Luxurious Lanolin Cream (1920s Historical Beauty Recipe)

Here is a luxurious lanolin-based cream, based on a recipe from the 1920s, which is excellent for chapped hands. It is beautifully scented with pettigrain, vanilla, and rose, and features various emollients to leave your hands velvet smooth.
All the movie clips used here are from Male and Female (1919) in case anyone was wondering.
Recipe Notes:
- This recipe has been adapted from The Druggists Circular Formula Book (1920)
- I made very few changes to the original recipe, other than decreasing the amount it makes (all these druggist books have huge quantities, as they were meant to create product to sell)
- The almond oil can be swapped out for any liquid oil if you prefer a nut-free product. Olive oil would be a good alternative.
- I adore the scent of this cream, but if you don't care for it (or don't have the necessary oils) you can simply omit the scent or swap it for something else. Lavender essential oil is an inexpensive alternative that works well for hand-cream. (Just avoid citrus oils which could cause sun sensitivity).
- Please note with Vanilla "essential oil": sometimes artificial fragrances are sold as "pure vanilla essential oil". Technically vanilla is not extracted by steam so it is not a "true" essential oil, and that leads to all sorts of labelling issues. Be sure to buy from a reputable company that states how the oil is extracted to avoid being duped (I have been in the past!).
- For preservative, my top choice is always Optiphen Plus as it is is Formaldehyde-free, Paraben-free, Halogen-free and Non-Isothiazolinone. It's one of the best performing and versatile of the more "natural" preservatives.
- If you prefer not to use any sort of preservative, I suggest storing this product in the fridge to extend it's shelf-life. With a preservative it should last over a year, but without it will last maybe a week or two on a countertop or a month in the fridge (more or less, it's hard to predict as it can vary quite a bit).
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[@dragonflysparrow8460]

For all you bakers out there: * 4 Tablespoons (Tbl.) Lanolin * 4 Tbl. Almond Oil * 2 teaspoons (tsp.) Beeswax * 4 Tbl. Rose Water * 1/3 tsp. Optiphen Plus - Using a double boiler, add beeswax, almond oil, then lanolin and melt together while stirring. - Warm rosewater (not hot). Add while whipping mixture with a handheld mixer. - Whip with the mixer until it becomes a lotion-like consistency. - Add in 20-25 drops Vanilla and 6-8 drops Petitgrain essential oil. - Add in 1/3 tsp. Optiphen Plus and mix well. - Pack into a nice jar and let it sit overnight to set. - Enjoy your homemade lotion!

[@addisontewharetoi6843]

Thank you:)

[@alvinamendis1684]

Thank you ❤

[@MizzKittyBichon]

0:33 "For this recipe you will need . . ." How many of you heard this in Mrs. Crocombe's voice instead?

[@PaleMagnolia]

The first thing that came to my mind when I saw the title of this video is Annie Wilkes from Stephen King's novel Misery: she put lanolin-based moisturizing cream on her face every night to keep wrinkles at bay. I'm quite sure this recipe won't turn me into a murderous, romance-novel-obsessed middle-aged woman from Colorado, though!

[@kahiakola8879]

Thank you for sharing this beautiful recipie

[@itsmeganaimee]

I made the Rose Cream you posted a while back and it was SO fun to make!

[@abc_cba]

The way you narrated it sounded like a fairytale. Subscribed ! Best wishes from India 🇮🇳

[@sivc.29]

I loooooveeeddd it! Thank You!

[@lyn376]

thanks and I enjoyed looking watching

[@sleepyhead8681]

Omg glad I found your channel!

[@amyk8488]

I just loved this video. I loved that it's an old time recipe and I love the ingredients. I can't wait to try. Our grandparents always had so much knowledge about things.

[@zebraneighbor6383]

Apparently they didn't have enough knowledge if they were using lanolin on their skin because this stuff is terrible for you. It dries out the skin and is likely to cause an infection.

[@rudyvargas9518]

Edgar cayce. The sleeping prophet.reccomended liquid lanolin in a beauty formula that he said would make you look 10 years younger ...his formula called for lanolin rose water olive oil and peanut oil ....

