Apricot kernel oil gives the balm a soft, supple texture. Rich in oleic acid, it spreads easily over the skin and leaves it feeling comfortable without a heavy film.

Within the formula, it mainly serves as a carrier oil. It helps the other seed oils distribute evenly across the skin and makes the first contact with the balm soft and pleasant. Its naturally occurring tocopherols also help protect the oil from oxidation.

You may not notice apricot kernel oil on its own, but you would notice if it were missing. It is part of what makes the balm feel soft, light and easy to spread.

Cacay oil contains an unusually high proportion of linoleic acid, an essential fatty acid that plays an important role in the lipid structure of the skin barrier. Its fatty acid profile helps keep the skin soft and supple and supports its ability to hold on to moisture.

It also contains naturally occurring vitamin E and plant sterols. These add antioxidant support to the formula and help protect the oil itself from oxidation. Cacay absorbs quickly and leaves very little residue, which makes it particularly useful in a balm that needs to feel nourishing without feeling heavy.

Cacay is sometimes described as a natural source of retinol, but that is misleading. It does not contain retinol. Its value lies in its high linoleic acid content, natural antioxidants and remarkably light skin feel.

Squalane is the stable, hydrogenated form of squalene, one of the lipids naturally found in human sebum. It spreads easily over the skin and leaves it feeling smooth and supple, with very little greasy residue.

As an emollient, it softens dry, rough skin and leaves a fine lipid layer that helps the skin hold on to moisture. This is particularly useful as sebum production tends to decline with age, which can contribute to increasing dryness.

Within the Six Seed Balm, squalane forms an important part of the base. It gives the balm its light, silky glide and helps the other oils distribute evenly without making the formula feel heavy.

Despite the name, cetyl alcohol is not the kind of alcohol that dries the skin. It is a long-chain fatty alcohol that acts as an emollient, helping dry or rough skin feel softer and smoother.

Within the formula, it gives the balm its satin glide and helps it spread evenly over the skin. It also adds structure, allowing the balm to remain firm in the jar while still melting comfortably during application.

The result is a softer skin feel and a smooth finish without the heaviness of a greasy layer.

Jojoba butter is made by hydrogenating jojoba oil, turning the naturally liquid wax into a solid form. It keeps the soft, smooth skin feel of jojoba while adding more structure to the balm.

On the skin, it leaves a light lipid layer that helps soften dry areas and slow moisture loss. Within the formula, it helps the balm hold its shape in the jar, then melt smoothly as it warms against the skin.

It gives the formula firmness without making the finish feel heavy.

The richest natural source of astaxanthin is the freshwater microalgae Haematococcus pluvialis. In the wild, these microscopic algae thrive in shallow, temporary freshwater pools, rock crevices, and small ponds that are exposed to intense sunlight.

These microalgae produce astaxanthin as a survival mechanism.

From green to red

The richest natural source of astaxanthin is the freshwater microalga Haematococcus pluvialis. In nature, it is found in temporary pools, small ponds and other shallow bodies of freshwater exposed to changing conditions.

The algae produce astaxanthin as part of their natural defence system.

The two growth phases

Green phase

When water, light and nutrients are in balance, the algae remain green and use their energy to grow and multiply.

Red phase

As conditions become more difficult, through intense sunlight, nutrient scarcity or water loss, the algae form a protective cyst and begin producing large amounts of astaxanthin. This is what turns them deep red and helps protect the cells against oxidative stress.

Punicic acid occurs in very few plant oils. Pomegranate seed oil is its richest known natural source, and this unusual fatty acid makes up a large part of its composition.

On the skin, the oil helps soften dry areas and leaves a fine lipid layer that supports moisture retention. Early research also points to mild soothing and protective effects, although research on the human skin is still limited.

There is only a small amount in the Six Seed Balm, but it brings a fatty acid profile that none of the other seed oils can provide.

This CO₂ extract comes from the fruit rather than the seed. That distinction matters because the fruit has a very different lipid profile. It is particularly rich in palmitoleic acid, a rare omega 7 fatty acid found in only a small number of plant oils.

It also contains naturally occurring carotenoids, tocopherols and plant sterols. Together, these contribute antioxidant support while the lipids soften the skin and help it hold on to moisture.

The deep orange colour comes from its carotenoids. It disperses into a subtle warmth on the skin, leaving it feeling soft, supple and comfortable.

Tomato seed oil is pressed from the seeds, a part of the fruit that is often left behind during food production. Its value lies in its fatty acid profile. The oil is naturally rich in linoleic acid, an essential fatty acid that plays an important role in the lipid structure of the skin barrier.

On the skin, it helps soften dry areas and contributes to the fine lipid layer that slows moisture loss. Its naturally occurring tocopherols and phytosterols add antioxidant support to the formula and help protect the oil itself from oxidation.

Within the Six Seed Balm, tomato seed oil supports moisture retention and helps keep the skin soft and comfortable, without making the formula feel heavy.

Ho oil gives the balm its quiet, woody base. It is naturally rich in linalool, which gives the scent its soft, almost floral character rather than a sharp or medicinal note.

Linalool has shown soothing and anti-inflammatory activity in laboratory studies. In this formula, I see that as a supporting quality rather than its primary purpose. Ho oil is here first for the scent, but its composition also contributes to the soft and comfortable character of the balm.

Linalool can cause sensitivity in some people, particularly as it oxidises. That is why it is declared separately on the ingredient list when present above the applicable EU threshold.

It gives the brighter bergamot top note more depth and keeps the scent as a whole natural and understated.

Tocopherol is a natural form of vitamin E. Within the Six Seed Balm, it helps slow the oxidation of the plant oils, preserving their quality, scent and colour throughout the product’s shelf life.

On the skin, tocopherol contributes antioxidant support and helps protect the skin’s surface lipids from oxidative stress.

It works alongside astaxanthin and rosemary CO₂ as part of the formula’s antioxidant system. This is different from a preservative system. Because the balm contains no water, its main stability concern is oxidation rather than the microbial growth associated with water-based formulas. Together, these antioxidants help keep the oils stable and prevent them from becoming rancid.