Aleppo soap & natural care
Is Flaxseed Oil the Same as Linseed Oil?
Flaxseed and linseed come from the exact same plant, Linum usitatissimum, so botanically "flaxseed oil" and "linseed oil" describe the same raw seed oil. In the marketplace, though, the two names usually point to different products: a cold-pressed oil sold for cosmetic or culinary use is a different grade, handled and labelled differently, from the "boiled linseed oil" sold at hardware stores as a wood finish.
Levant Direct's flaxseed (linseed) oil is a cosmetic-grade natural oil, and it should never be confused with — or substituted using — a hardware-store wood-finishing product.
Same plant, different grades
The confusion comes entirely from the name overlap: flax and linseed are the same crop, so the raw oil pressed from either name is chemically the same starting point. What happens after pressing is where the products diverge — cosmetic and food-grade oil is handled to stay food- or skin-safe, while wood-finishing oil is processed and blended specifically to harden on a surface, not to touch skin.
The hardware-store warning
"Boiled" or polymerized linseed oil, sold at hardware and paint stores as a wood finish, typically has metallic drying agents and other additives mixed in to make it cure and harden quickly on wood. That formulation is not a cosmetic product, was never intended for skin contact, and must never be substituted for — or confused with — the cosmetic-grade flaxseed (linseed) oil sold here. If a bottle is labelled for wood finishing, it does not belong anywhere near a cosmetic or culinary use.
How our cosmetic-grade oil is used
Flaxseed (Linseed) Oil in our natural-oils range is sold for topical, cosmetic use — a light carrier oil suited to blending, applied the way other natural oils in the range are. It is not labelled or sold as a dietary supplement, and no health claim is made about internal use; a separate, clearly food-grade flaxseed oil would be the appropriate product for anyone looking for a dietary oil. Cold-pressed flaxseed oil itself is a thin, fast-absorbing oil with a mild, slightly nutty scent, which is part of why it's chosen as a lighter component in cosmetic blends rather than used as a heavy standalone treatment.
Why cold-pressed matters
The "cold-pressed" part of the description matters for a cosmetic-grade oil: pressing without added heat keeps the oil closer to its natural composition and avoids the chemical treatment used to make the wood-finishing version. Buyers comparing suppliers should look for that cold-pressed description on the label as one more way to distinguish a genuine cosmetic-grade product from something processed for an entirely different purpose.
Sourcing and stocking it correctly
Correct shelf labelling matters here more than for most natural oils, given how easily the name overlaps with an entirely different hardware product. See how a store should display natural oils for general shelf and storage guidance that applies to this oil as well as the rest of the natural-oils range.
Related questions
Is this flaxseed oil safe to eat?
It is sold as a cosmetic-grade natural oil for topical use, not labelled or marketed as a food or dietary supplement. A separate food-grade flaxseed oil would be needed for dietary use.
Can hardware-store linseed oil be used on skin?
No — wood-finishing linseed oil is a different, chemically treated product with added drying agents, and it is not intended or safe for skin application.
How is this oil best stored?
Cool, dark and tightly sealed, the same as other natural oils in the range, away from direct heat and sunlight.
Does flaxseed oil have a strong smell?
Cold-pressed flaxseed oil has a mild, slightly nutty scent rather than a strong perfume, which is why it's typically blended with other oils rather than used as a stand-alone fragrance.