Lanolips was a simple beauty balm born in the early 2000’s; the product of Founder and CEO Kirsten Carriol’s fondest childhood memories.
Fast forward to 2022, and the brand is now a global household name, a favourite of celebrities including Alicia Keys, Rosie Huntington-Whitely, Drew Barrymore, Chelsea Handler and Sienna Miller. The range now comprises over 60 products and variants and sells in celebrated beauty boutiques such as Mecca, Adore Beauty and Sephora, to name but a few.
As a long-time friend and colleague, I’ve watched Kirsten grow from a stylish, seamlessly professional PR maven to a formidable force in the beauty world, all with grace and class reminiscent of Audrey Hepburn and her ilk.
I recently spoke with her about the rise and rise of Lanolips, which also happens to be one of my all-time favourite beauty brands. I can’t name my one ‘can’t-live-without’ in the line-up, but I will say, don’t ever let your bedside table be without Lanolips Minty Lanolin Leg and Foot Balm. It’s the ultimate soothing saviour after a long day in heels.
When did you first come up with the concept of Lanolips?
“As a child, I spent the majority of my school holidays on my grandfather’s sheep farm. I quickly learnt from my dad, who was a molecular scientist, that sheep’s wool contained lanolin, had multiple benefits, and was the key to the soft hands that my grandfather had after a day of shearing sheep. When I then worked in beauty, I could never find a product that would soothe my dry lips and skin and realised I needed to create my own product with lanolin as its core ingredient.”
What was the ‘why’ behind Lanolips? Your motivation? Your goal?
“I wanted to create one incredible product that would become an Aussie classic, everyday staple: natural, hardworking, and serving multiple purposes. I’m all about one cream to replace five things.
After a long and highly successful career in PR, why did you choose to pivot before pivoting was even a thing?
“When working in beauty PR you are surrounded by products all day, every day. I had tried every new ‘must-have’ that came across my desk, but nothing matched the power of lanolin. I also saw the amount of marketing and hype behind products and became jaded. I wanted to create something that actually did what it said and wasn’t out to create a new problem or trick the consumer to purchase something they didn’t need. Honesty, simplicity and integrity remain our core values.”
What was your first product launch? Describe the process behind it?
“The 101 Ointment is the OG product, getting its name as the multi-purposer with 101 uses. This product was about creating the world’s best lanolin. The safest, purest, least sticky and with no fragrance – creamy, velvety, incredibly rich and intense. Pure magic. It took six years of trailing and working with different labs. I hit many brick walls but it never dulled my passion to keep going. It’s still our Number One best seller today [one tube sells every minute around the world].”
Was it difficult creating a presence in an already saturated beauty space? How did you go about making Lanolips so iconic in this environment?
“There was no luxury lanolin product in the market and consumers were actually super happy to have an ingredient that they had grown up with, back and looking and feeling like new again! The magic is in the way the product works. Once you’ve tried lanolin on your lips, you kind of can’t go back.”
Talk to me about lanolin… it had a bad rap in the ’90s. What makes the lanolin you use so unique?
“Lanolin is a natural oil found in sheep’s wool. It mimics the oils found in our own skin. Its properties make it one of a kind; semi-occlusive and semi-permeable allowing the skin to self-hydrate and it retains 400% of its weight in water. It’s also vegetarian and cruelty-free! It’s a by-product of the wool industry, so it’s also sustainable. Lanolin is nature’s Number One OG moisturiser that’s been used for a millenia. It just needed a new image!”
Which is your fave product?
“I always have about three of my products in arm’s reach. I have no clue how many are in my handbag, but if I have to choose one product it will always be 101 Ointment. The 101 with its multipurpose uses, its purity and its effectiveness makes it absolutely my hero product.”
You haven’t aged a bit since I first met you back in the mid 1990’s. What’s your personal beauty regime?
“Hydration is at the core of my beauty regime. I wear less makeup now than I ever have because my skin is great. My morning skincare is as simple as lanolin itself. I use Lanolips Face Base Lanolin Gel Cream Cleanser, followed by Lanolin Everywhere Cream both for my face and body. I also use Everywhere Cream on my legs, arms and neck. Makeup staples are Armani Luminous Silk Foundation, Stila Liquid Eyeliner for the easiest cats eye and Lanolips Rose Gold 101 on lips and cheeks. For my hair I go for grocery brands – Pantene conditioners are pretty awesome and Alberto VO5 Hot Oils are unbeatable for getting hair back into condition after a colour. At night, I use Lanolips Intense Hand Cream as my night cream as it’s so rich, and Lanolips 101 Dry Skin Cream all over my eye area to hydrate the wrinkles.”
What advice would you give to new small brands trying to break into this busy market?
“Make sure that you are 100 percent passionate about what you are working on and towards. Building a business is challenging and it’s a tough and super competitive game. Your passion is what will keep you going when things get tough – and they will! Don’t try to launch anything that’s similar to something you see everywhere already. And trust great people around you.”
Your brand ethos is also all about integrity, sustainability and supporting others. Can you reveal a little more about that?
“Our packaging is made from [recyclable] plastic, aluminium and cardboard. The formulas are rich and natural and require a specific level of protection and barrier to ensure the products do not go off, or leach through the tubes. Glass pots are not suitable, as they expose creams to oxygen and bacteria, so they will go rancid (due to our low level of synthetic preservatives).
“In 2019 we instilled new initiatives. these include:
- Phasing out gold tube caps, to be replaced by a more environmentally-friendly plain cap.
- Phasing out of plastic blister shell cases.
- Phasing out of plastic blister pack shelf trays.
- Phasing of cello coating on paper boxes, to make recycling easier.
- The immediate halt to making plastics for e-com shipping filler packaging.
“Our commitment now is to continue to research improved packaging as options advance. We always look to do better. We welcome all constructive feedback on our packaging.
“We also believe in connecting urban with country and rural communities that may be invisible to many. They may be suffering through drought, fire or other hardship.
We support Rural-Aid, Buy-A-Bale, Wires Wildlife Rescue, California Fire Department, NSW Fire Service and The Port Macquarie Koala Hospital. During the Coronavirus pandemic, we donated many thousands of products to Royal North Shore Hospital Sydney, Prince Of Wales Hospital Sydney, The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne, Columbia Presbyterian Hospital , BeautyUnited USA, NYU Medical Center and Frontline Beauty Canada.
