Lanolin Is A Skincare Favorite For Celebs Like Margot Robbie And Kylie Jenner

If you suffer from dry lips, sheep lanolin could just be your new best friend. It’s second to none for keeping your lips hydrated. The natural substance is taken straight from freshly shorn sheep’s wool and is also the secret ingredient behind the beloved and innovative beauty brand, Lano.

Kirsten Carriol is the founder of Lano, an Australian skincare brand known for “Lanolips,” its luxurious lip balm and what Esquire calls “the best lip balm on earth.” Beloved by everyone from the ancient Egyptians to modern day celebrities like Margot Robbie, lanolin is a byproduct of sheep shearing. It’s ethical, sustainable, and good for the economy.

Here is everything you need to know about this underrated skincare product.

Lanolin has been around for generations

Lanolin has stood the test of time, and many cultures and public figures have used it over centuries. If you go into a museum of artifacts, you’ll likely find a carpet that is thousands of years old from ancient Egypt that still glistens from the lanolin in the wool.

Rumor has it that Marilyn Monroe even used lanolin for her skin, with modern day celebs like Kylie Jenner and Margot Robbie following suit. It’s also been used in hospitals, specifically after operations, for burn victims and for breastfeeding mothers. You know, when you get really cracked nipples? Your skin is crying out for moisture. The best part is that it’s safe for mothers and babies.

The science behind lanolin

Carriol feels that lanolin is superior to many of the expensive, high-tech beauty formulas currently on the market. She first learned about lanolin’s skin compatibility while growing up on her grandparents’ sheep farm in South Australia.

She recalls her family using it for everything—skin, lips, everywhere. “In winter, when you get a cold and you get those dry, crusty lips, I remember my parents coming and putting it on our lips before bed. We’d wake up, and our lips were magically healed,” Carriol says.

Lanolin’s skin compatibility

The science behind lanolin makes it stand out above competitors. Carriol’s love of lanolin is backed by the molecular studies of her father, a DNA scientist who believed in lanolin because the molecular structure of lanolin is almost identical to human oils.

Lanolin is also compatible with human skin, meaning it mimics the skin and its natural oils, unlike petroleum jelly or a plant butter that only creates a barrier to protect the skin. However, the molecular structure is not compatible with the skin, meaning that they won’t absorb and they’ll just sit on top of the skin.

Once sheep lanolin absorbs into your skin, it has an amazing ability to hold onto moisture and help keep hydration into the skin deep down. It’s a moisture reservoir: “If you don’t wash, lanolin will stay on your skin, hydrating you 48 hours later. It also has the protection properties, but it creates a breathable barrier. Whatever your skin needs to do, self-heal, soothe, lanolin will give it this beautiful environment. It keeps your skin happy, healthy, and moist,” Carriol says.

Sheep lanolin plus a little SPF

The 101 ointment is Carriol’s trademark and original Lanolips product. It’s a fan-favorite because, as Carriol says, “it’s the most hydrating lip balm you can use. It has no color, no scent, no flavor, and it’s not offensive. It’s so basic that it’s great. People come back to simplicity.”

Now Carriol has managed to marry lanolin with SPF for the juicy new Sun Balm SPF 30 Tropical Lip Balm. After 16 years in the making, it launched this summer. It’s the company’s first foray into SPF for the lips. With a hint of shimmer, it smells like pineapple or like your next beach vacation.

Try the SPF lip balm or stick to the OG 101 ointment. Whatever you choose, the pure lanolin formula will leave your skin happy and healthy.

Read This: