As winter draws to a close, your hands, elbows, knees, feet, and lips can become extremely sore. To soothe stubborn and unpleasant dry skin, I decided to make a balm using lanolin. I’ve never used lanolin before, so I wasn’t sure how effective it really is or if it lives up to its reputation, but this experimental balm is worth sharing and it helps relieve pain. I’m happy to say that’s what I strive for every night. Lips, dry, chapped hands, cracked heels. This homemade lanolin balm is easy to make and has a long shelf life. Let’s get started!
I originally purchased lanolin because I heard it was a great ingredient for formulating overnight lip masks. My daughters are obsessed with the Laneige Lip Mask, but I’m not impressed with its ingredients. The texture is great and its staying power is impressive. It’s basically a balm, so I thought I’d be able to recreate it. I’m still experimenting, but in the process, I’ve created the perfect lanolin balm for this winter when my skin is cracked and painfully dry.
What is lanolin?
Lanolin is basically the oil from sheepskin. Sheep produce lanolin to keep their skin moist and their wool soft. Lanolin is extracted from wool, not sheep. The sheep are not harmed during the extraction process.
lanolin It is a soft waxy substance with a deep yellow color. It can also be used alone and is often used as a nipple cream for nursing mothers due to its protective and soothing effect on the skin. It is often compared to petrolatum, but unlike petrolatum, lanolin is considered a natural product and not a synthetic product.
Lanolin is found in many products, including lip balm, hemorrhoid cream, shaving cream, eye cream, lotion, mustache wax, and diaper rash cream. It can reduce skin moisture loss by 20-30%.
The texture of lanolin is beautiful, and once you touch it, it’s easy to see why it’s so beneficial to your skin. However, the smell is a problem. Lanolin has a strange smell. I don’t think it smells like animal skin oil, but more like a musky scent. This is the only reason I don’t use this recipe as a camo recipe for la nige. However, the texture of this balm is very similar to the famous lip mask and I use lanolin balm on my lips. Your dog will get used to the smell, and the benefits will far outweigh the unpleasant experience.
Related article: Dry skin winter facial oil
What you need to make homemade lanolin balm:
material
- 2.5 teaspoons lanolin
- 2 teaspoons castor oil
- 1.5 teaspoons beeswax
- 2.5 teaspoons jojoba oil
- 1 teaspoon kokum butter
- 5 drops of lavender essential oil
- 1/2 teaspoon vitamin E
tool
- 50ml glass bottle (2oz bottle also works)
- medium sized pot
- glass pyrex measuring cup
- spoon or stirring stick
- measuring spoon
Instructions
- Create a double boiler by filling a medium-sized pot halfway with water and placing it on the stove.
- Set the stove top to medium heat and place a glass Pyrex measuring cup or bowl over the pot.
- Add oil, butter, beeswax and lanolin to a glass cup/bowl and heat until all ingredients are completely melted.
- Remove the glass cup from the heat and stir in the essential oil and vitamin E.
- Pour the liquid into a glass bottle.
- Chill the balm in the refrigerator to solidify.
Precautions
- Scoop a small amount of this balm into your palms and apply smoothly to elbows, knees, hands, heels, lips, or any other area that needs intensive soothing and hydration.
- This balm has a shelf life of 6-12 months.
Related Article: 3 Essential Oil Recipes for Winter Blues
Alternative ingredients:
This DIY is all about lanolin, so it’s a must. However, you can substitute the oil and butter with whatever you have on hand. I chose castor oil because it is thick and sticky, and jojoba because it is highly nutritious and penetrates well into most skin types. However, this recipe contains 4.5 teaspoons of oil, and if you only have one oil, you can use 4.5 teaspoons in this recipe. Olive oil, like avocado oil and sweet almond oil, is an excellent skin soothing and moisturizing oil. Unrefined coconut oil is also fine. It’s very soothing, but it’s not particularly moisturizing, so it depends on what you need this balm for.
I had kokum butter so I used it. I like it because it absorbs quickly. However, shea butter, cocoa butter, or mango butter all work. Please note that using shea butter will make the balm a little softer.
Beeswax, like lanolin, is non-negotiable. I can recommend some vegan waxes that work, but lanolin is not vegan, so if you’re aiming for vegan DIY, this isn’t for you. If you want a vegan balm, check out my post on vegan wax and my recipe for vegan petrolatum.
Vitamin E is a great idea to use in balms, as it slows down spoilage. It is also a powerful antioxidant and protects the skin from free radicals. Is this balm 100% necessary? Probably not, but it’s a great oil to have on hand. You can omit it if you wish. To keep the proportions correct, add 1/2 teaspoon to the oil to make 5 teaspoons. Total oil.
You can use any essential oil of your choice or omit the essential oils altogether. I like adding essential oils. Because essential oils help mask the odor of lanolin. Additionally, most essential oils enhance the balm’s healing and anti-inflammatory properties.
Related Article: DIY Firming Body Oil for Dry Skin
Trust me, the texture of this balm is really nice. It’s soft without being too greasy, yet has a firm texture without being too hard. A small amount is effective and provides immediate pain relief. I made this balm a few weeks ago and have been using it on my hands and lips ever since. I hope this jar gets me through the winter, but if not, I’ll definitely be making this exact recipe again. Have you ever used lanolin? If not, I think you’ll be impressed.
xx, Jenny
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