Lanolin (German, from Latin lāna, "wool", and oleum, "oil") also called Adeps Lanae, wool wax or wool grease, is a yellow waxy substance secreted by the sebaceous glands of wool-bearing animals. Most lanolin used by humans comes from domestic sheep. Lanolin is also frequently, but incorrectly, referred to as ‘Wool Fat’ by many of the world’s pharmacopoeia even though it has been known for more than 150 years that lanolin is devoid of glycerides and is in fact a wax, not a fat.
