Is Lanolin (E913) vegan?
Short answer
Lanolin (E913) is not vegan. Lanolin is grease combed from sheep's wool. Not vegan.
Key takeaways
- Verdict: Lanolin (E913) is not vegan.
- Commonly found in: Lip balm, Nipple cream, Some chewing gum bases, Vitamin D3.
- Vegan alternatives: Shea butter, Cocoa butter, Plant-based vitamin D3 from lichen.
- Also listed as: wool fat, wool grease.
- Scan any barcode with VeggieOS (100% free) for an instant vegan verdict.
Also known as: wool fat, wool grease
What it is
Waxy substance secreted by sheep's sebaceous glands and recovered from shorn wool.
Why not vegan
Sourced from sheep raised for wool — an industry vegans avoid.
What a “Not vegan” verdict means
A not-vegan verdict means the ingredient is animal-derived in essentially all commercial supply, so a product listing it should be treated as non-vegan unless the manufacturer explicitly states a plant-based source in writing.
Where you'll find it
- Lip balm
- Nipple cream
- Some chewing gum bases
- Vitamin D3
At a glance
| Verdict | ❌ Not vegan |
|---|---|
| Ingredient family | Cosmetic ingredients |
| E-number / code | E913 |
| Also listed as | wool fat, wool grease |
| Typical products | Lip balm, Nipple cream, Some chewing gum bases, Vitamin D3 |
| Best vegan swap | Shea butter |
| Settled by certification? | Not required |
How to read the label
Lanolin (E913) belongs to the cosmetic ingredients family. These are the terms worth scanning for on any ingredient list in this category:
- Lanolin
- Keratin
- Collagen
- Elastin
- Guanine
- Squalene
- Carmine
- Cera alba
- Silk amino acids
- Tallow
- Read the INCI list from the bottom for pigments and waxes, where animal entries cluster.
- Leaping Bunny answers testing; a vegan trademark answers ingredients. Look for both.
- 'Squalane (olive-derived)' or 'plant squalane' is an explicit vegan claim; unqualified squalane usually is too but is worth checking.
- Pearlescent products may use guanine from fish scales; mica is the mineral alternative.
Mistakes to avoid
| Where it catches people out | What to do |
|---|---|
| 'Natural' skincare | Natural often means lanolin, beeswax and honey — the opposite of vegan. |
| Shimmer and highlighter | Guanine from fish scales gives the classic pearl effect. |
| Hair repair products | Keratin is typically from feathers, hooves or wool. |
Cosmetic ingredients in context
Cosmetics use the INCI naming system, which is standardised worldwide but says nothing about whether an ingredient came from a plant or an animal. Lanolin, keratin, collagen, silk amino acids, squalene and guanine are all common animal-derived INCI entries.
Two separate questions matter in this category and are often conflated: whether the formula contains animal ingredients (vegan) and whether the product or its ingredients were tested on animals (cruelty-free). A product can be one without the other.
Squalene and squalane illustrate the ambiguity neatly — historically shark liver oil, now predominantly olive or sugarcane derived, with the same INCI name for both.
Does certification help? Leaping Bunny plus a vegan trademark together are the only reliable shortcut, because INCI names cannot express ingredient origin.
Vegan alternatives
- Shea butter
- Cocoa butter
- Plant-based vitamin D3 from lichen
FAQ
- Is vitamin D3 always from lanolin?
- Most is, but lichen-derived D3 is widely available — look for 'vegan D3'.
- Is cruelty-free the same as vegan?
- No. Cruelty-free means no animal testing; vegan means no animal ingredients. A cruelty-free lipstick can still contain carmine and beeswax.
- Is lanolin cruelty-free?
- It is a wool grease from shorn sheep, so no animal is killed, but it is an animal product and therefore not vegan.
Sources
Last reviewed June 4, 2026