Lanolin is obtained in the process of cleaning of raw sheep wool from the so-called wool fat, protecting it from getting wet and unbeneficial weather conditions.
Lanolin is commonly used for the production of ointments and creams with lubricating and softening effect, however, it also found application in the production of dietary supplements and more precisely vitamin D3.
In order to obtain vitamin D3 from lanolin, it undergoes cleaning and crystallization and then proper chemical processes, as a result of which 7-dehydrocholesterol is produced - a precursor of vitamin D3, the same which is produced in skin under the influence of UV radiation. 7-dehydrorocholesterol obtained from lanolin is then subjected to the above mentioned radiation, being transformed to vitamin D3.