She’s The Balm (Win! A $149 Lano Prize Pack!)

What does it take to create the world’s best skin balms? Our conversation with Lano founder Kristen Carriol revealed the answer to this cream-y question! —Noa Nichol

Hi Kristen! Please tell us a bit about yourself to start.

Prior to creating and launching Lano, I spent 15 years running my own PR agency specializing in all things beauty, cosmetics, hair care and lifestyle products. I was a definite beauty-lover until I launched Lano; my love and passion for beauty persists and drives me every day.

And a bit about Lano, its heritage and the philosophy behind the brand?

The story of Lano starts when I was a child. When the school holidays came around my family and I would head to my grandparents’ sheep farm in South Australia. My siblings and I whiled away hours milking cows, chasing sheepdogs and playing in the shearing shed, watching the shearers do their work. This was where I was first introduced to lanolin. As the years passed, and I left the farm for the bigger cities of London and Sydney, I discovered lip glosses, lipsticks and lacquers—they were just so pretty, so bright, so lovely. Surely they had to be even better than the lanolin I used when I was a child. They weren’t. It wasn’t until 2003 that I was about to board a plane for my honeymoon. The thought of the dry air-conditioning on the flight wasn’t particularly appealing and the realization that none of many, many lip balms I had tried would help to protect my lips for the journey was depressing. It dawned on me that nothing had ever matched the results of lanolin. Why was there no product on the market that was simple, pure lanolin-based, that would hydrate and nourish and protect my lips and skin? It was upon boarding that plane that I decided to create this product, make lanolin a “hero” ingredient and launch Lano!

How do you set out to successfully create the world’s best balms?

When I’m formulating, I have a razor-sharp focus on making sure the product really, truly delivers WOW benefits, above all else. Not just to look good in an Instagram video, or feel nice for an hour. I trial products over complete days, weeks, overnight, in flights, in the snow, in the heat, in pockets, cars and handbags. And then after all that, I think to myself—am I naturally wanting to pick up that balm, in front of everything else in my drawer? Now I’m used to it, would I miss it if I didn’t have it, meaning—is it doing something nothing else has done before? Only when the answers to these two questions are “yes” is it a winning-formula ready.

What was the very first product you created, and what’s your latest release?

My first product was 101 Ointment and our latest release is our new 101 Ointment in MINTY, which I’m really obsessed with. I have no idea why it took me so long to think to put lanolin and mint together. It’s magic.

All of this quarantine time has really dried out our skin. Any product and usage tips you can offer?

Hydration can be layered on and added to as the day goes on. Layer on hydration at the beginning of the day and before bed of course. But you can also pat hydration over your makeup as the day goes on to give yourself a pick-me-up and freshen the skin. I do this all day, especially when I’m going out after work and don’t have time or can’t be bothered to redo my makeup. I pat on my face cream over my makeup and it gives it back its life.

If you were stuck on a desert island, what one Lano product could you not live without?

101 Ointment. The End.

Lano products are available at Sephora!

Win! A $149 Lano Prize Pack!

We have a winner! Congratulations Berkley M. of Surrey, B.C., who won a Lano prize pack, including 1x Face Base Vitamin E Day Cream, 1x Face Base The Aussie Flyer Leave-on Recovery Mask, 1x Face Base Gelcream Glycerin Cleanser, 1x The Ultimate Strength Hand Duo and 1x 101 Ointment, valued at $149!