Lanolin
Lanolin is a waxy emollient from sheep’s wool, used to soften and seal moisture into skin and lips. It is an effective moisturiser but can be comedogenic and is an occasional contact allergen, so it is flagged for acne-prone and sensitive skin.
Lanolin is secreted by wool-bearing animals and closely mimics skin’s own lipids, which makes it a powerful occlusive moisturiser common in lip balms and hand creams.
It can be comedogenic for acne-prone skin, and lanolin (particularly its wool-alcohol fraction) is an occasional cause of contact allergy, especially on already-damaged or eczema-prone skin. People with a known wool-alcohol allergy should avoid it.
Who this affects
Caution
- Acne-prone skin: Can be comedogenic on acne-prone skin.
- Sensitive skin & eczema: An occasional contact allergen, especially on damaged or eczema-prone skin.
Frequently asked questions
Lanolin is not vegan — it is an animal-derived emollient, a waxy grease (sebum) extracted and refined from sheep’s wool. Products that rely on it, or on its derivatives such as wool alcohols, lanolin alcohol and wool fat, are unsuitable for a vegan routine; plant emollients like shea butter are common alternatives.
Lanolin can be a contact allergen for some people, though it is relatively uncommon: positive patch-test rates are roughly 1.7–3.3% among eczema and dermatitis patients who are tested, and estimated under 0.5% in the general population. The free "wool alcohols" are considered the main sensitisers, which is why patch-test kits use wool alcohols and Amerchol L101. Symptoms are those of allergic contact dermatitis — redness, itching, sometimes blistering where the product was applied.
Lanolin is a very effective moisturiser and is widely used in eczema and dry-skin products, but people with broken or eczematous skin — including venous eczema, atopic dermatitis or leg ulcers — are at higher risk of becoming sensitised to it, because a damaged skin barrier lets more allergen through. If you have chronic eczema and a lanolin-containing product seems to be making things worse, ask a dermatologist about patch testing for lanolin and wool alcohols.
Lanolin is a natural, animal-sourced emollient — sebum extracted from sheep’s wool, then cleaned and refined. Chemically it is a complex mix of high-molecular-weight esters, alcohols, fatty acids and sterols, and many cosmetics also use semi-synthetic lanolin derivatives such as acetylated lanolin, ethoxylated lanolin or wool alcohols.
The reliable way is dermatologist-performed patch testing: small amounts of wool alcohols (commonly 30% in petrolatum) and/or Amerchol L101 (50% in petrolatum) are applied to the back and read after about 48–72 hours. Signs of lanolin allergic contact dermatitis include redness, itching and sometimes blistering where lanolin-containing products were used; if you suspect it, stop the product and see a dermatologist rather than self-diagnosing.
Sources
Fulton et al. (1984), "Comedogenicity of current therapeutic products, cosmetics, and ingredients in the rabbit ear", Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology