Spotlighting wool grease for cosmetic applications, Asia-Pacific to lead lanolin global market

04 Sep 2023 --- The Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai, India, has released an article about the cosmetic applications of lanolin, a fatty component of wool grease.

Lanolin, also called wool fat, wool yolk, wool wax or wool grease, is a wax secreted by the sebaceous glands of wool-bearing animals. It is regarded as an impurity and has “outstanding” qualities for various applications, including those in the cosmetic sector.

The wool fat can be used to moisturize skin, hair and nails. It does so by acting as a lubricant for the skin, which gives it a soft and smooth appearance. It helps to form emulsions and blends well with other substances used in cosmetics and personal care products. 

More than 100 lanolin derivatives are currently available, according to the list in the Cosmetic Ingredients European Cosmetics database.

Growing market
Acetylated lanolin produces high-quality emollients that make it easier for oils and pigments to spread or wet out, which is best suited for color cosmetics. Isopropyl lanolate, cetyl acetate and acetylated lanolin alcohol are a few examples. Lanolin from wool grease can be used in personal care products to improve the appearance of the skin. 

Low pesticide and hypoallergenic lanolin are compounds most frequently used in the cosmetics industry. It is created by performing additional cleaning and refinement to eliminate contaminants and leftovers.

The Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai authors report that based on the modern extraction methods and the wide application avenues, the global lanolin market was worth US$315 million in 2021.

The growth trend indicates that the size of the worldwide lanolin market will increase at a CAGR of about 5.7%. Asia-Pacific is anticipated to dominate the lanolin global market due to the highly developed cosmetics industry in China, India, Japan and South Korea. 

Expanded usage
The authors continue that the regional market expansion is driven by cosmetics and personal care, which focuses on using “environmentally sustainable, biodegradable and natural origin products like lanolin.”

The three most crucial phases in transforming raw wool grease into value-added products are extraction, recovery and purification. Cosmetic lotions, burn bandages and wound sprays are examples of goods containing chemical lanolin in the industrial, medical and personal care sectors. 

When used in lanocreme-style hypoallergenic cosmetics, super-refined lanolin has an even lower incidence of allergies, which is ideal. 

Lanolin contains 68.3% sterol and triterpene alcohols, 17.1% aliphatic non-alcohols, 8.7% aliphatic alkanediols, 5.9% unknowns and polyols. Other uses for lanolin include healthcare and pharmaceuticals, lubricants, industrial uses, textiles and leather. 

By Sabine Waldeck