In the dead of winter, hands, elbows, knees, feet and lips can really suffer. I decided to make a balm using lanolin to relieve stubborn and uncomfortable dry skin. Having never used lanolin before, I wasn’t sure how effective it really was or if it lived up to its reputation, but I’m happy to say that this experimental balm is worth sharing and what I reach for every night to ease my pain lips, dry, rough hands and cracked heels. This homemade lanolin balm is easy to make and has a long shelf life. Let’s get into it!
I had originally bought lanolin because I had heard it was the perfect ingredient to make an overnight lip mask. My daughters are obsessed with the Laneige lip mask, but I’m not impressed with the ingredients. I will say, the texture is amazing and the staying power is impressive. Since it’s basically a balm, I thought I might as well recreate it. I’m still experimenting with this, but in the process I’ve created a lanolin balm that’s perfect for those winter months where skin gets chapped and painfully dry.
What is lanolin?
Lanolin is basically sheep oil. Sheep produce lanolin to keep their skin moisturized 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 that is dark yellow in color. It can be used alone and is often used as a nipple cream for nursing mothers due to its ability to protect and soothe the skin. It is often compared to petrolatum, but unlike petroleum jelly, lanolin is not synthetic and is considered a natural product.
Lanolin can be found in many products, including lip balms, hemorrhoid creams, shaving creams, eye creams, lotions, mustache wax, and diaper rash cream. It can reduce skin moisture loss by 20-30%.
The texture of lanolin is wonderful and when you feel it you can easily understand why it is so beneficial for the skin. However, the smell is the downside. Lanolin smells weird to me. Not what you’d imagine animal tallow to smell like, but more like a musky smell. It’s the only reason I don’t use this recipe as my Laniege dupe recipe. However, the texture of this balm is very similar to the famous lip mask and I use the lanolin balm on my lips. You get used to the smell and the benefits far outweigh any unpleasant experience that comes from the smell.
Related Post: Face Oil For Dry Skin
What you’ll need to make a homemade lanolin balm:
Materials
- 2.5 teaspoons of lanolin
- 2 teaspoons of castor oil
- 1.5 tsp. honeycomb
- 2.5 tsp. jojoba oil
- 1 tsp. kokum butter
- 5 drops lavender essential oil
- 1/2 tsp. vitamin E
Tools
- 50 ml glass jar (2 oz jar will work)
- Medium sized pot
- Pyrex glass measuring cup
- Spoon stick or stirring
- Measuring tape
Instructions
- Create a double boiler by filling a medium-sized pot halfway with water and placing it on the stove.
- Turn on the stove on medium heat and place a glass measuring cup or pyrex bowl in the pot.
- Add oil, butter, beeswax and lanolin to glass cup/bowl and heat until all ingredients are well melted.
- Remove the glass cup from the heat, add essential oils and vitamin E and stir.
- Pour liquid into a glass jar.
- Allow the balm to cool and harden in the refrigerator.
Notes
- Use this balm by pouring a small amount into the palm of your hand to rub into elbows, knees, hands, heels, lips, or anywhere else intense healing and moisture is needed.
- The shelf life of this balm is 6-12 months.
Related Post: 3 Essential Oil Recipes for the Winter Blues
Ingredient Substitutes:
This DIY is all about lanolin, so it’s a must. However, you can replace the portion of oil and butter with what you have on hand. I chose castor oil because of how thick and sticky it is and jojoba because it is so nourishing and well tolerated by most skins. However, there are 4.5 teaspoons of oil in this recipe, and if you only have one oil, you can use 4.5 teaspoons in this recipe. Olive oil is an excellent oil for soothing and moisturizing the skin, as are avocado oil and sweet almond oil. Unrefined coconut oil is fine. It’s VERY healing, but not particularly moisturizing, so it really depends on what you need this balm for.
I used kokum butter because that’s what I have. I like it because it penetrates quickly. However, shea butter, cocoa butter, or mango butter will work. Note that if you use shea butter, your balm will be slightly smoother.
Beeswax, like lanolin, is non-negotiable. I could recommend some vegan waxes that would work, but lanolin isn’t vegan, so if you’re aiming for a vegan DIY, this isn’t for you. If you need a vegan balm, you can check out my post on vegan candles and my recipe for vegan petroleum jelly!
Vitamin E is a great idea to use in balms because it delays rancidity. It is also a powerful antioxidant and can protect the skin from free radicals. Is it 100% necessary in this balm? Probably not, but it’s a great oil to have on hand. If you want to skip it, you can. To keep the proportions correct, add 1/2 tsp to the oil making 5 tsp. of the total oil.
You can use any essential oil you like or even skip the essential oils all together. I like to add essential oils because they help mask the smell of the lanolin. In addition, most essential oils add to the healing and anti-inflammatory properties of the balm.
Related Post: DIY Firming Body Oil for Dry Skin
Trust me when I say, the texture of this balm is really nice. It’s soft without being too greasy but firm without being too hard. A little goes a long way and the relief is immediate. I have been using this balm on my hands and lips since I made it a few weeks ago. I’m hoping this jar will get me through the winter, but I’ll definitely be making this exact recipe again if it doesn’t! Have you used lanolin? If not, I think you’ll be impressed.
xx, Jenny
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