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Mellieha
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LisaLise offers online education of natural plant-based cosmetics via e-books and courses
A look inside the LisaLise natural cosmetics lab with free formulas, DIY how-to's, ingredients tips, sneak peeks, and more.
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When Marie of Humblebee & Me asked me if I would help her make her very first glycerite, there wasn’t a moments hesitation on my part.
Pictured above: the beginning of a glycerite that we are going to be making here in a moment.
But in the meantime, I wanted to share this link to Marie’s video where we chat about glycerites and I give her a few tips and tricks for a successful result.
Today, I’m going to share a few cosmetics making secrets with you.
Not long ago, a lovely member of my Facebook group posted a link to a website that showed you how to make your own ‘Sucragel-style’ emulsifier.
(insert gasp of joy and delight)
As not everyone around the globe can source Sucragel (particularly in the smaller amounts commonly required and desired for artisan cosmetic makers), I’m sure you can imagine how much excitement this generated.
I had to try the formulation (that’s it up there at the top of this post) and at the same time decided to contact author and formulator Heike Käser of Olionatura to ask if she would allow me to (translate and) share her formulation on my blog.
Not only was she positive about the idea, she even agreed to be interviewed! Please join me in welcoming the lovely and talented Heike Käser of Olionatura !
Oh, that was a very long time ago, 2008/2009 it must have been. At that time, a store introduced an innovative, gel-like and self-emulsifying compound based on a sugar ester (sucrose laurate), glycerin and oil, called "Sucragel". I researched the subject and learned that this composition forms special liquid-crystalline structures that reliably incorporate water and other lipids into a stable emulsion, even when processed cold. Sucrose laurates were not available to end users, but sucrose stearates were. Now lauric acid is a C-12 fatty acid, and stearic acid (both are the starting materials for the esters) is a C-18 fatty acid - it was to be assumed that the result would not be identical. Nevertheless, it worked. I had to experiment a bit on how to combine the individual components; after all, the compound "Sucrogel" should not have to be preserved. Therefore, the water content had to be kept low. Glycerin reduces the water activity of microorganisms, the oil is not microbially susceptible per se. The great thing is that the emulsifier concentration in the final cosmetic product can be kept extremely low. The cream gels are really very light in texture and feel, without being greasy or sticky - already a small innovation in the DIY cosmetics scene at the time.
Why I shared the formulation or the idea? Well, my main profession (I'm a teacher) thrives on the realization that practice without sound knowledge does not yield optimal results. Learning and understanding enables us to develop new things, to critically question results and to develop things together with others. My ideal is that all people should have access to education, to free education. I also live out this ideal in Olionatura.
I stirred my first products in 1978 when I was 15 years old. I started developing my current concept in 2006. What interested me was the connection between skin physiological processes and what certain substances can do if there are topical applied. First and foremost, I was fascinated by plant oils - this is how the name "Olionatura" came about and the focus on the use of plant oils in a skin-physiologically oriented cosmetic. The website on the internet was a door opener: there I documented my learning and shared it with others - and the first professionals became aware and contacted me. I was allowed to visit some of them personally (e.g. at the university or in the laboratory), and I am still connected with them today. It is fascinating to talk to people who are "on fire" for their field and to feel their enthusiasm to pass on this knowledge. For me, this is "networking" in the best sense: talking to each other, learning, supporting each other. I have been passing on my knowledge on Olionatura.de since 2006, in books since 2010 and in seminars and coaching sessions since 2015. Today I am happy to see how much has grown from this. Olionatura has become a second professional pillar in recent years, and I have been able to accompany many people on their way: To self-employment, to their first own skincare range ... or to healthy skin.
The motivation for my research was and is a harmonious, sensible, physiological and resource-saving skin care. On top of that: I just love to learn :-) Pressing fresh oils, making extracts, distilling plants, conceiving new product ideas ... all this is creativity and sensuality in beautiful combination.
