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Unravelling the Silk Secret

As Australia's only silk farm, Seresilk maintains control over the entire production process.

After our silk-moths naturally emerge from their cocoons to continue their life-cycle, the silk is collected and the hydrolysis process begins.

The silk fibres are then subjected to hydrolysis and liquefied in a base compound solution with the end result being a beautiful, golden concentrate.

All Seresilk formulations are made using 100% cruelty-free and Australian-made silk.

Explore the Seresilk hydrolysis process

Silkworm Life Cycle and Its Origins

Silk's origins can be traced back to a discovery by Empress Leizu of China who is said to have discovered silk as a cocoon dropped into her tea from above, and gently unravelled in 2,700 BC. Its elegance and natural beauty was immediately recognised, and led to the expansion of an ever-growing industry of silk production which the silkworm is the focus.

For 2,500 years, the royal family of China had kept the secret of Silk to themselves. The material was sold to the rulers of the West, but the source of the shiny thread that made the material was not revealed. The penalty in China for revealing the true source of the shiny thread was in fact death!

How did Silk come to be found by the rest of the world? Two poor monks told Emperor Justinian of Constantinople that they had learned the secret of Silk, after arriving back in Constantinople after travelling to China. Justinian sent them back to China to get some eggs and mulberry shoots for him, so that he too could raise Silkworms and create beautiful products made of Silk. The Monks returned many years later with the eggs and shoots hidden inside their hollowed-out walking sticks. Since Justinian was the emperor of Constantinople, a crossroads city, the secret soon spread throughout Europe. This trek the monks took, has now come to be known as the Silk Road, and this road was a major breaking point in what in now modern-day trade.

The life cycle of a Silkworm unfolds with incredible precision, offering a unique glimpse into the natural processes that contribute to the creation of our luxurious silk products.

The Silkworm undergoes a life cycle that spans 6-8 weeks. The duration is influenced by factors such as temperature, humidity, and exposure to sunlight. Ideally, Silkworms thrive in 12 hours of sunlight and 12 hours of darkness per day at a temperature of 23-28 degrees Celsius, with humidity levels ranging from 85-90%. These conditions are crucial for the hatching of silkworm eggs in 7-10 days, although achieving them without an incubator can be challenging.

  • Silkworm Hatching

  • Silkworm Feeding

  • Silkworm Spinning

  • Silk Moths Mating

In Australia, Silkworms naturally hatch in late July to early August, coinciding with the Mulberry Tree regaining its leaves after winter.

As the Silkworm progresses through its life stages—Lava and Worm (20-33 days), Pupa (10-14 days), and Moth (5-10 days)—it exhibits remarkable behaviours. The silkworm will multiply x10,000 its initial size - equivalent to a newborn reaching close to 40,000kg in just one month!

The moment before cocooning, the Silkworm excretes a runny fluid to prepare for this final stage. The intricate process of spinning a cocoon involves oozing a tiny drop of silk for anchoring and drawing a continuous filament of silk by swinging its head to-and-fro, taking up to 72 hours. The result is a perfectly ovate cocoon with a single strand of silk measuring up to 1 kilometre long!

In traditional sericulture, silk cocoons are boiled 8 days after they are spun, killing the pupae inside and allowing the 1,000m long thread to unravel for a cleaner spinning process.

However, we do not kill any of our silkworms, opting to allow them to peacefully continue their life cycle and live out their natural life cycle. After 10-14 days of development inside the cocoon, the Silk-Moth emerges, excreting a brownish fluid—a normal part of the cleansing process. While Silk-Moths cannot fly due to domestication over thousands of years, males may leave their container as they search for a female mate. Distinguishing between male and female Silk-Moths is easy, with females having larger abdomens. The moth's brief life of 5-10 days is marked by the pursuit of a mate, mating, laying 300-500 eggs, and, ultimately, the female's passing, while the male continues his quest for another mate. It is after this stage that we collect the "waste" silk cocoons and subject to hydrolysis for inclusion across our cruelty-free silk skincare formulations.

We celebrate the intricate journey of the Silkworm, harnessing its life cycle's natural wonders to bring you our uniquely Australian silk skincare products that embody the essence of purity and luxury using only 24 ingredients across a 4-step night routine; truly letting our silk shine.

Explore Seresilk's Cruelty-Free Skincare

Silk's two main amino acid proteins; fibroin and sericin help protect skin from the effects of pollution by scooping up free radicals thanks to silk's antioxidant properties.

Not only this, but silk's sericin has a number of hydrating and remedial properties, which support cell regeneration, and elasticity for increased skin firmness.

After 2.5+ years of development, Seresilk became a reality, and its simple, proprietary formulations boast the use of only 24 ingredients across its comprehensive - yet simple - night routine.

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