Lanolin
The natural wax secreted by sheep sebaceous glands, retained in unwashed wool. It is what makes a Beni Ourain pile feel like nothing else.
Lanolin is secreted by the sebaceous glands of sheep and coats the wool fibres as they grow. In hand-spun wool that has not been heavily processed, lanolin is partially retained, giving the yarn a natural lustre, slight water resistance, and a softness that machine-processed wool lacks.
Industrially processed wool is typically scoured, washed in hot water and detergent, to remove lanolin entirely before dyeing or spinning. Hand-spun wool for Amazigh weaving is processed more lightly. In vintage pieces that have been carefully used and never chemically washed, some lanolin can survive for decades. You feel it when handling such a piece, the wool has a slight waxy resistance and depth that processed wool does not.