[@Rachel-nc8kp]

This looks like just what i need. The scent mix sounds divine, I'm ordering lanolin asap♥️💋

[@okaminess]

Lanolin smells pungent. Hope you survived the smell. I’ve put on pure lanolin before.

[@zebraneighbor6383]

Please don't, it's terrible for your skin and puts you at risk of infection.

[@FlowersHereGrow]

Very cool!

[@chrisoliva530]

sounds great after all the washing and anti bac gel we have all been using to ruin our hands...if they are super super dry, could put gloves on over at night, like the lady in the movie clip. thanks. ! p.s. dare I say it could be very useful for those cracked heels in winter, with a pair of old socks to cover. greetings from Sydney.

[@zheynyatrifonova]

Mnogo vi blagodarya!👍💞

[@tamenaiclaudia5507]

Wow great thanks

[@aditi3586]

I would say that adding rose water is really not too necessary as it is honestly just rose extract mixed in distilled water HOWEVER you may wanna add it if you want your cream to be runny. If you don't want your cream to be runny then you might just wanna buy pure rose extract for the fragrance if you really want the cream to be rosy or just skip it!

[@thewhitedove2006]

water provide hydration for the skin. Your skin needs water to stay plump and healthy.

[@GhislaineBeauce]

I've been using this cream for a good couple of weeks now, and I LOVE it!! I made quite a big batch, but I'll need to make more soon 😅 I had to use 20g shea butter, because I didn't have enough lanolin. It's wonderful for my hands and nails, and great for my face too. I love massaging it into my face when it's still damp with my Rosewater toner, it gives a lighter finish.

[@lauriannajones]

Do you still use it?

[@lauriannajones]

Do you still use it?

[@caiticai]

Love this! Thanks for sharing. I used to buy plain lanolin that worked wonders for my lips that wouldn’t stop cracking/wounding but the lanolin smell would be too strong.

[@turtleface25]

What does lanolin smell of out of interest?

[@chaosplan]

Lanolin smells like sheep because it comes from their wool. I call it eaux-de-barn. The lanolin I’ve purchased doesn’t have a very strong odor but it IS there.

[@artmusiccom]

What a wonderfully presented formula....the results are beautiful, and what a unique combination of scents, rose water, pettigrain and vanilla!

[@IndigoRoses7]

I bet this would be great with a little grass fed tallow too 😉 but, what a marvelous recipe that I respect as is, and would love to try. Thank you for sharing this recipe!

[@zebraneighbor6383]

All it does it put you at risk for a skin infection.

[@CraftAmundous]

I made this and it is absolutely WONDERFUL and my new favorite winter skin cream. I love the smell of lanolin (and sheep in general) so I left out the extra essential oils. The rose water I found in my area is also very heavily scented (I'm scent sensitive so I have to be careful). I also skipped the stove top method and put it all together into the microwave at 30s intervals, using an old fashioned hand-crank mixer for "authenticity" to whip it together. HA! Once the rose scent dissipates I am left with the soft, heavenly scent of lanolin. This amount made enough to share as well (it's a lot for one person to use before spoilage happens). I appreciate the smaller recipe (vs bulk batching).

[@zebraneighbor6383]

Skin cream?! Why would you ever put lanolin on your skin? All you're doing is creating an infection risk. Lanolin is a very dirty substance, and it does great for bacteria to metabolize. It's very bad for your skin and will dry it out terribly.

[@parirajpoot3579]

Plzz tell me lenulin oil Kahn se bye kar sakte h Kahn se parChez karen

[@sehaam9171]

Looks so Good! Can this be applied on the face as well ?

[@mndlessdrwer]

That is a tremendously scented hand cream. Rosewater is lovely, but goodness does that seem quite a lot of it.

[@TheLongHairedFlapper]

It is scented, but it isn't very strongly perfumed. The amount of rosewater is pretty average for a cold cream. The rose water scent is quite muted on its own (which is why "rose" cold creams typically also add rose oil to boost the fragrance), and most of the fragrance comes from the essential oils. I've kept these relatively light, but you can always add less if you prefer.

[@ahmrdhgd1033]

اذا ممكن تكتبي مكونات

[@cindyrosser2471]

LOL --- wonderful irony --- the advertisement before your video played was for a "super hydrating body lotion." At least we know what is in your body lotion.

