Artisans without Lanolin?

I suppose someone could get scientific about it if they're having problems with certain soaps that contain lanolin - you could list all of the ingredients of every soap you have including the ones that cause a reaction or irritation and then cross reference the ingredients to see if there is a common ingredient in the irritating soaps that isn't in the non-irritating soaps. It might be a problem if some ingredients are referred to generically such as "fragrance oil" or "essential oil" because not all fragrance/essential oils will be chemically the same and some could cause a reaction and others not. You'd need to know which oils were used for this experiment to work.

Not only that, but the way these items are combined would also affect the way they would affect someone's skin. It's a very complex system and the answer can sometimes be as simple as a common ingredient and sometimes it can be a very complex combination of factors. It's certainly possible to work out what exactly in a product is causing an issue, but the process can be long and involved and not always worth the effort.

And these being artisan soaps, there's no guarantee that your conclusion (however well correlated) will hold true for the next batch of soap.

EDIT: One of the issues that may be caused by the addition of a common ingredient like lanolin is incomplete conversion of lye + oil into soap, leaving some leftover lye (which people are sensitive to) or oil.

One easy way to see if it is lanolin that the OP is sensitive to is to get lanolin itself (it is available in lip balms and by itself as a skin care product) and apply it and see what happens.

Pure lanolin is magic on chapped lips by the way. That is, if you're not allergic to it.

One thing this has me wondering is how many of us have soaps, aftershaves etc that cause them irritation? How common an issue is it?

I’ve had 1–2 soaps that have caused enough discomfort for me to discontinue use. There are a few others that sometimes cause a mild reaction, but those I still keep if I really like them for their other properties.

I’ve attributed all of these reactions to some fragrance component in the soap. In your case, it definitely sounds like there’s more behind it. Eleven, thanks for sharing that list! Very helpful.

Pure lanolin is magic on chapped lips by the way. That is, if you're not allergic to it.

I'll have to try that - living in a dry climate I keep a tube of lip balm in the pocket of every coat/jacket I own. You don't want to be without it or you just might split your lip. Knuckle cracks are another problem, maybe it will work on those. Johnson&Johnson used to make an excellent liquid band-aid product that sealed those cracks right up and allowed healing but, as often seems to happen with products I like, it was discontinued and none of the alternatives work. I use crazy glue now. (not on my lips)

Any suggestion on where to find pure lanolin?

I don't use lanolin in my formulas.

HMan One thing I would suggest is to try some samples first. It sounds like you are in Helsinki, so I’m not sure if this is possible. Maggard Razors offers a lot of samples.

Also, Fitjar is relatively close (Norway), and they offer a sample pack of their creams. They are mild and might agree with you. Good luck!

Yes! HMan I second the Maggard suggestion, they have a huge selection of samples (though I don't think they carry any of my personal favorites). I know of some artisans that sell samples directly, but that might not be worth the shipping. Wet Shaving Products does very nice ones (that last a good deal longer than most). Soap Commander, Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements (I think not all of their scents?). Crowne & Crane has samples of a few of their soaps. On the tallow side, Stirling. I don't think any of those are available in sample sizes from third parties like Maggard.

One thing this has me wondering is how many of us have soaps, aftershaves etc that cause them irritation? How common an issue is it?

I’ve had 1–2 soaps that have caused enough discomfort for me to discontinue use. There are a few others that sometimes cause a mild reaction, but those I still keep if I really like them for their other properties.

Most of the soaps I've tried that have "leather" in the scent profile give me faceburn. Some coffee ones. Which is unfortunate, as those are two of my favorite scent components...I get mild irritation from PAA Spring-Heeled Jack, but I keep using it anyway...

I can't tolerate lanolin. How do I know for sure it's the lanolin? I am a maker and I experimented with dozens of soap recipes, I was able to isolate the variable and can reproduce the results at will. That is why we don't use it in our products.

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Pure lanolin is magic on chapped lips by the way. That is, if you're not allergic to it.

I'll have to try that - living in a dry climate I keep a tube of lip balm in the pocket of every coat/jacket I own. You don't want to be without it or you just might split your lip. Knuckle cracks are another problem, maybe it will work on those. Johnson&Johnson used to make an excellent liquid band-aid product that sealed those cracks right up and allowed healing but, as often seems to happen with products I like, it was discontinued and none of the alternatives work. I use crazy glue now.

Any suggestion on where to find pure lanolin?

The stuff I use is actually for soothing the nipples of breastfeeding mothers. The brand is Medela. In case you're curious, I didn't buy it, lol. My wife had it from when she was breastfeeding our daughter and suggested I try it when my lips were super chapped last winter. I would slather it on before going to bed and wake up with supple, healed skin. Stuff is great for that. Only one ingredient, 100% lanolin.

Pure lanolin is magic on chapped lips by the way. That is, if you're not allergic to it.

I'll have to try that - living in a dry climate I keep a tube of lip balm in the pocket of every coat/jacket I own.  You don't want to be without it or you just might split your lip.  Knuckle cracks are another problem, maybe it will work on those.  Johnson&Johnson used to make an excellent liquid band-aid product that sealed those cracks right up and allowed healing but, as often seems to happen with products I like, it was discontinued and none of the alternatives work.  I use crazy glue now.

Any suggestion on where to find pure lanolin?

The stuff I use is actually for soothing the nipples of breastfeeding mothers. The brand is Medela. In case you're curious, I didn't buy it, lol. My wife had it from when she was breastfeeding our daughter and suggested I try it when my lips were super chapped last winter. I would slather it on before going to bed and wake up with supple, healed skin. Stuff is great for that. Only one ingredient, 100% lanolin.

I'll have to look for that. It would likely work on both lips and hands and I'd be willing to bet it smells better than some of the stuff I've been using on my hands when they get bad - Bag Balm and Udder Butter - the stuff smells awful but works pretty well. I guess dairy cattle and their farmers aren't overly concerned about the scent