Lanolin – designed and developed by Nature
Lanolin – designed and developed by Nature
Lanolin – designed and developed by Nature
WHO WE ARE
Our international team is highly motivated to bring Lanolin and its opportunities to our customers all over the world. The location of our warehouse is in Bremen, Germany – coupled with the close proximity of the major port of Hamburg, provides us with logistical advantages with respect to stock support and speedy delivery within Europe. Should you have a special Lanolin request, or simply wish to discuss the possibilities of Lanolin, please do not hesitate to contact us.
ABOUT LANOLIN
Lanolin is the name given to refined Wool grease, which is also known as Wool Wax, Wool Fat and Adeps Lanae. Wool grease is a natural wax secreted by the sebaceous glands of sheep covering the wool fibres. It naturally protects the sheep’s skin and wool from environmental conditions, waterproofing the fibres and avoiding moisture accumulation. After rigorous refining processes, lanolin is obtained: a yellow unctuous product, solid at room temperature with a faint characteristic odour. To avoid confusion, the refined, waterless substance is referred to as ‘Anhydrous Lanolin’. In the pharmaceutical industry, however, ‘Lanolin’ is traditionally describes as water-in-oil (w/o) emulsion, with a water content of approximately 30 % by weight.
APPLICATIONS
Lanolin is versatile and widely used in pharmaceutical, personal care and industrial products. Lanolin is an excellent emollient, possessing a number of important chemical and physical similarities to human Stratum Corneum Lipids. It has strong emulsifying properties, making it an important ingredient in formulations.
It is commonly used in a diversity of Creams including Breast Creams, Baby Creams, Lotions, Ointments, Plasters, Shampoos, Hair Conditioners and other cosmetic products. Industrial applications include Leather Finishing, Rust Prevention, Plasticisers, Lubricants, Adhesives and Textiles. Pharmaceutical applications include Cholesterol and Vitamin D3.
Anhydrous lanolin or refined wool wax is a complex natural substance, designed by nature to protect and soften both skin and wool fibres. Chemically it is a wax, a complex mixture of long chain esters and fatty acids with high molecular weight alcohols. 90-95 % of lanolin are esters and 5 – 10 % are free alcohols with small quantities of free fatty acids and hydrocarbons. Anhydrous lanolin is essentially a water-free wool wax. Wool wax is a much more complex matrix than for example vegetable oils, with a molecular mass distribution spanning 1002000 Da. More than 170 different fatty acids and more than 70 alcohols of high molecular weight have been identified in lanolin. Free fatty acids range from C9 to C33, in the “normal”, “iso” and ”ante-iso” types. The alcoholic fraction contains sterols, triterpene alcohols, aliphatic alcohols, mono-alcohols, diols and polyols. Approximately 35 % of the alcoholic fraction is cholesterol.