What does lanolin come from?

What animal does lanolin come from?

Sheep are the source of lanolin. The grease normally forms a protective coating in their fleece. Because lanolin is animal derived, it is not a vegan ingredient.2

The name lanolin comes from the Latin words for wool and oil, which gives it a more informative name than much of the skincare aisle.2

Is lanolin an oil or a wax?

Lanolin is an oily, waxlike substance, also described as a yellow fat. It is a mixture rather than a single chemical. Most of that mixture consists of esters, with smaller amounts of alcohols, fatty acids and other compounds. The terms wool wax, wool grease and wool fat all refer to lanolin, which makes the vocabulary more complicated than the animal.123

Why is lanolin in skincare?

Lanolin is used as an emollient, an ingredient that softens skin. It also acts as an emulsifier, helping oil and water mix in a formula. Those are its jobs in a product; its animal origin is a separate consideration when choosing what to buy, which gives sheep an unexpected role in cosmetics shopping.23

Lanolin can appear in lotions, skin creams, makeup, makeup removers, shaving creams and medicated shampoos. It is also found in some baby oils and diaper rash products. Check the ingredients on the individual product rather than assuming every product in one category contains it.1

What if you need to avoid lanolin?

Look for lanolin and names for its components or derivatives, including anhydrous lanolin, lanolin alcohol, wool alcohols and Amerchol. If you have a confirmed lanolin allergy, avoiding lanolin and its derivatives is central to preventing further reactions.2

Lanolin can cause irritation or allergic contact dermatitis, an allergic skin reaction after contact. Broken skin, eczema and wounds increase the risk of becoming sensitised. Stop using a product that causes itching, swelling or blistering, and seek medical assessment for a suspected allergy. Contact allergy is diagnosed with patch testing.2