After developing effective care products, I have been fascinated by playing with colours for several years: I am currently intensively designing decorative cosmetic products that are composed as minimally as possible, but whose performance and skin compatibility are absolutely convincing. I am currently working on a new book about decorative cosmetics - a great topic, both theoretically and in practical implementation. You have to know: I never used to wear much make-up - now I do it with enthusiasm, and it's especially great when others can't see at first glance that the freshness you're currently radiating comes from the little jar! Well, women can't be fooled so easily, but my husband, for example, doesn't see it directly. Sometimes I ask him for advice, he knows that I have developed something, but not what ... then he looks at me, asks me to step into the light and says "You look good, so fresh ... but I don't know why." That's it! :-)
I'll soon be 60, and it's nice to be able to look rested and vital with few resources. The great thing is: decorative cosmetics are so easy to make and don't cost much. You hardly need any equipment, and the raw materials last a long time. Finally, you can choose your own individual colours and combine them as you like. However, if you are used to conventional products, you have to accept some compromises: Natural cosmetics can't (yet) be 100 % waterproof, and we don't have those bright, "popping" reds that you can get with synthetic dyes. However, it is possible today with a little know-how to realise great products that are also good for the skin.
Until a few years ago, it was difficult for consumers in German-speaking countries to buy high-quality, tested cosmetic pigments. In German shops, there were a handful that were very poorly or incorrectly declared. Most of them were only available in the USA. In 2015, I decided to buy my pigments for my seminars myself, preferably from Germany and Europe (we have really excellent expertise in pigment production in Germany), and to work with them. Since then, really good products have emerged - I haven't bought any deco cosmetics for years except for mascara (and here, too, I hope to find my own solution). Now I have it in my own hands to do without critically discussed AZO dyes, preservatives, silicones and mineral oil derivatives.
So, the short answer to your question is: My current project is the book on decorative cosmetics. When and where it will be published ... I won't tell you yet, quality takes time. But it will come, I promise! :-)
Thank you so much Heike!
And now, with Heike’s gracious permission, I am thrilled to present you with her formulation guide for this ‘Sucragel-style’ emulsifier which I have named ‘Sugar Ester Emulsifier’.
| Phase | Ingredient | % |
|---|---|---|
| A | Glycerine | 50-55 |
| A | Hydrosol/Demineralised water | 10 |
| B | Sucrose Stearate | 10 |
| C | Oil of Choice | 25-30 |
Mix phase A until homogenous
Add phase B and stir gently to incorporate
Heat over water bath until the mixture is homogenous
Remove from heat
Slowly add phase C while stirring gently until a milky creamy ‘gel’ forms
Transfer to container
And here’s how I made my first batch
| Ingredient | Grams |
|---|---|
| Apricot Kernel Oil | 30 |
| Orange Blossom Hydrosol | 10 |
| Glycerine | 50 |
| Sucrose Stearate | 10 |
I decided to sift the sucrose stearate into the mixture to avoid lumps. This wasn’t called for in the formulation guide and may be unnecessary.
The mixture has a lovely creamy white color when the sucrose stearate is added.
After taking the sucrose stearate off of the heat, the oil is added slowly while stirring constantly
The texture was quite fluid and lotion-like after the oil was added but stiffened up to the mayonnaise-like texture pictured at the top of the post.
Next batch, I will be playing with both percentages and ingredients to see which kinds of additional textures can be created. This one functions beautifully but did turn out a bit more viscous than I expected.
Add desired amount of emulsifier to vessel
Add oil phase bit by bit (exactly as you would do with sucragel). Incorporate fully before the next addition.
Add water phase using the same procedure as the oil phase.
Emulsify mixture for approximately 2 minutes with a high speed mixing tool.
Add preservative, pH adjuster (optimal pH 5 - 5.5), fragrance etc.
Heike has also kindly allowed me to share these top tips
For optimal viscosity, do not exceed 10% of sucrose stearate when making the emulsifier
Choose oils that are stable and have a long shelf life to make your emulsifier such as jojoba, meadowfoam, squalene, and neutral oils.
Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge Heike!
