Substitute for Lanolin?
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Fri Sep 17, 2010 7:56 am

I also posted this on SCT so to those of you who hang out there as well, sorry!

I have some recipes i'm working on from a book I have. Some of them call for Lanolin but i'm not interested in using it . I understand Lanolin acts like somewhat of an emulsifier. How would I adjust the recipes to exclude Lanolin. Should I add more beeswax? Replace it w/something else? Thank you in advance.

Sat Sep 18, 2010 9:46 am

I wonder if you could replace it with shea butter? hmm

free skin care · Sat Sep 18, 2010 9:53 am

havana8 wrote:

I wonder if you could replace it with shea butter? hmm

Even Mango Butter which is softer by far than either the beeswax or Shea Butter? Lanolin is softer in texture.

Sun Sep 19, 2010 8:15 pm

Thank you, ladies. I have raw unrefined shea butter and cocoa butter. No mango butter. Cocoa butter is softer than shea. Perhaps I should use that? I have never used lanolin so I have no idea what it is like to work with. I will work with what I have and let you know how it turns out!

free skin care · Mon Sep 20, 2010 6:01 pm

Subbing with beeswax, I think is not the best solution. It will become very stiff, also it's generally beeswax and borax that act as an emulsifying agent. Getting the proportions correct is the trick. I have had extremely bad luck with that.

Do these recipes include water?

Tue Sep 21, 2010 7:32 am

Dragon,

Yes they are standard cream recipes emulsifying water and oil and a few of them do call for borax. Perhaps I can just eliminate the lanolin?

free skin care · Wed Sep 22, 2010 1:43 am

To replace the emulsifying property you can just add in a tsp of e-wax of your choice into the recipe and it will take care of that. To be honest don't stuff around using lanolin or beeswax as an emulsifier they are not very good at that. Buy an emulsifying wax its truly worth it. Even in my lanolin based creams I still use an e-wax to emulsify.

But for emolliency I have never found any substance that comes close to lanolin. I have dry skin and lanolin is the only substance that provides good lasting emolliency in my skin care without greasiness.

I've tried a host of substitutes, emu oil, shea butter and various waxes. None of them perform the way lanolin does. Lanolin is a very soft wax that lends a particular lightness to creams with super hydrating properties without greasiness. Oils are good but if you sub straight oil for the lanolin you will end up with a very greasy product. Emu oil is the closest in texture and behaviour to lanolin but quite pricey.

Beeswax is not a good substitute at all I find. It's much harder and lends a stiffening property to the recipe I quite dislike. Why do you wish to avoid lanolin? Are you allergic to wool? Or is it just the smell? Because lanolin is a very good item in skin care and the smell can be completely covered with a few drops of essential oil.

Lanolin has a similar texture to vaseline at room temperature. So to approximate that texture you would need to blend a butter (shea, cocoa etc) with enough oil to make it soft like vaseline then add that to your emulsion. But you will still end up with a greasier feel than if you used lanolin. The reason being that lanolin is a wax ester that's readily absorbed into the skin, not an oil. It's the softest cosmetic wax available.

Fri Sep 24, 2010 7:29 am

NotMeNotYou wrote:

Why do you wish to avoid lanolin? Are you allergic to wool? Or is it just the smell? Because lanolin is a very good item in skin care and the smell can be completely covered with a few drops of essential oil.

Thank you so much for your detailed response. I didn't want to use Lanolin because it is an animal product. I realize beeswax is as well but I think that is about as far as I want to take it w/regard to animal based ingredients in my creations. Do you think i'd be better off with A) Emu oil or B) blending a butter w/oil like you also suggested?

Do you have a good emulsifying wax suggestion that is plant based?

What about lecithin? I've not worked with this either but it is plant based.

I really do want to create something that is not greasy on my skin so I can wear it under my mineral makeup. I want it to hold up well, too, and not separate.

free skin care · Sat Sep 25, 2010 2:04 am

Ok, since your aversion is to due to animal products I definately would not recommend emu oil. The bird actually dies to produce it, unlike lanolin or beeswax. I'm assuming that would not sit well with you. If it's a matter of principle then we'll just have to work around it.

Since your major concern is having the cream not split then you definately need to purchase an e-wax. I use one derived from olive oil, it's quite pricey but very good and you only need a very small amount. Old fashioned methods such as borax, lecithin and the like just won't cut it if you want your cream to stay emulsified. Cheaper e-waxs are synthetic which are fine too. Nothing wrong with them.

I would use a vegetable butter with a high percentage of stearic acid. Stearic acid is a natural soft wax ester that's non-greasy and similar in feel to lanolin esters. I think from memory that Mango butter is high in stearic acid. Alternatively you can buy stearic acid produced from palm oil and just sub that in for the lanolin. Stearic acid is used in most commercial creams and is vegetable derived. I would steer clear of beeswax altogether because it's just too heavy and sticky.

Stearic acid isn't particularly emollient, so you'd need to also add in a heavier vegetable oil in say 5-10% quantity to create the emolliency missing. Avocado or virgin olive oil would be good choices for that. Rosehip oil is also emollient without being greasy. I use a rosehip and lanolin based cream under my mineral makeup and it works fantastically. I would also add about 1% hyaluronic acid to your cream for better longterm hydration. Hylauronic acid is made through fermentation although I am not 100% sure it's strictly vegetable derived.

