Benzoin is a resin, tapped from the Styrax tree in Southeast Asia, and it is thick, sweet-smelling and slightly sticky. It has been used on cracked and chapped skin for centuries, and it appears in tincture of benzoin, which hospitals still use to toughen skin and help dressings adhere.
That is its distinctive quality here: it does not only moisturise, it forms a protective film and encourages the skin to close. For a heel that has split down to the raw layer, that combination is more useful than a moisturiser alone.
It is also antiseptic and anti-inflammatory, so it protects the fissure while it heals.