Visit Olionatura right here
This may look like a small bottle of water surrounded by some lovely green pine, but there is a story to the liquid you see here that I am very excited about sharing with you. This bottle is not only full of nutrients that are beneficial for skin (and hair), but it can be used instead of both water and preservatives in cosmetics.
Yes, you read correctly.
This bottle contains a 100% natural botanically-rich replacement for both water and preservatives and it is safe to use at up to 100%.
Opening the bottle and taking a sniff reveals an almost indiscernible scent of fresh pine. This liquid extract is gentle, well tolerated, throughly tested, and is paving the way to self preserving cosmetics while offering the most sustainable production process I have read about to date.
How is this even possible?
After testing a sample of Extvolat, I asked the folks who make it if they would be willing to share a bit about how this product came to be and they kindly agreed to this interview.
I will be writing about my own experiences with Extvolat in upcoming posts, but first, please join me in welcoming Nikolay Myasnikov and a few of the folks behind this innovative ingredient that I predict is going to change the way the industry produces and preserves cosmetics.
Nikolay Myasnikov of Extvolat
There are two people who kicked off project “Extvolat”: Sergey Nazarkin and Maxim Onuchin, both are from Siberia.
Their entire lives and all of their endeavors have been connected to wood. At first part of their journey, they were engaged in construction of wooden houses and glued laminated timber production – and they are still doing it.
In the beginning of the 2000s, Sergey Nazarkin, as one of the co-founders of construction company, got the idea to develop a mobile drying installation that would solve a number of production tasks for drying wood needed for the glued laminated timber production.
The idea was to build an installation that would have the following benefits:
mobility (almost all drying installations at that time were stationary and required electricity. A mobile installation would allow for working directly in the logging fields and save both time and money on drying and transportation.
minimum consumption of electricity with the raw materials loaded at maximum capacity
Over the next several years, they developed and built the first prototype of the installation which met these requirements. The prototype was produced and implemented.
No, it wasn’t. During the drying process, we realized discarding the liquid also meant throwing out valuable trace elements that could be beneficial elsewhere, so we started considering what sphere of application the liquid might be useful for.
Maxim Onuchin came up with the thought of using this liquid – rich in unique micro-elements – as a replacement for water in cosmetic production. The cosmetic product would be enriched with additional benefits.
After all, it has long been known that pine oils and extracts have beneficial properties and a positive impact to human health.
So it was decided to upgrade the current processing unit so it could capture the liquid (moisture) from moisture-containing raw materials.
Maxim Onuchin and Sergey Nazarkin
It took more than 5 years with lots of research and development, and there were numerous failures and losses. There were times when the guys were literally on the verge of giving up. But thanks to their perseverance and faith in their work, Sergey Nazarkin and Maxim Onuchin, together with a team of professionals, finally made it happen.
It was really the combined efforts of the entire team (that included technologists, biologists, engineers, and consulting scientists) that made this project a success.
As a result, an innovative method and the new processing unit made it possible to capture the liquid from any moisture-containing material of plant origin, preserving a large amount of the valuable micro-elements in the final liquid extract.
Yes, we developed and created our own cosmetic line, which was called PineAqua, and in 2012 we introduced it to the Russian cosmetic market.
The concept of the brand was to replace all water in the formulations with Pine Extvolat (pine extract). This was an innovation for the cosmetic industry and introduced the idea of saving fresh water. The idea of replacing water with Pine Extvolat, which contains additional active elements, turned out to be interesting for many manufacturers.
For example, in collaboration with the French company silab.fr, we developed and launched a line of hair products that had excellent characteristics and a beautifully rich composition.
This helped spread awareness and made it possible for third-party cosmetic companies to start developing their own products – naturally enriched with undeniable benefits to human health and environmentally friendly as well.
A small selection of the many products in the PineAqua series
The first product – in 2008 using pine extract – was thoroughly studied in order to gain an understanding of its physical and chemical properties. It was also studied for microbiological and molecular composition and isolated valuable compounds in order to determine suitable areas of application.
Since this was a brand new raw material, it had never been researched by the scientific world, so we basically had to start from the beginning and carry out full-scale R&D.
