it is treated with ingredients it recognizes.
Not overwhelmed.
Not forced.
Not irritated into change.
But supported.
That curiosity led Jessica into formal aromatherapy certification in 2004, perfumery studies in Grasse, France, and hands-on plant distillation training. She studied how plants interact with skin — not just how they smell or market well, but how their molecular structures mirror the skin’s own barrier.
Cocoon was born from that understanding.
Formulating for sensitive skin first
Long before “clean beauty” became a trend, Cocoon was built around a simple principle:
Sensitive skin is not weak. It is reactive. And reactive skin needs fewer, better, more compatible ingredients.
Many conventional and even “natural” products rely on:
Synthetic thickeners to create texture
Heavy fragrance to create experience
Overloaded actives to create visible change
But visible change achieved through irritation is not care.
Cocoon formulas are designed for performance without inflammation — using botanical gels, plant lipids, and naturally derived emulsifiers that your skin understands and accepts.
This is why Cocoon feels calming from the first use.
And why many customers say their skin finally “settles down.”
Small batch. Total control.
Every Cocoon product is still made in small batches in our factory, just 2 km from our spa and retail store in Kitchener, Ontario.
We do this for one reason: control.
Control over ingredient quality.
Control over freshness.
Control over how each formula is made.
Because when you are formulating for sensitive skin, details matter.
Performance without inflammation.
Scent with purpose
Jessica’s background in aromatherapy and perfumery means scent is never an afterthought.
Essential oils are used with restraint and understanding — to calm, to support, to enhance the experience without overwhelming the skin.
Many brands use essential oils generously because they are “natural.”
We use them carefully because skin comfort comes first.
Integrity in every detail
Cocoon Apothecary is Ecocert COSMOS Certified Natural and Organic — one of the most rigorous global standards in skincare.
We package primarily in glass.
We operate a bottle return program.
We send pumps and caps to a third party recycler.
Not because it is trendy, but because luxury should not create waste.
Longevity over hype
For more than 20 years, Cocoon has grown quietly through word of mouth from people who finally felt understood by their skincare.
No hype.
No trends.
Just formulas that work in harmony with the skin.
Why Cocoon exists
Cocoon exists for people who:
Thought they had difficult skin
Felt overwhelmed by complicated routines
Wanted skincare that felt calming instead of corrective
We don’t believe in shocking the skin into submission.
We believe in giving it what it needs to function beautifully on its own.
Experience it for yourself
This philosophy lives not only in our bottles, but in our spa — where treatments are designed to soothe, restore, and respect the skin’s natural rhythm.
Whether you begin with a facial or with a bottle from our shelves, the experience is the same:
Skincare your skin understands.