FRIGHTFUL 15: #10 LANOLIN

What Is It and Why in Skincare and Personal Care Products?

Lanolin is a greasy yellow substance made from secretions (sebum) from the skin glands of sheep to condition their wool. It’s a natural, animal-derived product harvested from shorn wool.  It’s commonly used in body creams, nipple creams and lotions to lock in moisture and prevent water loss. There are two common forms: lanolin and lanolin alcohol.  Lanolin alcohol adds a molecule to provide a smoother skin feel. Most commonly, you’ll find lanolin in these products:

  • Lip balm

  • Lipstick

  • Sunscreen

  • Moisurizer

  • Hand lotion

  • Eyeliner

  • Mascara

  • Shampoo

  • Shaving gels and creams

  • Diaper cream

  • Medicated salves 

So, What’s So Bad?

Lanolin has been used in so many commonly used products causing overexposure for us. This overexposure has caused some to develop a sensitization to it, which has led to more allergic responses like, burning, stinging, redness, or irritation (dermatitis).

Because it provides a barrier to trap moisture, it can also trap oil/dead skin cells/bacteria and clog pores, leading to breakouts.  Not recommended for oily or acne prone skin.  It appears on labels under these names:

  • Acetylated lanolin

  • Acetylated lanolin alcohol

  • Cholestrin

  • Isopropyl lanolate

  • Laneth’Lanogene

  • Lanolin acids

  • Lanolin alcohol

  • Lanosterols

  • Sterols

  • Triterpene alcohols

  • Wool fat

  • Wool wax

Remember, lanolin comes from sheep’s wool, so we can’t ignore how the sheep are raised – what they eat, the use of pesticides and how the lanolin is extracted from the wool.  Sheep are sprayed directly with pesticides to treat mites and pests. Harvested fur is treated again with pesticides during refinement. 

If lanolin is not bleached, then small concentrations of butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), are usually added at the end of the refinement process. This stops the air getting to the lanolin, preventing superficial degradation.

Lanolin can legally contain up to 40 parts per million (ppm) of pesticides to be FDA-compliant.  Lanolin reserved for hospital use on open wounds is regulated to no more than 3 ppm of pesticides.

 

(Sources:

https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/fb4f/e7e7af934c63a574fb4d9aff0b8e9c10e48a.pdf

http://ajer.org/papers/v3(7)/F0373343.pdf)

 

VERDAUD does not contain lanolin.

 

Barbara PaprockComment