Study of the equivalence of substituting lanolin with a plant-based alternative in cosmetic products

Abstract

Vegetable lanolin is an alternative vegan substitute for animal lanolin, a product of sheep skin secretion. In this work, the equivalence of replacing anhydrous lanolin with its vegetable analogue for the creation of cosmetic emulsion products with targeted actions was investigated.The percentage of the fatty acid composition of lanolin and vegetable lanolin was determined using a gas chromatograph. The cosmetic properties of lanolin and its vegan substitute were studied in a modelled inert system based on mineral oil. The antioxidant activity of the cosmetic emulsion was determined by the ferrocyanide method. The amount of moisture and fat was determined using a tester with a digital high-sensitivity sensor.The basis of vegetable lanolin is C26:0 cerotinic (73.2 ± 0.20%), C18:1 oleic (10.5 ± 0.10%) and C18:2 linoleic (7.2 ± 0.07%). The basis of lanolin is fatty acids, such as C18:2 linoleic (25.7 ± 0.15%), C18:1 oleic (24.1 ± 0.10%), and C16:0 palmitic (5.4 ± 0.06%). The emulsion with lanolin has a higher antioxidant activity (1.2 ± 0.02 optical density D) and provides a balance of moisture and fat on the skin for a longer time (3 h) when compared to the emulsion with vegetable lanolin (2 h). The obtained data confirm the importance of the fatty acid composition of a cosmetic product for its functional performance. Finally, the data are promising for the development of a vegan cosmetic emulsion with a prolonged moisturising effect and enhanced antioxidant properties.