Multipurpose Balm

Multipurpose Balm — one balm for face and body, made to move.

I built the Multipurpose Balm for the version of me who lived on airplanes. Cabin air, hotel soap, three climates in a week — my face, hands and lips took the worst of it, and I got tired of carrying four products to fix one problem. So I made one that handled all of it.

It is made for the places skin gives out first. On the face that means the bridge of the nose after sunglasses, the corners of the mouth in winter, brows, and any patch that has gone flaky and will not take makeup. On the body it means hands after too much airport soap, cuticles, elbows, knees and heels. It goes on firm, melts at body temperature, and settles into a barrier that stays put through hand-washing and dry cabin air.

Certified organic shea butter carries the weight; arrowroot keeps it from feeling heavy or greasy on the face; jojoba, pumpkin seed, camellia and avocado oils give it slip so a small amount travels a long way. The texture is deliberately firm rather than whipped. Whipped balms feel luxurious in the jar and disappear too quickly on the skin. This one asks you to warm it first, and in exchange it lasts.

What it replaces is the real argument for it. Face balm, hand cream, lip balm, cuticle oil and heel treatment are five things to pack, five things to lose, and five things that count against a liquids allowance. This is one tin.

At its center is Signature Essential Oil Blend No. 1 — helichrysum, frankincense, petitgrain, and lavender, anchored by copaiba. I chose those for how they smell together and how that steadies you: grounded, quiet, resinous, not sweet. Breathe in as you apply. That part is not incidental, it is the point.

Blended by a certified aromatherapist, trained at the New York Institute of Aromatic Studies (now the School for Aromatic Studies), in the French apothecary tradition of rigorous essential oil formulation and the English holistic approach to skin, body, and mind.

How to use

• Warm a small amount between fingertips for two or three seconds until it turns glossy, then press rather than rub it into the skin
• On the face, use sparingly and only where needed — dry patches, the bridge of the nose, corners of the mouth, brows to hold them in place
• As the last step of a night routine on the face, over the Face & Body Oil, to seal everything underneath
• Hands and cuticles through the day, reapplying after washing
• Lips whenever they need it, including over lip color to take the flatness off a matte finish
• Elbows, knees and heels at night, when it has uninterrupted hours to work
• Over damp skin, or straight after the Face & Body Mist, for a softer and more spreadable finish
• Smoothed through the ends of hair to calm flyaways, using far less than you think you need
• On a long flight, apply to face, hands and lips before takeoff and again on descent

On the face, use less than you would on hands — a rice grain for the whole face is enough. This is a targeted balm rather than an all-over moisturizer, so it belongs on the dry patches rather than across the cheeks. Keep the tin out of direct sun; in high heat the balm will soften, which changes nothing about how it performs once it cools.

Why it works

• Intensive, long-lasting moisture for face and body from organic shea butter and botanical oils
• Supports the skin’s natural moisture barrier
• Comforts and softens dry, tight, weather-stressed skin
• Arrowroot keeps the finish breathable enough for facial use
• One jar replaces a face balm, hand cream, lip balm, and cuticle oil
• Grounding aroma for a moment of calm, wherever you are

Transparency

Formulated to EU cosmetic safety standards. The formula was assessed by an independent European safety assessor, and every fragrance allergen above the European disclosure threshold — limonene, linalool, geraniol and coumarin — is named in the ingredient list rather than hidden inside the word fragrance. As a US brand, we were required to do neither. Essential oils are potent, and anyone who reacts to a specific one deserves to be able to find it on the label.

Dermatologist tested, and cruelty-free under Leaping Bunny certification. Leaping Bunny audits the supply chain rather than accepting a supplier’s word for it, which is the part of the certification that costs something.

Made in the USA, packed in recyclable aluminum with hemp outer packaging. It contains beeswax, so it is not vegan — we would rather say that plainly than quietly leave the word off.

What we do not claim. We do not call this product natural, non-toxic, or organic. It contains certified organic ingredients, marked with an asterisk in the full ingredient list, which is a smaller and different statement than being a certified organic product — and we are not going to blur the two. Non-toxic and all-natural have no agreed definition in cosmetics, so they tell you nothing. This is a cosmetic: it moisturizes, comforts and softens skin. It does not treat any condition, and we will not imply otherwise.

The complete ingredient list is above, unabridged. Nothing is summarized, grouped, or left out. This is not a finished piece of work — we are still improving what we disclose and how, and we will keep updating this page as we do, including the parts that do not flatter us.

The standards

• Made in the USA
• Certified organic shea butter, arrowroot, jojoba, pumpkin seed, camellia, and avocado oils — organic ingredients are marked in the full ingredient list
• Dermatologist tested
• Cruelty-free, Leaping Bunny certified
• Formulated to EU cosmetic safety standards, with fragrance allergens fully declared
• Free from parabens, phthalates, sulfates, silicones, synthetic fragrances, and synthetic dyes
• Recyclable aluminum and hemp packaging
• Suitable for all skin types, including sensitive

Ideal for
All skin types, including sensitive. Made for people who are rarely in one place. Contains beeswax, so not vegan.

Skin. Spirit. Restored.