Out in northern California, jasmine bloom only in springtime.  And the scent of fresh blooming jasmine is one of those unforgettable scent that can’t be duplicated.  Even with jasmine scented perfume or lotions, there is still something missing.

Here are some fresh jasmines and roses I gathered recently.  The small jasmine flowers have such a sweet aroma that can overtake the roses.

A study was done at Wheeling Jesuit University that found individuals who were exposed to jasmine aroma received a better night of sleep.

“The researchers monitored 20 people while they slept for three nights.  When the effects of the jasmine odor were compared to the effects of the lavender odor and the non-odor control condition, the dispensing of jasmine led to greater sleep efficiency and reduced sleep movement.  And when it comes to rest and relaxation, jasmine beats out even lavender.

When the participants woke, those who breathed the jasmine rated their level of anxiety and vigor lower, and performed cognitive tests more rapidly.” - Wheeling Jesuit University.

So for a better quality of sleep, try putting some fresh jasmine next to your night stand.

In aromatherapy, jasmine oil can help reduce anxiety and increase your feeling of optimism and confidence.

In addition to the Peppermint Poppy soap, I also made another batch of hot process soap. It’s made with fresh goat milk and scented with a sweet floral scent of Bali jasmine blossoms.

This batch was much easier to work because there are no sea salt or other extra ingredients. It’s also a much smoother bar too.

Sometimes exfoliating soaps are nice, but some days you just want a smooth bar of soap. But each type of soap has their own benefits. And most of all, handmade soaps leave your skin well moisturized and clean.

Once the soap was done cooking, I poured them into my empty (clean) goat milk carton. After letting it cool down for 24 hours, I sliced them into medium sized bars.

The bars are pretty and a good size too. With fragrance, there are variations and difficult to describe. So I went with a lighter jasmine scent that is not overpowering. But it’s a nice sweet scent that reminds me of someplace tropical and breezy.

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Here is a little update from my sidewalk garden since May.

The nasturtiums have really took off in the small pot. And the catnip and bamboo is still green and doing well.

The Meyer Improved Lemon has started to resemble more of a tree or at least a branch now. I may have to find a larger pot for it soon.

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I ran out of my usual night time face cream and decided to try Alba Botanica’s Jasmine & Vitamin E Moisture Cream.

I’ve used other Alba Botanica products before and am usually happy with the product. But my main dislike is the range of scent they use. Last time I bought the Sea Moss Moisturizer and never finished the bottle because I couldn’t stand the smell.  And also the texture was too thick.

With this face cream, the texture is light to medium.  And the smell of Jasmine is not too strong.  It’s a great scent for the summertime and also brings me to Asia or some place tropical.

Jasmine extract ( it’s more of an absolutes) are mainly used to promote good sleep and feelings of happy well being.  The small white flowers have an equally beautiful scent.  There are many artificial version of this flower, but the extract is the best version to use in skincare.

Some of the signature ingredient of this face cream include Vitamin E (derived from wheat germ) and jasmine extracts. As well as gotu kola, vitamin, organic oils sweet almond, kukui nut oil, and carica papaya extracts.

The cream is suitable for all face type. And it absorbs really well into your skin without feeling too heavy or greasy.  I think this cream will be good for my combination skin.

At one time I was tempted to purchase the Arabic Jasmine at our local nursery, but was afraid it wouldn’t grow so well in my hands.

Above is the photo of Arabic Jasmine, it has a really nice fragrant.  The white flower is very small and this version looks like it’s the “double petals” variety.  Jasmine green tea is another favorite use of this flower.

Photo from mondomuse via Flickr.  mondomuse say you can propagate from stem cuttings in the spring.

Photo of face cream from Alba Botanica. Price ranges from $12 to $20, depending on retailer.