Is lanolin good for dry hands?

What does lanolin do?

Lanolin is obtained from sheep's fleece and appears in hand creams, moisturizers and barrier creams. Its useful role on dry hands is moisture protection, not treating every cause of a hand rash. An ointment suits very dry, thickened skin, while a cream is generally easier to use during the day. Ointments are greasy and thick, which is useful for very dry skin and less useful for pretending you have applied nothing.23

How to use lanolin on dry hands

1. 1Wash your hands as needed with soap and lukewarm water for at least 20 seconds. Clean between your fingers and around your nails; dryness is not a reason to skip necessary handwashing.
2. 2Pat your hands dry with a clean towel, leaving the skin slightly damp rather than dripping wet.
3. 3Apply your hand cream or ointment promptly, including your fingertips and around your nails. For lanolin ointment, follow the product label and apply a generous amount to the affected skin. Smooth emollients gently rather than rubbing vigorously.
4. 4Reapply moisturizer after washing and whenever your hands feel dry or tight. General emollient care often means at least 3 or 4 applications daily; follow your lanolin product's directions for its frequency.
5. 5If a greasy ointment is inconvenient during the day, use a suitable cream then and an ointment at night. Do not cover lanolin ointment with a bandage or dressing unless your care team tells you to.

Keeping hand cream at work as well as at home makes regular use easier, without giving the tube a daily commute. Protect your hands with gloves suited to cleaning or other irritating tasks. Gloves should be clean and intact, and prolonged wear that makes your hands sweat can aggravate dermatitis. Moisturizer helps retain water, but reducing contact with detergents and other irritants also matters.56

Who should choose something else?

For chapped or sensitive hands, a fragrance free and dye free cream or ointment containing petrolatum or mineral oil tends to feel less irritating. If you have a confirmed lanolin allergy, check labels for lanolin and related names such as wool alcohols, wool fat, wool wax and anhydrous lanolin. An allergy can develop even after previous use without trouble. A dermatologist can investigate suspected contact allergy with patch testing.24

If you are pregnant, trying to become pregnant or breastfeeding, discuss lanolin ointment use with your care team. Ask before combining medicinal lanolin ointment with other products on the same area. For prescribed steroid creams or other skin treatments, general emollient guidance is to separate applications by 20 to 30 minutes and ask your doctor which goes first. Keep lanolin ointment out of your eyes and use it externally only.13

When to stop or get help

Stop using the product if your skin reacts, and speak to a pharmacist or clinician. Lanolin reactions can cause itching, redness, swelling or blistering hours to days after application. Report hives or swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat immediately. Keep emollients away from flames and cigarettes because residue on clothing and bedding can catch fire.1235

Tell your care team if the area treated with lanolin ointment has not improved within a week. Extremely dry, painful hands that do not respond to regular moisturizer can have hand eczema, which needs more than moisturizer alone. Seek assessment for deep painful cracks, bleeding, weeping, itchy blisters, crusting or pus, rather than repeatedly trying another ointment.17