In the process of testing, the pine extract was subjected to thermal, physical, and chemical influences, and various tests were carried out in numerous accredited laboratories and institutes in both Russia and Europe.
Apart from laboratory tests, clinical trials were also undertaken to confirm the safety and efficacy of the raw material for human use.
Since this was really a unique and brand new raw material – produced for the first time in the world – we named it Extvolat. Extvolat is the derivative from words "extract" + "volatile substances".
The first product was named Pine Extvolat.
Through our formulation development and testing, we discovered that Pine Extvolat is not only self-preserving, but can also function as a preservation system.
We tested cosmetics using Pine Extvolat with no addition of preservative. The results of these tests were clear and allow us to claim that creating natural aqueous cosmetics without preservatives is now possible.
This opens up all kinds of possibilities for the cosmetic industry.
We have established the preservative properties of Pine Extvolat in our own cosmetics beauty line where all the water has been replaced with Pine Extvolat, but it is also possible to replace only some of the water with Pine Extvolat and still achieve a fully preserved product.
We tested to find out the minimum dosage for Pine Extvolat and have published some of the formulas on our website extvolat.com.
The challenge tests that were carried out confirmed that Pine Extvolat can function as a preservation system. The dosage is of course going to be dependent upon the additional ingredients in the formula, but in general, we recommend replacing all water in a formula with Extvolat.
As mentioned, Pine Extvolat has a rich composition of biologically active substances and trace elements of exclusively natural organic origin, so apart from functioning as a preservation system, it is bringing additional beneficial properties to the cosmetics it is used in.
One of the beneficial properties of Pine Extvolat has been confirmed by the results of the essay carried out by the French laboratory Bioalternatives. This essay confirmed the effectiveness of Pine Extvolat against acne.
We are happy to provide documentation of this. Interested parties are welcome to send a separate request to our sales department.
Additionally, further studies are ongoing.
Other beneficial properties of Pine Extvolate that we are seeing evidence of is anti-inflammatory, skin whitening ability, skin regeneration, and more.
The technology we developed is the success behind Extvolat. We have patented the process, method, and installation. It has taken us more than 15 years to achieve, but here’s what I can share with you.
The entire process of obtaining the raw material is 100% natural and also energy-saving. It respects the environment. There is no use of water, solvents, any other chemical solvents, diluents or any of their derivatives.
The process involves the following steps:
Collection of natural raw materials
Preparation of raw materials and loading them into the processing unit
Materials are heated to a predetermined temperature. This allows the release of moisture as vapor
Air flow is circulated and then cooled to condense the vapor to liquid
The liquid is collected
Our production process does not exceed a temperature of 30ºC. The low temperature allows for a liquid that is rich in micro-elements.
The technology is essentially 100% eco-friendly. In the Extvolat obtaining process, there is no waste, and the used dried raw materials are all put to use as well. The processing unit uses only a small amount of electricity, and the company is currently working developing a solar power energy driven processing unit.
The entire production process is respectful of our natural resources. The only thing we use is air. No additional ingredients are needed - not even water. Thus, the technology is completely waterless and meets todays most stringent eco-friendly requirements.
Our company is categorized as a medium-sized business. There are currently 18 employees. Our sales office is located in Moscow, which is a convenient location for reaching the European and North American markets.
Our production site is located in Russia in the Novosibirsk region. Logging takes place in remote areas of the Novosibirsk Region and Altai Territory where the most rich pine forests are located.
This is also an ecologically pure area, which can only be reached by using a special transport, since there are no roads at all. We work only with trusted contractors who comply with the Forest Code of the Russian Federation, one of the requirements of which is forest restoration after cutting down.
Today, our raw material is being used in natural cosmetics brands in Great Britain and Germany. We also work with well-known distributors in different countries, and are open to new partnerships with others who, like us, promote green technologies and natural products.
We took part in the In-Cosmetics Global in Paris in 2019 and were shortlisted for the Rising Star Awards. The interest in our raw material and technology was intense so it was very pleasant and exciting for us.
