Lanolips 101 Ointment: 7 Unexpected Ways to Use It

You bought the pink tube for your chapped winter lips. Cute. But this thing is a sneaky little workhorse — I’ve gone through three tubes and I’m still finding new jobs for it.

The texture is what gets me: it’s thick like petroleum jelly but sinks in like a serum. Ten seconds and your skin just… drinks it. No greasy film left behind on my pillowcase, which is more than I can say for my last relationship.

Lanolips 101 Ointment is $16.99 for 1.7oz — not cheap, not crazy. I bought it because the internet wouldn’t shut up about it. Turns out, the hype was for the wrong reasons.

Photo: Viva Lui / Unsplash

It’s 100% medical-grade lanolin — the same stuff that protects nursing mothers’ nipples, so you know it means business. Plus a few extras to keep it from feeling like a sheep’s armpit.

• Lanolin: seals in moisture and creates a breathable barrier
• Castor Oil: adds shine without stickiness
• Candelilla Wax: gives it that balmy, spreadable texture
• Tocopherol (Vitamin E): calms redness and speeds up repair

Photo: Anuruddha Lokuhapuarachchi / Unsplash

First squeeze: it’s stiff. Like, “did I buy glue?” stiff. But the second it hits your skin, it melts. One finger swipe covers both lips. Two swipes covers both elbows. It’s the Goldilocks of balms — thick enough to stay put, thin enough to not feel like a mask.

By week two, I’d stopped reaching for my hand cream entirely. The tube lives in my bag now. My only complaint? The cap collects dust like a magnet. Wipe it before you travel.

Photo: Viva Luna Studios / Unsplash

My lips stopped peeling within 48 hours. My elbows are unrecognizable — no more ashy patches. But my dry winter hands? Still dry. This is a sealer, not a hydrator. Pair it with a water-based lotion if you’re truly cracked.

Photo: Corinne Sawers / Unsplash

Buy it for your lips, stay for the everything else. This is the only balm I’ve repurchased without hesitating — and I’m picky.