Lanolin in medicines
This resource can help you understand how lanolin is used in medicines, the concerns around its use in medicines for the Muslim community, and whether its use in medicines is halāl (permissible) or harām (prohibited) in Islam.
This resource is for the Muslim community (including patients, carers, parents and members of the public). All healthcare professionals (HCPs), their teams and anyone involved in delivering care and support (across all care settings) to Muslim individuals, may also find it useful. It can be used to support person-centred and informed decision-making around taking medicines that align with an individual’s Islamic values and beliefs.
What is lanolin?
Lanolin is a thick, waxy, yellowish substance that is derived from sheep’s wool after shearing. It is then purified and refined for use in cosmetic, pharmaceutical and industrial products.1
Derived from sheep’s wool
How lanolin is used in medicines
Attributes of lanolin include having antimicrobial properties, reducing water loss and reducing itching2. Due to these beneficial properties, it is therefore used in e.g. ointments for skin conditions such as psoriasis, treatments for dry skin, and also in products such as shampoos, soaps and body washes.1
Why this is important
For the Muslim community
For the Muslim community, it is important to check if their medicine contains lanolin and if it is Islamically permissible to take/use. To find out if a medicine contains lanolin see the section on ‘Checking medicine information’.
Lanolin is widely considered pure (tāhir) so is therefore permissible. Cross-contamination may however occur during the manufacturing process if lanolin is processed in facilities that handle harām sources (e.g. pork/alcohol). Therefore, it is important to check for halāl certification to ensure halāl-compliant manufacturing. To find out about the source and for halāl-certification, see the section on ‘Checking medicine information’. For further information on the permissibility of lactose, see the section on ‘Is lanolin halāl or harām?‘
For HCPs
For HCPs and anyone involved in delivering care and support, it is important to:
- Understand which ingredients and/or excipients in medicines may be a concern for practising Muslims and why – for further information, see our resources under ‘Ingredients and excipients in medicines‘
- Have open discussions with individuals about their personal values or beliefs that may relate to their care and support where possible – e.g. some individuals may wish to avoid certain ingredients/excipients in medicines due to religious beliefs, others may not be as practising or have the same beliefs, so it is important to ask
- Discuss ideas, concerns and expectations – e.g. during consultations, you may be asked to help individuals to understand whether certain ingredients/excipients are present in their medicine(s), its source, and whether it is likely to be considered permissible in Islam/suitable for a halāl diet
- To find out how to check if a medicine contains harām ingredients and/or excipients, see section on ‘Checking medicine information’.
- For further information on the conditions of when it is acceptable for a practising Muslim individual to take/use a medicine that contains harām ingredients and/or excipients, is derived from harām sources, or where there is cross-contamination with harām sources, see our resource on ‘What to do if a medicine contains harām ingredients and/or excipients’
- Respect and support individuals in making informed decisions about their treatment
- Understand that you may be asked to explore alternative formulations that meet the individual’s religious requirements (where available), alternative companies that make the medicine without a particular excipient/ingredient (where possible) or alternative treatment options for the condition (where clinically appropriate)
- HCPs may find the Specialist Pharmacy Service (SPS) resource on ‘Searching for presence or absence of an excipient in medicines‘ useful to help them find alternative halāl medicines that do not contain certain ingredients or excipients. Further information can be found on the SPS website
- There may be situations where you cannot prescribe/supply an alternative halāl medicine which you may need to explain to the individual – for further information, see sections on ‘Hardship begets facility’ and ‘Limitations on prescribing an alternative halāl medicine‘.
Checking medicine information
You can check if a medicine contains lanolin using the relevant product patient information leaflet (PIL) or summary of product characteristics (SPC) which is available on the electronic medicines compendium (emc) website. You may also find our resource on ‘How to find out if a medicine contains harām ingredients and/or excipients’ useful. If you are still unsure if a medicine contains lanolin, speak to your local pharmacist as they are the experts in medicines.
You may need to contact the manufacturer to find out other information such as halāl-certification. Please note that information regarding cross-contamination or potential contact with harām sources (e.g. pork/alcohol) is not always readily available from manufacturers.
It is important to remember that even if you find out a medicine contains possible harām ingredients and/or excipients, is derived from harām sources, or that there is cross-contamination with harām sources, this does not always mean it is prohibited to take/use. For further information, see our resource on ‘What to do if a medicine contains harām ingredients and/or excipients’. It includes the conditions of when it is acceptable to take/use a medicine in these circumstances. It can also be used to support person-centred discussions between individuals and HCPs, and help make informed decisions around taking medicines that are both clinically appropriate and align with an individual’s Islamic values and beliefs.
Is lanolin halāl or harām?
The table below summarises the ruling of lactose according to the four Sunni schools1:
| Source | Ḥanafī | Mālikī | Shāfiʿī | Ḥanbalī |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sheep’s wool | ✅Halāl -as shearing wool does not harm the animal | ✅Halāl -as shearing wool does not harm the animal | ✅Halāl -as shearing wool does not harm the animal | ✅Halāl -as shearing wool does not harm the animal |
In summary, according to all four schools of thought, lanolin is widely considered pure (ṭāhir) so is therefore permissible. The process of obtaining lanolin does not cause harm to the animal as it is derived from shearing wool, so is therefore accepted as halāl. It is best to confirm halāl certification to ensure no cross-contamination with harām substances occurred during the manufacturing process and that no unethical practices took place in the process.
Summary
- Lanolin is a waxy substance derived from sheared sheep’s wool and is used in medicines for its antimicrobial properties and ability to reduce water loss and itching
- For the Muslim community, it is important to check if your medicine contains lanolin and if it is Islamically permissible to take/use when there is cross-contamination with harām sources
- You can check if a medicine contains lanolin using the PIL or SPC, alternatively you can speak to your local pharmacist
- If you are seeking information about halāl status or alternatives – do not stop, delay, change, or change the way you take/use your medicine(s) without discussing this first with the healthcare professional who prescribed/supplied it to you
- Always consult your healthcare professional if you have any questions and before making any decisions about your treatment.
- For HCPs and anyone involved in delivering care and support to the Muslim community, it is important to have open discussions with individuals about their personal values or beliefs that may relate to their care and support where possible
- Lanolin is considered halāl by all schools of thought. However, where possible, one should ensure it is halāl certified. If certification is not available, it is important to verify that it is free from cross-contamination with any harām substances.
- Follow the guidance of your school of thought (madhhab). If you have further queries about the permissibility of medicines, consult a qualified local Imam or trusted Islamic scholar (ideally someone who has relevant knowledge and expertise in the Fiqh of medicines)
- You can check if the following information is available from the relevant manufacturer(s) (manufacturers may have limited information):
- Halāl-certification – to ensure halāl-compliant manufacturing.
References and further reading
- Rashid, R. (n.d.). Islamic rulings on the ḥalāl and ḥarām in medicine and food: Principles and applications. Al Balāgh Academy Publication Papers ↩︎
- ScienceDirect. (n.d.). Lanolin. In ScienceDirect Topics. Retrieved August 18, 2025, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/lanolin ↩︎
