So today’s
‘Know Your Ingredients’ is
inspired by my favourite lip balm of the moment, which boasts ‘Medical Grade
Lanolin’ as it’s main ingredient. I thought it would be a great ingredient as
it is a 100% natural ingredient and I didn’t want this series to be all about
negative or toxic ingredient you can find in your beauty products but rather a
mixture.
Lanolin is taken from sheep's wool as is a yellow
wax-like substance that protects sheep from the elements. So for anyone who is
against animal-cruelty and for organic/natural products, then you will be happy
to know that Lanolin is a renewable, natural substance that is obtained during
the sheep sheering process. The Sheep Wool is dunked in how water and boiled
for a few hours, Then wool is then taken out and the water kept boiling until
it evaporates and what is left is Raw Lanolin.
Now
while Lanolin is 100% natural (it's sheep wool wax for goodness sake), it can
have some sideeffects. Medical-grade lanolin is non-poisonous and without any skin effects but
non-medical grade lanolin can act as an irritant and cause a rash and swelling.
I’ve also heard that it can block your intestines from working properly and
cause vomiting and diarrhea if ingested but . . . I can’t see why you would
want to eat Lanolin
So that’s it for this week’s Ingredient
Spotlight . . . hope I didn’t gross you out. Apart from Dr. Lipp’s Nipple Balm
for Lips and Carmex, what other Lanolin based products have you come across?