Sun Sep 26, 2010 7:08 pm

I spoke with someone at the health food store about Emu and then it clicked..that we are talking about the animal..haha.

I tried experimenting w/lecithin this weekend and nooo beuno.

I have all the items you mention w/the exception of mango butter. My HA is a 1% gel but not sure if it is veggie derived. Thanks for the awesome repsonse. I will report back. Smile

definitely looking for something to wear under powdered minerals.

free skin care · Sun Sep 26, 2010 9:29 pm

Hi,
I'm wanting to try Borax, but the country I live in there is no way I can buy it... I've asked at several pharmacies and they just say it is not on sale... where do you buy it? My idea is to just start using it as a cleanser, didn't know about it used mixed in lotions, creams, etc.
On the other hand, I have found Rosehip oil greasy for my taste... Though like it very much, but use it at night for that reason.
TIA.

free skin care · Mon Sep 27, 2010 12:03 am

JessicaWiehle wrote:

I have all the items you mention w/the exception of mango butter. My HA is a 1% gel but not sure if it is veggie derived. Thanks for the awesome repsonse. I will report back. Smile

definitely looking for something to wear under powdered minerals.

New Directions Aromatics is a great supplier for all cosmetic ingredients and there's one in every major part of the world. They sell e-wax, plain stearic acid and the mango butter. Although Mango butter can be difficult to get hold of sometimes, so plain stearic acid will probably be fine. You can also pick it up on ebay usually in small quantities.

free skin care · Mon Sep 27, 2010 12:12 am

ATester wrote:

Hi,
I'm wanting to try Borax, but the country I live in there is no way I can buy it... I've asked at several pharmacies and they just say it is not on sale... where do you buy it? My idea is to just start using it as a cleanser, didn't know about it used mixed in lotions, creams, etc.
On the other hand, I have found Rosehip oil greasy for my taste... Though like it very much, but use it at night for that reason.
TIA.

Borax is usually found in the laundry products aisle of the supermarket as it's often used for household cleaning. The problem is that grade of borax isn't for cosmetic use and could contain impurities of the chemical variety. I've not heard of anything particularly fantastic about using borax on the skin so I would just find an alternative cleanser. The main reason it's used in creams is because when exposed to beeswax it causes a chemical reaction that emulsifies oil and water. But it's a really fiddly way to go about it and unnecessary when there are better alternatives.

If rosehip oil is too rich then maybe try Seabuckthorn oil. I just got mine for the first time today. It's got similar properties to the rosehip oil but feels particularly dry on the skin. It soaks in, within seconds and leaves no residue. It's pricey but a little goes a long way.

I bought mine from Mountain Rose Herbs and am very happy with the shipping time and quality of the product. (I'm not in the US).

Mon Sep 27, 2010 6:41 am

I have the same Sea Buckthorn oil from MRH. I just cracked it open the other day and did not try it directly on my skin because it is very yellow. I can't imagine you put it directly on your skin? I purchased it to incorporate at about 10% into my creams but had no idea it was so rich in color. It's properties sound amazing.

free skin care · Mon Sep 27, 2010 7:41 am

You can also find Mango Butter at MRH if you are interested in giving it a try. Smile

free skin care · Mon Sep 27, 2010 10:17 pm

JessicaWiehle wrote:

I have the same Sea Buckthorn oil from MRH. I just cracked it open the other day and did not try it directly on my skin because it is very yellow. I can't imagine you put it directly on your skin? I purchased it to incorporate at about 10% into my creams but had no idea it was so rich in color. It's properties sound amazing.

Its recommended to be diluted but I always test oil properties neat to truly understand the oil. The staining is alarming but actually wipes away very quickly. I plan to use it in a 10% blend as recommended.

Fri Oct 01, 2010 12:58 pm

So I decided not to eliminate the Lanolin based on all the good things you and others have to say about it.

I purchased Lanolin today.. but it is 100% Lanolin oil. Will this work the same? I guess I pictured it to be more of a wax or paste. I read online that the oil was just as emolliant, but lighter in texture. Is this what others are using?

free skin care · Fri Oct 01, 2010 9:38 pm

JessicaWiehle wrote:

So I decided not to eliminate the Lanolin based on all the good things you and others have to say about it.

I purchased Lanolin today.. but it is 100% Lanolin oil. Will this work the same? I guess I pictured it to be more of a wax or paste. I read online that the oil was just as emolliant, but lighter in texture. Is this what others are using?

The lanolin I use is called Anhydrous lanolin and is a dark yellow, sticky solid paste. I've not heard of lanolin oil at all. But after reading up on the net it should do essentially the same thing you are just missing the stiffness it might impart which shouldn't be a big deal. Lanolin oil as I understand it is just the liquid portion seperated out of the wax (a more refined version) so it will still penetrate the skin quickly and provide the same level of emolliency. Use it in the same quantity called for in your recipe.

And just as an aside I've just read that compositionally lanolin naturally contains AHAs which I wouldn't expect. Which probably accounts for it's ability to soften the skin.

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