One of my products, the Repair Balm, gets such great feedback due to its ability to heal damaged, irritated and painful skin fast. This is my go-to when my eczema flares up, and it never fails to give quick relief and healing.
I attribute these amazing results to its main ingredient, lanolin.
Although in so many cases oils, butters and waxes from plants (non-animal) sources provide great healing and nourishment to our skin I can’t get away from the fact that we are animals and, for me, sometimes an animal based ingredient works better. I know this won’t sit right with vegans, but for those of us who eat animals, the use of animal products is a great option.
I take great care to choose animals products (to eat) from responsible farmers, who have the same standards and ideology as I have. I use these standards when choosing ingredients for my skin care too.
(Look out for another animal-based ingredient, fantastic for our skin coming soon.)
Lanolin ~ where it’s from and why it works
Lanolin is extracted from the oils found on the wool of sheep. Sheep wool grows continuously so needs to be sheared annually to prevent the wool overgrowing and causing the sheep problems. The lanolin is then removed in a washing process. So lanolin is a cruelty-free by-product of the wool industry.
The composition of fats and water that make up lanolin are almost identical to the fats and water in our human skin. It deeply moisturizes (both with oils and water) our skin while allowing it to breathe. No plant oils can mimic our skin so closely. This makes lanolin so perfect for very dry and damaged skin.
In the ’80s lanolin got a bad reputation and was considered an irritant to our skin. It was later discovered that the irritations and reactions were not to the lanolin itself but to residual pesticides and chemicals used during bad farming practices. The lanolin I use is thoroughly cleaned and tested resulting in a medical grade product.
Unfortunately there is no certified organic lanolin on the market at this time. Medical grade lanolin is considered incredibly safe, it is used on open wounds in hospitals, and recommended for cracked nipples of nursing mothers.
Lanolin is incredibly sticky and unpleasant to use when used as is. I blend mine with jojoba oil infused with beneficial herbs to create this easy to apply, smooth gel.
If plant oils are not providing the moisture and healing benefits you need, try lanolin!