We hope that we will soon be able to meet our partners and colleagues at the In-Cosmetics Global exhibition in Barcelona in 2021 and present our raw material. Our booth number is AC23.
Visit the Extvolat website here
ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF EXTVOLATI will be posting my own experiences with this ingredient in upcoming posts, so please do stay tuned (spoiler alert: so far, it’s blowing my mind!)
Had you ever heard of this ingredient or production process before?
Pictured: a sampling of limited-edition, bespoke, hand-crafted, all-natural perfumes that I can barely describe with words other than seductive, mesmerizing, and absolutely magical.
I have been following the maker of these products for several years. To be honest, I had no idea it was even possible to grow your own perfume ingredients, but that’s exactly what Jade of Jade Forest Co does. From seed to perfume - Jade creates every single ingredient she uses to make her fragrances.
After numerous requests, I finally persuaded her to let me interview her about her work. Please welcome Jade Violet.
Jade Violet, founder of JadeForest Co and Seed to Perfume.
It's been a lifelong journey for me. I've always had an affinity for nature and botanicals. Growing up on the edge of the Forest, the woods were my playground.
My parents are both avid organic gardeners. I loved helping in the garden as a young girl, my favorite chore was assisting my Mom with picking herbs, and readying them for storage for the Winter. I loved being in the middle of the cloud of herbal fragrance surrounding us, and smelling the lingering scent on my fingertips. We often created our own natural remedies and our plates were full of good vegetables, and healthy foods, lovingly prepared with herbs. Lessons about plants were taught in the garden, kitchen, and on our frequent nature walks through the woods. It was our way of life. This carried through into adulthood, and made me who I am today.
The perfume adventure began in college. I had many plants in pots on our little deck, and would create all natural incense blends to perfume the house. I kept a journal, planning my future garden with notes about all the lovely fragrant flowers I'd plant.
After college I met my husband, Dustin, and a few years later our daughter Iyla was born. We purchased our first house with beautiful fields and forest, knowing it was the perfect place to call home because it included an overgrown garden of fruit trees and bushes, nut trees, perennials, and bulb plants, all planted by the original owners. It needed a lot of care, but with our nurture and help, bloomed and fruited into a gorgeous permaculture garden. We brought in plants from our previous rental I'd collected over the years – a daunting task.
The following year, we began adding more plants and flowers and planted our flower beds & garden, and an herb & vegetable garden. I had already begun my research and experiments into creating extracts from the native plants and garden plants that surrounded us at our previous home.
I am self-taught, and have learned the skills through research and experimentation. Anyone who knows me is not surprised I set out on a mission to capture the scent of my flowers. I've always had a very sensitive nose, which was buried in flowers a lot of the time.
Jade Forest Co is situated in New England USA.
In the very beginning, I named my brand "Bee and Blossom" because we have a small, organic, treatment free honey bee apiary, but it never felt like it was the right name. The forest has my heart. My name is Jade Violet, and we live in the middle of the pristine New England forest, so the two just came together, and the "Co." is of course my husband Dustin, and my daughter Iyla, who help me with the many garden chores and tasks.
Our trademarked tag line "Seed To Perfume" ™️, just sort of came into existence when I was explaining exactly how my perfumes are created.
I am completely self taught, and over the last decade I have read every book, blog, and resource I could find on natural perfumery and extractions. There is not a whole lot of information to be found on ancient and traditional perfume techniques, and so much of what I have learned comes from experimentation and trial and error.
I have started to create a resource for other natural perfumers who would like to try creating their own perfume materials on my website, SeedToPerfume.com, which is separate from my shop website JadeForestCo.com. (links below)
A peek in the lab with an enfleurage in process. The base is also handcrafted and includes beeswax from Jade and Dustin’s organic, treatment-free apiary.
As the seasons come and go, so do the flowers and botanicals I work with. The last few years I have started to create in a pattern; create my extractions during Spring and Summer, and come Autumn and Winter, (which is freezing cold and snow-filled here in Massachusetts), I work in my lab creating my perfumes from the extractions. It takes a lot of plant material to obtain a small amount of extract, and once the extractions are gone, they won't be created again until the following season.
