Lanolin, a Natural Healer
My Sister Knits has a magical product from Cestari Sheep and Wool Company! We have jars of Natural 100% lanolin, straight off the sheep.
I was pondering this the other day. I knew that the lanolin came directly from the sheep but what was the process of getting it from the fleece into the jars?
I had a nice chat with Francis Chester-Cestari, founder of Cestari Sheep and Wool, and want to pass along what I learned.
Did you know that lanolin has been used since ancient times and is only found on sheep? Francis likes to say it’s a miracle product that God gave the sheep and the sheep gave it to us! They gave us a product that is anti-bacterial and anti-fungal and has no chemicals!
It’s an oil-based fatty substance that covers each tendril of fleece, creating a protective waterproof layer against harsh weather conditions. If a sheep has a wound, lanolin migrates into it and starts the healing process. Its healing properties are also wonderful for humans! A small percentage of people are sensitive to it but fortunately not many.
lanolin
Lanolin is emollient; it softens and moisturizes the skin and decreases itching and flaking by holding moisture in. According to Francis, sheep skin is quite like human skin. As a matter of fact, surgical suturing material used to be made of sheep intestines. It follows that if lanolin is good for sheep, it’s good for us!
In addition to being a natural moisturizer, lanolin can be used to ease many skin irritations such as diaper rash, burns from radiation treatment, scrapes, and used to be used for wound care in hospitals.
That lovely fleece is coated with lanolin!
All of that information is interesting but it still doesn’t tell us how it gets from the back of the sheep into the jars at My Sister Knits! Well, when the sheep are sheared, oil is left on the fleece. The first stop for the fleece on the way to becoming yarn is the scouring plant where they are washed in washing machines with no agitation. The hot water turns the fatty substance into oil which rises to the top of the water. It is easily separated from the water and is then skimmed off with giant scoops. Then it’s put into 55 gallon drums. The oily substance is removed from the heat and solidifies.
The drums are then shipped twenty miles away to the pharmaceutical house where the lanolin is cleaned. This involves boiling it to kill any bad bacteria and filtering out straw, hay, dirt, or other stray vegetable matter.
Francis then picks up the drums filled with solidified pure lanolin. Somehow they position the barrels over the dye pots used for their yarn. The heat from the dye pots melts the lanolin back into liquid. They siphon out the liquid with either 4 ounce or 8 ounce syringes, fill the jars, let the lanolin solidify again and the result is our jars of lanolin!
Targhee Sheep, one of the breeds that Cestari lanolin comes from!
When I use this ancient skin treatment I like to think I’m preserving a bit of history. It is a bit sticky and takes a while to thoroughly sink into my hands. It does smell like a sheep when it’s first applied but that goes away in a few minutes if you’re not fond of that aroma! I love the idea of using something so natural on my hands this time of year. And I love the idea that sheep can give me something in addition to yarn!
I hope that you’ll consider getting yourself some!
Happy knitting,
Jenny