[@aishayusuf5894]

If you add preservatives can it last for 1 year ???

[@nosa1234darsh12345]

رائع جدآ

[@Support4MySingers]

Are the essential oils part of the recipe or did you include them yourself? Can this be used on the face/neck? Cream looks amazing!

[@TheLongHairedFlapper]

It's probably a bit too heavy to use on the face/neck. I've used it predominately on my hands as it's super rich :) . As for the essential oils, the vanilla was part of the original recipe. It also called for terpineol which can be derived from petitgrain essential oil (among other things). As petitgrain essential oil was also a common perfume oil at the time, I decided to include it in place of the terpineol. (I know it's not quite the same but it was as close as I could get.)

[@ginac7943]

Hi Kate. I am new to your channel and I love your content. This cream sounds very rich indeed. My question is, does it separate after a while since it doesn't have an emulsifier? Beeswax is a thickener far as I know. Thxs

[@TheLongHairedFlapper]

Nope, it stayed fine for me. A lot of these old skin creams actually don't contain any "proper" emulsifiers but stay surprisingly together without them. (Well technically some don't come together at all, but those failed recipes never make it to my channel!)

[@mamoyoT]

Both beeswax and lanolin are mild emulsifiers. So it should not separate

[@nelpe9703]

Hi this recipe sounds wonderful. Thank you so much 🥰. Don't have that suggested preservative at hand, than, could I use an other oil as a preservative? E.G. raspberry seed oil or carrot seed oil or wheatgerm oil? Please let me know.🙏💖🥰

[@TheLongHairedFlapper]

Those oils would be ok in an oil-only formula, but don't work to preserve recipes that contain water (where mold growth is a concern). I've made oil/water skin creams without a broad-spectrum preservative before and stored them in the fridge with some success. They don't stay fresh as long, but mine have stayed good about a month that way (I haven't tried with this particular recipe though, so it may vary). I typically recommend making a smaller batch if you are going the fridge route, as otherwise it might be difficult to use it all up in time.

[@RitaVanGoethem]

❤

[@John-sk8cm]

Hi, I'm really excited about trying your recipes but am not sure what kind of preservative I should use. Can you please make some recommendations?

[@TheLongHairedFlapper]

I have some chemical sensitivities so I haven't tried many different types (most are either ineffective or have ingredients that don't agree with me), but I've always have great experiences with "Optiphen Plus". It's formaldehyde-free, paraben-free, halogen-free and non-isothiazolinone, and is still a very effective broad-spectrum preservative.

[@John-sk8cm]

@@TheLongHairedFlapper Thank you for the recommendation. I can't wait to try your recipe.

[@tumentemagica528]

Buenos días, podrías decirme cuanto dura sin estropearse por favor 🙏??

[@johnharrison1720]

My mom used something called lanolin plus in my sister's hair to thinken it and vo5 to thin it out. My sister had very long hair during grade school.

[@anubhavsesiddhi]

👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@merrymiller6990]

I am not supposed to use beeswax in a body or facial cream. Any way to eliminate this or replace with something else?

[@TheLongHairedFlapper]

Candelilla wax is often used as a beeswax substitute. It's a bit of a harder wax though so the recipe will likely require less. I've seen it recommended to use about half the amount (when compared to beeswax) but it might take a bit of experimentation to find the best amount to use for this recipe.

[@turtleface25]

Could I use honey as a natural preservative as it has antibacterial properties?

[@TheLongHairedFlapper]

Honey doesn't typically work well to preserve skin creams due to the concentration of the honey vs the water content of the skin cream (i.e. too much water, not enough honey). You can make some skin care products and go preservative free when using honey but not usually cold creams. If you don't want to use a preservative, keeping cold cream in the fridge should help it last about a month or so.

[@mariapilarlopezrodriguez5964]

En español porfavor

[@aspensplace3293]

What could I substitute for the rose water, as I dislike that smell?

[@TheLongHairedFlapper]

Just distilled water should work fine :)

[@turtleface25]

Can I use vanilla extract as a way of adding scent?