My creativity doesn't allow me to stick to a set line of products as I always have new concepts floating around in my mind just waiting to be created (and notebooks full of ideas!).
That’s why you’ll find items such as naturally-scented incense, smudge wands, handcrafted soap & skincare, hand-blended organic teas from wildcrafted and garden botanicals, artisan distillations of hydrosols and essential oils, and much more in the shop at any given time.
For example, our Perfumed Honey is made with honey from our own hives that has been infused with our own organically grown botanicals, and fermented to create a shelf stable honey infusion. They are absolutely delicious and smell wonderful too, thus the name Perfumed Honey.
Because everything is limited edition, there’s always something new in the shop. In the near future, I will be releasing handcrafted "Perfumed Chocolates", and scented inks.
You’ll find something new with every visit - and I also offer samples of most of my perfumes.
I get quite a few introductory ’new product’ emails from ingredients manufacturers, but one from earlier this year caught my interest. The company was called Swedish Algae Factory and they were introducing an all-natural ingredient that was showing some impressive results in initial testing. There was a collection of additional positives as well.
‘Please contact us for a sample if you are interested’, the letter ended.
I was, and I did.
The package arrived with 2 sample pots (pictured above). After trying both the gel and powder form in a few formulas, I became increasingly impressed with this ingredient and asked one of the Founders, Sofie Allert for an interview. Happily, she agreed.
Please join me in welcoming Sofie Allert to the blog.
Sofie Allert and Angela Wulff, Founders of Swedish Algae Factory
I am a biotechnologist that fell in love with algae during my bachelor thesis. During my masters, I met a fellow algae nerd, Angela Wulff, a professor at Gothenburg University that just had been on an exhibition where she had sampled algae under the ice in the Antarctica. Together we founded Swedish Algae Factory with the purpose to produce climate positive products from algae.
The main product of Swedish Algae Factory is Algica, a high-tech material derived from an algae group called diatoms, that has several interesting properties for personal care products.
We wanted to show that it was possible to also cultivate algae in colder and darker climates. Algae is an extremely sustainable resource since it can be cultivated on salt- and wastewater and grows extremely fast. If we could cultivate algae in colder and darker climates, algae could contribute even more towards a sustainable society.
Algica was, due to its light manipulating properties, originally tested for efficiency increase of solar panels with good results. To commercialize a new material like this for solar panels takes a lot of time and the market is mainly dominated by bigger actors that move forward at a slower pace.
Almost 3 years ago we were contacted by a Swedish personal care brand that had read about us and Algica and wondered if it could be of interest for the personal care industry as a more sustainable ingredient.
We investigated, realized the potential, and started to work actively to promote Algica in the personal care industry. It was more likely that Algica could create a positive impact faster in the personal care industry than in the solar panel industry.
In an externally validated study, we concluded that Algica has at least as good moisturizing properties as hyaluronic acid. The same study showed that the cream with Algica compared to the cream with hyaluronic acid was perceived as more easily absorbed by the skin, provided a smoother feeling and was thereby more liked by all test persons.
We have also compared the anti-pollution properties of Algica and hyaluronic acid in other externally validated studies where Algica was able to block 2,5 times more of the most common pollutant from entering the skin than hyaluronic acid.
Algica has properties that hyaluronic acid does not have. Algica also works as a cleanser, booster of other active substances, and according to a recent in-vitro study, an SPF booster. Algica´s UV-light blocking properties was confirmed back in 2018 by my co-founder Angela Wulff and published in the renowned scientific journal Nature. By early 2021 we hope to have confirmed the SPF boosting effect in-vivo.
Algica is also ocean-safe and verified by ECOCERT and COSMOS.
