# Lanolin allergy?



## ldsmom06 (Jun 20, 2007)

DO I have a lanolin/wool allergy? Everytime I wash or touch ds wool covers/longies I sneeze have a runny nose, and have itchy, burning watery eyes and a headache. My hands also get red but just slightly and burn. All his wool is new and washed only by me. I use unscented NE wool wash and lanolin. I am allergic to dogs/cats/horses etc... I thought you can't be allergic to wool I read somewhere.

TIA!


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## FillingMyQuiver (Jul 20, 2004)

It is completely possible to have a lanolin allergy. My mom does and can't use wool on my 2.5yo brother b/c she can't lanolize the covers. She even breaks out when I freshly lanolize MY kids covers and she comes in contact w/ them when they're wearing the covers.

My mom is has a list of allergies, too, including cats, dogs, seasonal, etc. She CAN, however, wear wool of her own that's been stripped of the lanolin, like wool blazers, superwash wool socks, etc.


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## Sustainer (Sep 26, 2002)

It's possible, but true wool/lanolin allergies are actually quite rare. Most of the people who think they're allergic to wool are actually reacting to the chemicals used to treat non-organic wool, and when they switch to organic wool, which is chemical-free, they don't have a problem.


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## EBeth0000 (Aug 19, 2007)

I am allergic to lanolin. I found out when I used lansinoh on my nipples after delivery. The subsequent damage started us on a 2-month rollercoaster of Thrush. Anyhoo. . .

It is not true that people with wool sensitivities are only reacting to the industrial processes. I bought 3 organic wool covers and was assured that the lanolizing process would not bother me (after all, it wasn't on my nipples, not in direct contact with my skin for long periods of time, and the lanolin "dries" on the diaper whereas it remains gooey on your nipple) so I gave it a shot.

Disaster. Itchy hands and arms every time I hand-washed or handled the covers. Now I have them but I can't use them because I can't stand the lanolin. I didn't have sneezing/headache issues, though. It's pretty much just a skin sensitivity for me.

I did a quick review of the literature online though, and it looks like there's not mention of respiratory response to lanolin, only skin/contact dermatitis stuff. So you may want to keep investigating. As someone with multiple allergies, I can sympathize with the difficulty in tracking down an offender.

Where do you do your laundry? Could there be mold/pollen/dander/dust/cockroach droppings there? How about your wash? Any chance the soap has a scent your are sensitive to?

On a lighter note, you should immediately inform your partner that you have a "laundry allergy" and that they will need to take over that task for you. I personally feel a little ill every time I have to do laundry, thus my s-l-o-w conversion to CD!


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## Sustainer (Sep 26, 2002)

What I said was that *most* people who react to wool are reacting to the chemicals.









In the rare instance that someone is actually allergic to lanolin, no, organic wool will not solve the problem.


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