An FAQ session with our lanolin manufacturing experts

What is lanolin?

Lanolin by Croda is a refined version of sheep’s wool grease. Wool grease is a material secreted through the skin of sheep that protects the skin and wool from the environment. Due to the material being derived from a natural material, it is considered very gentle and has a wide variety of uses, it’s most commonly used in topical creams.

The skin is the body’s primary defence mechanism, and its integrity is of primary importance to ensure skin moisturisation, protection, and delivery. Lanolin is a natural and safe emollient used for skin barrier repair, and is able to augment the functions of the human skin lipids. By replenishing the essential lipids of the skin, lanolin accelerates the repair of the skin’s natural barrier function.

Lanolin is a complex mixture of esters, di-esters and hydroxy-esters of C12-C35 lanolin alcohols and C7-C41 lanolic acids. Some studies have estimated that there are up to 20,000 different esters present in lanolin, some liquid and some solid, giving a semi-solid mixture with a typical melting temperature of 40°C. One of the major applications for lanolin is in topical formulations for cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. The unique structure of lanolin shares some similarities with the complex intercellular lipids of the stratum corneum in the skin, where the lipids provide the ‘mortar’ around the ‘bricks’ of the corneocytes in the classic ‘bricks and mortar’ model. This structure in the stratum corneum is responsible for preventing transepidermal water loss and maintaining barrier function, stopping external threats from entering the body. Loss or an imbalance of the skin’s natural lipids can lead to dry, cracked skin and make it more permeable to environmental pollutants, toxins and microbes etc. Because of the similarity in structure, lanolin can penetrate into the upper layers of the skin, replenishing some of the skin’s natural lipids and helping to restore that vital barrier function. Lanolin acts not only via occlusivity, preventing the evaporation of water from the skin, but also via humectancy, binding water through hydroxyl groups, giving it a different function to other emollients such as petrolatum. Lanolin can be found as an ingredient in products to treat nappy rash, chapped lips, dry skin and cracked heels, and sore nipples for breast-feeding mothers, amongst many more.

What is the history of lanolin?

Lanolin has been used for thousands of years – some of the earliest recorded uses were sword sheaths made from wool – the wool grease (lanolin) in the wool coated the sword and provided it with rust protection. In Ancient Greek text lanolin is mentioned as moisturising.

Croda has an extensive history of lanolin purification, refining wool grease to make lanolin, and lanolin derivatives for over 100 years. Our founders, the chemist Mr Dawe and the entrepreneur Mr Crowe, began processing wool grease in Rawcliffe Bridge, a small village in the north of England, in 1925. The production of lanolin contributed to several vital products used during World War II, including rust preventatives, camouflage paints and insect repellents. It then became more widely used in beauty products, pharmaceuticals and various other industries. Today, Croda refines lanolin at several manufacturing sites across the globe, and also produces high purity lanolin using a proprietary Super Refining process.

What is the origin and sourcing method of our lanolin?

Our wool grease is sourced in Australia and New Zealand, this is due to the high quality of the material and complies with TSE risk assessments needed for the Pharma industry. Wool grease is very much a bi-product of the wool industry and so is not the sole reason that the sheep are bread and reared. The sheep must be sheered for welfare purposes so that they do not suffer during summer months. Each fleece will only generate around 250g of wool grease so this represents a very small part of the value of the wool. The land used for sheep rearing tends to be of low quality and this industry is therefore not depriving other uses for the land.

What is the processing method for our lanolin grades?

We use a range of techniques to purify and refine the wool grease into lanolin. Ultimately the process is about refining a crude brown material that has been exposed to the elements into an unctuous yellow material that can go into pharmaceutical applications. The lanolin processing method does not chemically change the product, rather it just removes the human and environmentally caused contaminants such as dirt and pesticides.

Our Medilan™ pharmaceutical lanolins repair, protect and hydrate the skin. The Medilan range offers exceptional lanolin purity beyond that of monograph compliance, efficacy in clinical trials and proven safety in use. The range plays an essential role in the treatment of a number of compromised skin conditions including eczema, nappy rash and wound healing.

We are a multi-site manufacturer making lanolins across three continents, enabling a reduced supply chain risk for the customer.

Croda manufactures several products that meet the monographs for lanolin and modified lanolin. Pharmalan is a purified grade of lanolin, suitable for topical use and baby care. Medilan is a highly purified lanolin, reducing traces of pesticides and free wool wax alcohols to very low levels. Medilan Super and Medilan Ultra undergo Croda’s proprietary Super Refining process, to produce modified lanolins with exceptional purity and reduced colour, with Medilan Ultra being almost white in colour and suitable for the most sensitive dermatological applications. Outside of the lanolin range, Croda also produces numerous lanolin derivatives using wool grease as a starting material. Through processes such as ethoxylation, fractionation, hydrolysis and acetylation, a range of lanolin-based products with diverse functions and properties exist in the portfolio.

How should lanolin be stored?

Lanolin requires no special storage conditions and can be held in ambient conditions. The material melts around 40°C so can be easily heated for simpler processing.

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