J. Soc. Cosmetic Chemists, 17, 149-156 (1966) Lanolin Allergy? E. ALLEN NEW COMB, B.S.* Presented before the New England Chapter, November 18, 1965 Framingham, Mass. Synopsis--A review of the literature indicates that only about 100 cases of lanolin sensitivity have been documented during the last 30 or 40 years. It is concluded that lanolin presents no hazard in cosmetics and is not a sensitizer. Possible reasons for the occasional lanolin allergy are reviewed, but no definite conclusions can be drawn from data available so far. It is noted that no specific fraction of lanolin is implicated in this sensitivity. HISTORICAL USE OF LANOLIN For centuries lanolin and/or its derivatives have been and con- tinue to be some of the most consistently appearing single components in cosmetic and toiletry formulations. While lanolin is added to for- mulas occasionally by a manufacturer for "magic" appeal of the word, the continued wide use of the material over such a long time can only be related to its functional value in the management of dry skin. Literally millions upon millions of pounds of lanolin and its derivatives have been applied to the skin and hair of millions upon millions of people over a period of centuries. The use of crude wool grease as an emollient has a history that may predate even recorded civilization. There are indications that this pre- cursor of lanolin found its way into the beauty aids and medical balms of the early Egyptians. Some speculate that the material was known to the early Chinese. Even the Old Testament makes reference to crude wool wax. The use of crude wool wax as an ointment base has been * Maimstrom Chemical Corp., Linden, N.J. 149

150 JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY OF COSMETIC CHEMISTS traced to the days of Pliny in the first century before the birth of Christ (1). Lanolin as we know it now had its birth in the centrifuge of two Ger- man scientists, Brown and Liebrich, who prepared the first refined neu- tral wool grease and obtained a patent on the process in the year 1882(2). These researchers are also credited with conferring the name lanolin on their refined hydrous product. Up until World War I the United States depended to a great extent on the importation of lanolin from Germany. At the start of the war these supplies became unavailable. This short- age led to the rapid growth of the lanolin industry in this country. In the years since First World War, a boom has taken place in the use of lanolin and, more particularly, of its derivatives. The trend toward development of the newer derivatives of lanolin comes from a desire to create new materials from the already proved valuable lanolin--new products more specific in function, more versatile in use and more es- thetically elegant than lanolin. By fractionation and by chemical reac- tion, such as ethoxylation, new derivatives are created, laboratory and clinically tested, and finally judged in consumer use to demonstrate their worth in the fields of cosmetics and dermatology. INCIDENCE OF DERMATITIS ATTRIBUTED TO LANOLIN Following the increasing wide spread use of the material, instances of cutaneous reaction were discovered and presumed to be caused by lanolin it is only natural that dermatologists and allergists would at- tempt to study this phenomenon. Among the first in this country to report cases of allergy attributable to lanolin were Ramirez and Eller (3) ( one case) and Sulzberger and Morse (4) (two cases). Sezary (8) made a similar report of three cases in France. Bonnerie (6) in 1939 reported one case in 2358 patients thoroughly investigated in Copenhagen. Ellis (7) later reported a case of allergic contact dermatitis due to wool fat and cholesterol. Schwarzfeld (8), in reporting on some ten cases sensi- tive to lanolin and Aquaphor* (a lanolin ester and alcohol absorption base), felt that the Ellis work gave some physicians the impression aller- gic reaction to lanolin was rather common. No statement in the Ellis report could be so construed. Sulzberger and Lazar (9) in reporting on four patients reacting to lanolin made the statement that this type of reaction "occurs surprisingly rarely." Sulzberger et al. (10) in later studies found 12 lanolin-sensitive patients out of some 1048 allergy pa- * Duke Laboratories, Inc., Stamford, Conn.