Anhydrous pure lanolin, Hydrous pure lanolin, lanolin creams, lanolin oil,
lanolin soaps, and merino lanolin
We carry
the largest selection in the U.S. of Australian and New Zealand
lanolin products
From my grandmother, I know
lanolin well, so I believe that no other lanolin range matches the
quality of our line. All our lanolin products are made with
pharmaceutical-grade lanolin produced from free-roaming New Zealand
or Australia sheep, and fed pesticide-free feed. If you are a
long-term user of lanolin creams, oils and soaps, as I am, you
already know how lanolin protects and rejuvenates the skin like no
other substance, and at a fraction of the cost. If you are a new
user, we invite you to try our products. We know that you will
become addicted forever. Koru Naturals is the top importer to the
U.S. of anhydrous lanolin, lanolin creams, lanolin oils and
lotions, and lanolin soaps from Australia and New Zealand.
What is Lanolin?
Lanolin is the oily
secretion from the skin of the sheep that becomes trapped in the
sheep’s wool. When the sheep is shorn each year, the wool is
washed, processed and the lanolin oil extracted and refined.
Lanolin is the Sheep’s natural nourisher and protector against the
extremes of its environment. The oils of lanolin are very similar
to those natural oils we secrete from within our own skin (after
all, we are both animals). Thus, lanolin is the only
human-compatible oil obtainable without having to kill an animal.
Most moisturizing creams and lotions use as their base oils that
are either of vegetable or mineral origin. These oils do not have
the compatibility with our skin that lanolin has.
History
Wool grease is the natural oil
that helps make wool water repellent, protecting sheep from the
harsh effects of weather. Secreted by the sheep's skin, it
continuously collects on the wool so that by the time the fleece is
harvested it makes up between 15 and 25 per cent of the total
weight of freshly cut wool. The ancient Greeks were among the first
to seize the potential of this natural emollient as a preservative,
protectant and lubricant, as an ointment and on everything from
clothing, and shelters to spears. And while this rather crude use
of wool grease continued from 700 BC onwards, it was the late 19th
century before a process was developed to refine what we know as
lanolin. These days it is recovered during the three-stage wool
cleaning or scouring process. It is separated from the fleece by a
solvent extraction in a process not unlike dry cleaning clothes.
After removing the solvent, dirt, debris and whatever sheep may
roll around in, what is left is a sticky substance a bit like
petroleum jelly. Pharmaceutical-grade lanolin, the grade we use, is
essentially free of any solvent residues.
The use of
lanolin in cosmetics and skin care has a history longer than almost
any other ingredient. A century of scientific investigation has
evolved qualities, traditionally unparalleled in their stringency
and surety. The performance of this quite remarkable substance and
its many derivatives has been endlessly demonstrated down through
the ages. Nature is abundant with materials that are beneficial to
humans and their well-being. Lanolin is such a material. Predating
science, it was never “invented” and has never been bettered for
versatility. It is the ultimate emollient.
Why it
works
The stratum corneum is the outer layer of the epidermis and is a
lipid-rich system, being bathed in an oily coating of sebum, which
is secreted by the sebaceous glands of the skin. The sebum plays a
vital role in moderating the moisture balance of the stratum
corneum and thereby its condition. The moisture within these cells
is considered to be in an emulsified form, maintained through the
action of naturally surface active lipids of the sebum. The
presence of cellular moisture within this layer is responsible for
the plumpness, smoothness, elasticity and translucency of healthy,
young skin. Aging, sunlight and the vagaries of life in general
result in a reduction in the ability of the stratum corneum to
retain its ideal moisture content, so the skin gets drier, rougher
and loses its youthful elasticity. Certainly this is a natural and
inevitable process, but incorporating lanolin in skin care systems
can be highly effective.
Australia is the top country in
terms of quality and volume, followed closely by New Zealand. Most
of our lanolin products are made with New Zealand lanolin, and
purified to pharmaceutical-grade in Australia. Our Australian
products are also made with the purest lanolin available. If you
are born in New Zealand, the wonderful aroma and feeling of lanolin
will be imprinted in your brain forever.