[@TheLongHairedFlapper]

Yes, although I'm not sure if it would be strong enough to give much of an effect. I typically use a pure vanilla oil (such as the one from Voyageur Soap and Candle) when I want a vanilla scent in a cold cream. If you try the extract, let me know how it goes!

[@merrymiller6990]

I'm not hearing how much of the preservative she is using which is very important. Help! I want to try this out. And, is it okay for a face cream?

[@TheLongHairedFlapper]

I mention it at 4:12 in the video, but it's around 1.61 grams of Optiphen Plus for mine. I highly recommend weighing your skincream though, as it's determined by the final weight of your actual mixture and which preservative you are using. There are a number of different broad-spectrum preservatives on the market and the usage amount can vary if you are using a different brand. In terms of using it as a facecream, I find it too rich for my "normal-to-oily" skin but it would be good for use on dry skin. (My mom used some as a facecream and she quite like it.)

[@subrina5956]

Hey can you tell me if lanolin is waterproof or not? I mea does it block water reaching in a certain amount? Or it can totally block water reaching

[@TheLongHairedFlapper]

I'm not quite sure what you mean by blocking water, but lanolin is naturally water-repellent. In nature, it helps to keep too much water from seeping through sheep's wooly coats when they are out in the rain.

[@subrina5956]

I mean to say..does it prevent water reaching to our hair or scalp? Or after sometimes it can be easily washed out by water

[@TheLongHairedFlapper]

I've never used lanolin for hair care but I suspect it would not wash out easily with just water. It's quite a sticky substance and does repel water. I've only every used it for skincare products though, so I'm unable to give you a definitive answer.

[@henrynyabuto4892]

Can water be used in place of rose water?

[@TheLongHairedFlapper]

Yes, as long as it is distilled water. (Distilled water is much less likely to cause spoilage or mold growth when compared to tap water.)

[@shalimar29]

What other oil can you use instead of almond oil?

[@TheLongHairedFlapper]

Grapeseed oil or olive oil are two common alternatives, but any oil that is liquid at room temperature should work.

[@okaminess]

4:52 If this were a larger batch for a sale, I'm guessing makers just load a cake frosting bag with their stuff and then shoot it into the jars?

[@TheLongHairedFlapper]

Yes, you'd need some sort of piping funnel or similar device plus a scale to make them an even weight. Scooping it into the jars just with a spoon or spatula works fine for personal use but you don't get a very esthetically pleasing look at the top and it can be a bit messy. (A perfectly packed product only stays perfect until the first use though, hence why I don't typically bother with the extra work when its just for me!)

[@talkingmongo0se]

Forbidden buttercream.

[@okaminess]

@@talkingmongo0se Tell me about it. I tried on lanolin in a yarn shop and it was such a wonderful texture. It's just the smell. Hahaha! But I'd wear it when needed.

[@turtleface25]

Where do you get your preservative from?

[@TheLongHairedFlapper]

I typically buy it for either Windy Point Soap Making Supplies or Voyageur Soap & Candle. It should be widely available from other similar companies too.

[@shayenvyher6658]

what oil can i use instead of almond oil?

[@TheLongHairedFlapper]

Olive oil or grapeseed oil are two possible alternatives, but any skin-safe liquid oil will work :)

[@charloze]

why is a preservative needed?

[@TheLongHairedFlapper]

Any product with water in it is at risk of mold growth if it doesn't have a preservative. You can also keep it in the fridge as an alternative, but it won't stay fresh as long.

[@psychedianic]

That looks amazing! What does petitgrain smell like? I got a lot of essential oils after starting to watch your videos and this one is new to me. 💗

[@TheLongHairedFlapper]

It's a new one to me too 🙂. It's used in a number of historical recipes so I recently bought some to experiment with. The scent is a bit hard to describe. I'd probably say woodsy with a touch of citrus. It comes from the leaves/stems of the bitter orange tree, but it seems to me more like a pine oil or mint than a traditional citrus fragrance.

[@psychedianic]

@@TheLongHairedFlapper Thanks for the description! I'll have to put this one on the list. 🤗

[@rainicascadia5514]

@@TheLongHairedFlapper so a neroli scent?

