One gallon of commercially prepared clean unscented lanolin. Sheep are pretty amazing. They produce very tasty meat, especially if solely grass fed, and certain breeds can be milked. Sheep cheese is sought after, as is sheep milk, the richest, most complete milk available to us. Pygmy goat milk is a close second. Some breeds also provide wool, a special fiber that can be felted or spun to make garments that are warm even when wet. There is nothing like a good pair of fine wool socks in winter or summer. The properties of wool keep feet cool in the heat and warm in the cold. Lucky to be a sheep! Along with the wool, especially on the Merino breeds of sheep, a wax is produced from the sebaceous glands, that is almost identical to human sebum, though a sheep produces large quantities of it to lubricate and waterproof its coat. This wax is lanolin. At one time lanolin was used more extensively for cosmetics and skin care than today and it was sought after as a superior skin softener with healing properties for damaged or burned skin. Then vegetable oils, waxes and butters pushed the animal grease aside and although lanolin is still widely used in cosmetics, it is not a selling feature. It should be.
Lanolin has forty percent alphhydroxy acids. These compounds have been shown to heal and protect skin in a superior fashion. The closest approximation occurring naturally are from plants, but the quantities are minute in comparison to the lanolin sheep produce. Yet, does one ever hear a commercial such as this: "Sheep wax from wool in your premium cosmetics.." uh..nope. Not all breeds of sheep produce lanolin and a few are lanolin free. Home extraction of lanolin involves boiling the wool for a long time, then rendering the water that the wool was boiled in for a long time to reduce it and finally either cooling rapidly to separate the lanolin from the water or skimming. The raw lanolin will have all the properties of cosmetic grade lanolin, but make the person using it smell like the sheep. So, further cleaning is necessary. First the extraction of sweat and salts and then deodorizing. To do this, mix the lanolin/water with a little more water and a pure oil, such as olive, shaking it rapidly while the mixture is warm. The salts and sweat will bind to the water and the oil will pull the other impurities out, leaving a relatively clean lanolin which can be used as is or to formulate skin products. Thank you Creator for making sheep and thank you sheep for the lanolin. Nature is truly astonishing.
Lanolin has forty percent alphhydroxy acids. These compounds have been shown to heal and protect skin in a superior fashion. The closest approximation occurring naturally are from plants, but the quantities are minute in comparison to the lanolin sheep produce. Yet, does one ever hear a commercial such as this: "Sheep wax from wool in your premium cosmetics.." uh..nope. Not all breeds of sheep produce lanolin and a few are lanolin free. Home extraction of lanolin involves boiling the wool for a long time, then rendering the water that the wool was boiled in for a long time to reduce it and finally either cooling rapidly to separate the lanolin from the water or skimming. The raw lanolin will have all the properties of cosmetic grade lanolin, but make the person using it smell like the sheep. So, further cleaning is necessary. First the extraction of sweat and salts and then deodorizing. To do this, mix the lanolin/water with a little more water and a pure oil, such as olive, shaking it rapidly while the mixture is warm. The salts and sweat will bind to the water and the oil will pull the other impurities out, leaving a relatively clean lanolin which can be used as is or to formulate skin products. Thank you Creator for making sheep and thank you sheep for the lanolin. Nature is truly astonishing.
Lanolin has a jelly like texture, like a semi liquid wax, which it is. It is not sticky or greasy really, but is quickly absorbed by the skin.
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