Lanolin?!

I'm trying to find out if lanolin (from sheep's wool) is good for your hair or not.

I have used The Body Shop's products and I have been very pleased and happy. They changed their formula and added honey and lanolin to the conditioner for damaged and chemically treated hair. My hair loved the previous version of the product. I'm a vegetarian and I will eventually switch into other hair care products but I haven't found anything decent yet.

Is lanolin OK for long and fine hair?
Google found different sites that told me that 1) lanolin moisturises hair, 2) lanolin doesn't really do anything good and 3) you should avoid lanolin even if you're not vegetarian. What am I supposed to believe?...

Sigh. :(

Hi Maija,

If it works well for you, then why not use it?

You could always consider my fave -- jojoba oil -- a plant-derived wax (liquid at room temp) which closely resembles human sebum. (I swear, I am not paid to promote the product!). Use with extreme moderation on fine hair; just a bit too much can make hair look "lank and greasy" as CJ put it.

I can't imagine that it could be all that bad for human hair. After all, it was designed by God to condition the hair of a mammal... on the other hand, scientifically-created formulas such as silicone applied to hair is something to avoid.

Glad to hear the Body Shop's conditioner works well for you!

DaveDecker: You can't always compare humans to other animals. All animals are different. I've heard that sheep can consume great amounts of arsenic that woul kill humans. But that was not the point... Human hair likes slightly sour stuff but lanolin is alkaline according to... um... someone. Maybe. Sorry about my English if you don't understand, it's just not my mother-tongue.

Oh yes, I do use a hair oil on my hair almost daily. Just a few drops. It's not jojoba oil but something similar and good anyways. So far, my hair is waist-lenght.

hairalways: I know, I know. I hope I'll find something else before my Body Shop conditioner bottle runs out and have to buy a new one.
What's wrong with things like beeswax or lanolin or milk? ---> http://www.naturalhairandbeautyshop.com.au/faq.htm

Fair enough, Maija. Humans and sheep are different mamminals. And I agree with you that our hair likes slightly acidic. I've recently begun using (as a final rinse after shampoo/conditioner) purified/distilled water with a bit of vinegar. It makes my hair very soft after it has dried.