Lanolin

Lanolin is a dark yellow, waxy substance obtained from the freshly shorn wool of domestic sheep.

It has a unique chemical composition and is used as a fantastic emollient, moisturizing (occlusive) ingredient in skincare that prevents water loss and that has additional barrier repairing properties.

Lanolin is often claimed to be superior to petroleum-derived ingredients in its barrier-repairing abilities and is, therefore, a very good choice for dry, cracked skin, eczema-prone areas, and chapped lips. It has traditionally been used topically to treat sore, cracked nipples during breastfeeding.

Sheep (and other wooly animals) produce lanolin just as we produce sebum from the glands in our skin. Lanolin gets distributed throughout the wool and this helps to keep it waterproof, thereby allowing the sheep to stay warm and cozy even in the rain or snow.

After shearing, the wool is washed in a hot water with a special detergent that extracts all the lanolin. It has to be purified to get rid of dirt and sweat, and the current lanolin production also checks it for the level of pesticides.

Lanolin is mostly comprised of wax esters, which consist of one long-chain fatty acid (usually alpha-hydroxy fatty acid, or AHA) and one fatty alcohol (usually cholesterol) bound together. However, natural lanolin contains thousands of different types of lanolin esters, and so there is a wide variety of lanolin alcohols and lanolin fatty acids. This makes it a unique natural ingredient as well as a rich source for isolated, lanolin-derived cosmetic ingredients.

Both lanolin and lanolin derivatives are used as emulsifiers, helping oil and water to mix in cosmetic formulations, as well as as stabilizers. Pure lanolin is very thick and feels really oily, but is also able to take in a surprising amount of water (three times its weight), resulting in a beautiful, very stable emulsion cream.

There have been cases of lanolin allergy, but the reason for this sensitivity (e.g. the actual sensitizing compound) has not been determined yet. There are highly purified, almost white versions of lanolin that have minimal allergenic potential.