We tried the celeb-loved lip balm

Stars aren’t sheepish about their love for this unique lip product.

Lanolips’ lanolin-based 101 Ointment has racked up famous fans like Alicia Keys, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Gigi Hadid — but it all started on founder Kirsten Carriol‘s grandparents’ sheep farm, where she first encountered the key ingredient.

“The function of lanolin on sheep is to help waterproof them and to keep them protected from the elements,” Carriol tells Page Six Style of the waxy, cruelty-free formula, recalling how her grandfather’s hands were always “really soft” after shearing his sheep.

Years later, when launching her own company, the former beauty PR agent thought back to her beloved childhood farm memories — and her first lanolin-based products were born.

“After all my years in beauty, I have never found a lip balm that worked like the lanolin that I used to use,” she says. “And I knew the world didn’t need another lip balm, but I think the world did need a better lip balm.”

The world’s certainly taken notice in the time since; Lindsay Lohan told the Post’s Alexa it keeps her lips “so hydrated,” while Gigi Hadid and Alicia Keys both shouted it out in interviews.

And Bethenny Frankel discovered the ointments on a trip to Australia this year, saying on TikTok: “They are amazing, they’re better than our big viral brand lip products.”

To see whether it was truly worth the hype — rather than following along like sheep — we put the products to the test ourselves. Read on for our full thoughts.

Our review

Lanolips 101 Ointment

I was first introduced to Lanolips by Page Six Managing Editor Ally D’Aluisio, who found it was the only product that worked for her dry lips.

“My obsession with the salve runs so deep that I probably have 10 tubes open and being used at any given time,” she’s said. “I keep them in my bedside table, my purse, my car, my overnight bag, my desk drawer, my makeup bag, my work bag and probably other hidden locations that I can’t remember.”

It even became one of our readers’ most-shopped products of 2024 — and after trying it out myself, I’m tempted to stock up too. I found it provided long-lasting hydration and felt soothing (and surprisingly not very sticky) on my lips.

The product description says it has “101 uses” — and while I personally can’t think of that many off the top of my head, I have no doubt it’s a true multitasker. (Carriol told me she uses it on her cuticles, elbows and even on her nails as an “instant manicure.”)

As someone often sensitive to overpowering scents, I appreciate that it’s fragrance-free, vegetarian and practically colorless — a true beauty bag basic.

If you’re a fragrance lover, though, it also comes in 10 flavors, from strawberry and watermelon to banana cream pie to and glazed donut.

I also tried out the brand’s new lip oil, which combines the signature lanolin formula with hyaluronic acid and a slight tint. While it comes in both honey and raspberry flavors, I personally much preferred the latter, which feels like dessert in a lip balm.

Each tube has a wide, pillowy applicator to evenly dispense the product — a major pro in my book.

If anything, I wish the tubes were a big bigger since I tend to apply multiple layers at once and could see myself going through this one fast.

The final verdict

Several Page Six team members have tried and loved Lanolips formulas. Our overall favorite is the brand’s no-frills 101 Ointment, due to its hydrating properties and multiple uses.

How we tested

I kept both Lanolips formulas in my desk at work during testing so I could readily reapply, keeping the following factors in mind:

• Long-lasting: Did the effects last for hours after applying?
• Scents and aesthetic: Were the applicators easy to use? Were the scents overpowering?
• Formula: Did it feel sticky or irritating on the lips?

Why Trust Page Six Style Shopping

This article was written by Hannah Southwick, Commerce Writer/Reporter for Page Six Style. Hannah spies deals on actually affordable celebrity-worn styles, puts Hollywood’s favorite labels to the test and finds the beauty products that keep stars red carpet-ready. She consults stylists and industry pros — including celebs themselves — for firsthand product recommendations, trend predictions and more. In addition to writing for Page Six since 2020, her work has been featured in USA Today and Parade.