Two oils make up most of what's inside our jar, and hardly anyone asks about either of them. Calendula gets the questions. Shea butter has its fans. Even beeswax comes up now and again. But linseed and sesame do the bulk of the work, quietly, day after day, and they almost never make the front of a label. This one's for them. If your skin feels tight by mid-morning, flakes the moment the radiators go on in October, or drinks a palmful of cream and asks for more an hour later, the base oils in your products matter more than any hero ingredient ever will. Here's what these two actually do for skin, and why we built our whole five-ingredient balm on top of them.
First, cold pressing (and why we won't skip it)
Most seed oils destined for cheap skincare are refined with heat and solvents. It's fast and it's economical, and it strips away a good part of what made the oil worth pressing at all. Cold pressing is the slow route. The seeds are crushed at low temperatures with nothing added, so the fragile fatty acids arrive in the jar much as they left the seed.
Why should you care? Because an oil's character lives in its fatty acids, and heat is not kind to them. Here's the catch: an ingredients list can't tell you how the oil was made. Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil looks identical on a label whether it was cold pressed last month or refined at industrial temperatures. The brand has to tell you. So we will: both of our base oils are cold pressed, every batch. (Try emailing your favourite brand to ask how theirs are pressed. The answer, or the silence, is informative.)
Linseed oil for skin: the plant your porridge already knows
Let's clear up the name first. Linseed and flaxseed are the same plant, Linum usitatissimum. The health food aisle calls the seeds flax. Cricketers call the oil linseed, because generations of them have rubbed it into their bats every spring. Skincare uses both names interchangeably, which helps nobody. So if you've been searching flaxseed oil skin benefits and linseed oil for skin as though they were rival ingredients, relax. One plant. Two names.
What makes it special is what's inside. Linseed oil is unusually rich in omega-3 fatty acids, far more than most plant oils, and that composition gives it a softening, conditioning character that dry skin responds to. Massaged in, it leaves rough, flaky patches (elbows, shins, knuckles, the backs of hands) feeling smoother and more supple, and it helps skin hold on to the moisture it already has.
It suits British life rather well, too. If you're in a hard water area, which in practice means most of the south and east of England, you'll know that tight, squeaky feeling after a shower. Skin that's been through hard water, central heating and a north-easterly wind wants oil, not just a watery lotion. Linseed brings exactly that, without heaviness.
Sesame oil for skin: the old carrier that still earns its keep
Sesame is one of the oldest skin oils in continuous use. Across North Africa, the Middle East and much of Asia it has been the everyday base for balms and massage oils for centuries, and the Moroccan herbal tradition our family recipes come from reaches for it without a second thought. There's a reason grandmothers keep choosing it. It works, and it's gentle about it.
(A quick clarification: not the toasted sesame oil from the stir-fry shelf. Cosmetic sesame oil is pressed from raw seeds. It's pale, mild and smells of almost nothing.)
On skin, sesame's talent is its feel. It's noticeably lighter than many traditional plant oils, it spreads easily and it sinks in rather than sitting on the surface like a chip-shop film. Just as important for anyone blending a balm, it's a very good carrier. Botanical extracts need a base oil to hold them and ferry them across the skin, and sesame does that job beautifully. In our jar it's the vehicle for the calendula, which would be no use to anyone sitting at the bottom on its own.
The honest bit: can seed oils clog pores?
Any oil can disagree with somebody, so let's not pretend otherwise. The comedogenic ratings you'll find online are blunt instruments at best; how an oil behaves depends on the full formula, on your own skin and on where you use it. That said, both linseed and sesame are generally well tolerated, and our balm is blended for dry, itchy skin on the body, which is a very different setting from an oily forehead.
Our standing advice, for this balm and honestly for anything new you pick up in the Boots aisle: patch test first. A little on the inside of the elbow, then wait 48 hours. Boring, we know. Cheaper than finding out the hard way.
And a plain word on limits. A cosmetic balm cares for skin; it doesn't manage a medical condition. If skin is cracked, weeping, looks infected or is keeping you or your child up at night, that's a conversation for your GP or pharmacist first. The NHS guide to emollients is a sensible ten-minute read, and the National Eczema Society has calm, practical information on living with eczema.
Why we built a five-ingredient balm on these two
Our whole ingredients list fits on one line:
- Linseed (flaxseed) oil, cold pressed
- Sesame oil, cold pressed
- Calendula flower extract
- Beeswax
- Shea butter
Two of the five are these oils, and by volume they're most of the jar. That was deliberate. We wanted a base that would soften and condition dry skin entirely on its own, so that everything added afterwards was a bonus rather than a rescue.
It's how PureSoothe Eczema Relief Balm came to be what it is: a balm that soothes dry, itchy skin, softens rough patches and calms the look of redness, and is also suitable for skin prone to eczema. Steroid free, no parabens, no synthetic fragrance, hand-blended in small batches in the UK, and dermatologist tested. It's rated 4.7 out of 5 from 16 reviews, and being a small brand, we've read every single one.
How they work with calendula, shea and beeswax
Think of the balm in layers. Linseed and sesame go first in spirit: they're the conditioners, the part that softens and sinks in. Calendula rides in on the sesame, and we've written before about why calendula earns its place for eczema-prone skin. Shea butter brings the richness and body that a thin oil can't, which we covered in why shea butter suits eczema-prone skin. And beeswax finishes the job, forming a soft, breathable layer that locks in moisture and keeps the balm where you put it: under school jumpers, inside work gloves, out on a windy touchline.
A quick note on using it, because the base oils change how the balm behaves. It's richer than a lotion, so a little goes further than you'd expect. Warm a small amount between clean fingertips, then press it into skin that's still slightly damp from the bath or shower, while the bathroom is warm. The oils soften, the beeswax holds that water in place, and elbows, shins, hands and anywhere a waistband or watch strap rubs are the usual suspects.
Five ingredients, each with one job. If you're weighing up the wider natural aisle before you choose, our guide to the best natural eczema cream in the UK walks through what to look for on any label, not just ours.
Seed oil questions we hear most
Is linseed (flaxseed) oil good for skin?
For dry skin, yes. Linseed and flaxseed are the same plant, and the cold-pressed oil is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which gives it a softening, conditioning feel that rough or flaky skin takes to quickly. It helps skin hold on to moisture and smooths patchy areas like elbows and shins. Look for cold pressed on the label, or ask the brand directly how theirs is made.
What does sesame oil do for skin?
Sesame oil softens and conditions with a lighter feel than most traditional plant oils, sinking in rather than sitting greasy on the surface. It has been used as a base for skin balms across North Africa and Asia for centuries, partly because it carries other botanical ingredients so well. Cosmetic sesame oil comes from raw seeds, so it's pale and nearly scent free, nothing like the toasted kitchen sort.
Can seed oils clog pores?
Any oil can disagree with some skin, though linseed and sesame are both generally well tolerated, and the comedogenic ratings found online are rough guides rather than rules. Our balm is made for dry, itchy skin on the body rather than for oily facial skin. Patch test anything new on the inside of your elbow and wait 48 hours, and if you're unsure, your pharmacist is a good first ask.
So that's the quiet pair holding the whole thing up. If your skin reacts to everything, same, and this is the balm we blend for it. One 50ml jar of PureSoothe Eczema Relief Balm is £27.99, with UK delivery at £2.99 (Royal Mail Tracked 48, two to three working days) and free delivery over £40. There's a 30-day money-back guarantee, so the risk sits with us. And if it earns its spot on your shelf, buy two jars and a third is added free automatically: three for £55.98, delivered free. Your elbows can thank the flax field later.