Algica is harvested in a controlled environment
We grow our algae in greenhouses to be able to achieve the highest possible quality of Algica. Our systems are mimicking how our algae naturally are growing in nature. We grow them on the bottom of trays in biofilms where we harvest the biofilm in a fashion that is similar to mowing a lawn. We cultivate our algae in a circular process where nutritious water that otherwise would have gone to waste are used to grow the algae. The nutrient- and omega 3 oil-rich biomass that is our by-product after extraction of Algica is used for sustainable feed and fertilizer production and in the future maybe even food.
Thank you Sofie for sharing this information.
In future posts, I will be sharing some of my experiences with Algica. Meantime, if you are interested in learning more about Swedish Algae Factory and their Nordic algae, please visit them here
Three samples of lanolin from 3 different suppliers. The vegetarian approved lanolin is in the middle.
Today we’re going to be looking at an ingredient that has been a staple in my stockroom for as long as I can remember. It is one of the very few ingredients I use that is not plant based because it has so very much to offer in the way of skincare, it simply cannot be replaced.
Lanolin is impossible to imitate. I’ve tried the available vegan versions of lanolin, and as much as I would love to have been able to fall in love with them and tell you how wonderful they are, the simple fact is, they don’t even begin to come close. It’s like trying to compare a synthetic rose fragrance to rose absolute. They are galaxies apart.
Imagine my delight when I came across a supplier of Vegetarian Approved lanolin. (insert double take). And imagine even more delight to meet the folks behind the company - people so passionate about an already proven ingredient that they decided to reinvent it.
But I’m getting a bit ahead of myself.
Please join me in welcoming Andrew Kawalec, owner of Lanesters and Veggilanol for an up close and personal look at how they are advancing lanolin to a whole new level.
Andrew Kawalec, Founder of Lanesters
Vegetarianism is generally understood as the practice of refraining from eating meat from animals. Vegetarians are not against animals, on the contrary, there is a strong vegetarian philosophy of animal welfare and ethical treatment - we fully agree with that. Lest we also forget milk and eggs are widely considered as vegetarian products.
LanEsters are proud to say that all our raw materials are of animal origin. Our entire range of lanolin and cholesterol products are derived from wool grease, obtained by the washing of wool and this wool is only shorn from live sheep.
We are the first Lanolin company in the world to receive Vegetarian Approval for our anhydrous lanolin, lanolin derivatives and cholesterol range of ingredients. It is essential for us to clearly emphasize that with ethical treatment and welfare of all animals in the supply chain, processing of lanolin brings only positive aspects for humans and animals alike. We believe it is important to draw special attention to this to address and eliminate old reservations. We believe in the ethical treatment and welfare of all animals and this ethical treatment and welfare of animals is of fundamental importance in our own supply chain.
Merino rams in Australia. Picture courtesy of Lanesters.
It is unfortunately true that there remains a multitude of old views in circulation that Lanolin is an odiferous ingredient or smells like it comes from a sheep - this was propagated around 40-50 years ago when some wool grease was poorly washed and the technical processing of lanolin was lower than today.
It lingers on today because there are still manufacturers around the world that wish to make savings in their sourcing or use cheap and substandard detergents or have old technology processing.
In my opinion there is no reason in 2020 why Lanolin should be “smelly” - in fact using our supply chain knowledge combined with a state-of-the-art lanolin manufacturing our materials have a neutral odour.
The wool is ‘scoured’ thoroughly as part of the purification process. Picture courtesy of Lanesters.
We are regularly asked if lanolin can be safely used on skin and similar products. Human nature - generally speaking - shows that bad things in the main come to the attention more and tend to linger longer for that same reason.
To understand where the safe ”question” comes from, it is important to say that studies into lanolin allergies first appeared in the early 1950’s. An example of skin research done into lanolin at that time in a New York hospital research on skin hyposensitivity and lanolin was as follows: Patch tests were conducted on patients with “various dermatological ailments”. 12 people gave a positive reaction from 1,048 tests - meaning that the result was 1,14% of people with skin ailments showing allergy to 100% lanolin that was made over 65 years ago.