[@TheLongHairedFlapper]

@@rainicascadia5514 It's different than neroli. I'd say it's a bit sweeter and softer than neroli essential oil.

[@chaosplan]

Sounds like you are describing earl grey tea (bergamot)

[@clivanecooking]

Can this recipe be used for hair please.

[@TheLongHairedFlapper]

What usage did you have in mind? You could probably use a very small bit as a conditioner / pomade perhaps?

[@clivanecooking]

@@TheLongHairedFlapper Like hair pomade/moisturizer

[@TheLongHairedFlapper]

@@clivanecooking I would think a very small dab might work, although it's not a super-waxy formulation so it wouldn't have much hold.

[@venusbb465]

Hi! Two questions: How far does this cream go? Like, does a little go a long way? Also, would you recommend this cream for other parts of the body? Like could this be a body butter? Thank you so much! I'm excited to try this recipe out :-)

[@TheLongHairedFlapper]

It's quite rich, so yes a little does go a long way. It would probably make a great body butter. Generally most hand creams make great products for the body as well 😊

[@sevehrsevehr6001]

@@TheLongHairedFlapper how do you get rid of the lanolin smell ?

[@TheLongHairedFlapper]

@@sevehrsevehr6001 The lanolin I use doesn't have a particularly strong smell. With the few drops of essential oil, you can't really smell anything other than those.

[@sevehrsevehr6001]

@@TheLongHairedFlapper what brand are you using ?

[@TheLongHairedFlapper]

@@sevehrsevehr6001 I think it was the one from Voyageur Soap and Candle (that's the brand I typically use).

[@missx966]

Thank you for this great recipe. Could beeswax be replaced with cetyl alcohol?

[@TheLongHairedFlapper]

I've never tried that substitution, so I can't give you a definite answer. The beeswax is mostly there as a thickener so it might work but you'd have to experiment to find out for sure :)

[@lorrehopkins8451]

The beeswax has certain beneficial ingredients that cetyl alcohol would not have. For instance beeswax forms a protective barrier to the skin which seals in moisture and provides a film of protection to the skin. It also has nutritional properties that are skin beneficial too.

[@lorrehopkins8451]

I always get confused when instructions are given in grams. I don’t know how to translate that to teaspoons or cups. Is there anyway to explain this recipe in those measurements?

[@TheLongHairedFlapper]

Unfortunately, you can't do a straight conversion as grams is a measurement of weight and cups/teaspoon is a volume measurement. You can get an approximation using Google (for example searching how many grams is a cup of oil) and then doing some math, but your final results won't be exact and may cause the recipe to fail. I rarely use volume measurements (unless they are used in the original recipe) as they are not as accurate, which can lead to issues with creams not emulsifying properly. The best way to ensure good results is to use a scale to weigh out your ingredients (a cheap kitchen scale works fine). Hope that helps!

[@kodaliumarani5540]

This cream use on face

[@yusrahashim5685]

Don’t we need emulsifier?

[@TheLongHairedFlapper]

This era of cold cream typically didn't use an emulsifier in formulations. They occasionally split, but I remember this particular formulation being fairly shelf-stable. You can always swap out a bit of the beeswax for some emulsifying wax if you are worried about it. (I find even when they do split, you can just take a spoon and stir it back together in about 5 seconds though, and it doesn't really affect the effectiveness of the product).

[@Drbhawana77]

Can I skip bee wax

[@TheLongHairedFlapper]

The beeswax gives the cream it's thickness and texture, so eliminating it will change the consistency of what you end up with. If you take beeswax out a recipe, I'd recommend swapping in another, similar wax.

[@maryoldman6675]

Can you write the brand of the product

[@TheLongHairedFlapper]

The brand name of which product?

[@maryoldman6675]

@@TheLongHairedFlapper thanks for answering for the lanolin

[@TheLongHairedFlapper]

@@maryoldman6675 The lanolin I used is from Voyageur Soap and Candle.

[@aishayusuf5894]

If you add preservatives can it last for 1 year ???

[@TheLongHairedFlapper]

It depends on a number of factors (most importantly how clean your jars, bowls, etc were when making it), but with a preservative it should last at least a year or two.