Shearing the Goodness: How Lanolin Oil from New Zealand Sheep Can Help Protect Human Skin
We use lanolin extracted from wool. This is sourced from sheep that live a free-range existence in the countryside of New Zealand.
With 22 sheep for every human inhabitant, New Zealand is a society ‘built on the sheep’s back.’ Historically bred for meat and wool, New Zealand sheep are now the foundation of a burgeoning market in skin care formulations. Kiwi scientists played a key role in sequencing the sheep genome, opening the way to new products that make the most of lanolin.
Genome project leader Dr Brian Dalrymple had this to say:
Given the importance of wool production, we focused on which genes were likely to be involved in producing wool. We identified a new pathway for the metabolism of lipid in sheep skin, which may play a role in both the development of wool and in the efficient production of wool grease (lanolin).