The Skin Salve formula began its development more than thirty years ago when a group of miners from County Durham found that using a soap they had made containing natural palm oil and silicon salt helped with their dry, inflamed and uncomfortable skin caused by working in the mines.

A local GP, Dr Mark Randle, noticed the great improvement for his patients using this soap, and began to conduct trials with similar soap formulations which proved conclusive results. He found that a soap with a natural base (sodium tallowate and sodium cocoate) and which included Sodium Silicate (a natural combination of ingredients found in coal dust) had a uniquely beneficial effect on even the most extreme cases of chronic eczema and other dry and itchy skin conditions. 

After using the soap alongside an irritant-free, tallowate-based washing powder for eight weeks, one third of the eczema sufferers reported that their condition cleared completely. More than half reported a major improvement and 12.5 per cent a slight improvement. Based on this important discovery, Dr Randle began to develop products (known as Skin Salveation) to help treat dry skin conditions.

Over the years, our name has changed to Skin Salve, our product range has grown and become available all over the world, and we have moved to sustainable sources for our key ingredients. But our products and approach remain faithful to these core principles discovered by the Durham mining community and their local GP.