A much better and representative research was carried out by Clark, 1975 in Great Britain - a study on incidence and prevalence of positive patch-test reactions to lanolin and its’ derivatives in general population. The survey was conducted in hospitals the UK (Wycombe) and Sweden (Lund and Gothenburg) and covered 825,000 people. Lanolin allergy (positive reactions) were only found in 1,46-8,75 cases per 1,000,000.
To put this into context, 27% of the adult population in Europe (18- 74 years) suffer from skin allergy or Contact Dermatitis to one or more chemicals: it is 33.6 % women, 16.2 % men, 15.3% teenagers (16 years). Chemical composition breakdown:
Metals 15,5 % (mostly: nickel, chrome)
Preservatives 6,2 %, (e.g, Methylisothiazolinone /MIT)
Perfume 4,5%
Colouring (metals, p-phenylenediamine)
Plants
Rubber
Glue
Sunscreen
Source - AllergyCertified Copenhagen, Denmark.
The time has come to look at lanolin from a different perspective and break away from the past, especially since 1975. There has been significant progress in refining lanolin, which has now led to a much higher quality standard.
In 2000 the European Pharmacopoeia also introduced pesticide residue limits in the lanolin monograph. Today Lanolin Pharmacopoeia (2020) standards are well defined. In my opinion, to ensure maximum quality assurance, it is of the highest importance to be certified by a trusted certifier. In 2019, for this reason LanEsters’ flagship product “Veggilanol Gold” anhydrous lanolin was the first raw material in the world to be AllergyCertified. It is LanEsters’ philosophy, that products, when applied to the skin enter the bloodstream and go directly to the heart unfiltered – and MUST be used in the purest form available!
A view of Veggianol
I have been working in Lanolin since 2011 and I guess in the early years there was a frustration that when dealing with multinational corporations and PLMA companies the fundamental interest was in volume and cheap pricing. No matter how much I pleaded for new developments with superior and purer types, and despite it being something that would benefit the customer who used the product, there was and is no interest as it is more expensive.
I am passionate about lanolin.
I would like to re-invent lanolin, through new design and new formulation, make it fit for the future, and incorporate quality of the highest standards currently achievable. To again bring back attention to this wonderful and trusted natural ingredient, that has brought true benefits, and has been caring to skin over generations.
My first acquaintance with lanolin took place when I was 17 years old. In 1978 I had just left school and started my first ever job at a wool merchanting company in Bradford, England. At that time Bradford was rightly known as the wool centre of the world. Wool had played an important role in the development of the UK and indeed had brought great fortune to the UK over many hundreds of years. As an example - at the turn of the century in around 1900, Bradford had more millionaires than London!
At that time, I worked in a wool sample room and had to send samples of wool to customers all around the world. To give this young new employee an idea of what wool is, I was sent to work in the wool sorting department for several months to gain first-hand wool experience. At that time there were 20 wool sorters employed to sort greasy wools, which came in after being bought at the weekly local British wool auctions.
The sorters separated fine wool from coarse, long wool from short, took out undesirable vegetable matter (vegetation clusters and other contaminants such as urine stained wool, etc.) to make required standard wool qualities in preparation for further processing. I was allowed to work with Dixie, the head and the most experienced sorter. He was about 65 years old, a mild natured man with a lifetime experience in sorting wool. I remember at that time that his wrinkled face seemed to this 17 year old as extremely old or ancient, in contrast to his hands. I still remember vividly to this day looking at his hands which, were pink and soft. I remember asking him: “why your hands are so pink and soft?”. He said to me: “That’s from the lanolin in the wool grease, I’ve been sorting wool since I was 14 years old, and there’s nothing better in the world for your skin than lanolin”.
Veggilanol Gold took us 5 years to develop and we are proud to have developed a, pure, natural, and non-modified lanolin which can bring real benefits to people.
Thank you so much for sharing your story Andrew!
I’ll be writing about my own experiences with this ingredient in upcoming posts.
If you’re keen to give the world’s first Vegetarian Society Approved lanolin a whirl in your upcoming winter creams and balms, please visit Veggilanol right here.
Note: This post is not sponsored in any way.