Animal Ingredients – What is Lactoferrin?

Animal Ingredients - What is Lactoferrin?

Lactoferrin is something that’s recently starting to show up in beauty products. It’s considered to be an antioxidant, which is why it’s included in some hair care and skin care products. When I first came across lactoferrin, it was in a hair pomade. Having never heard of it before, I decided to do some research into what exactly lactoferrin is.

What I found out is that lactoferrin is derived from secretory fluids. Medically, it is commonly used in treatments for osteoporosis, anemia and Hepatitis C.  Some people take it as a probiotic. It’s also found in human breast milk, where it helps the child build up their immune system while breast feeding. It typically comes from from milk, saliva, tears, nasal secretions and even excrement. Cows are the primary animal source of lactoferrin, though it’s the most common in these secretions from humans.

I’m not sure about you, but I don’t want any ingredient that comes from cow milk, saliva, nasal secretions, excrement or tears in my beauty products. I can’t think of anything sadder than saying that I get my great hair style with the help of some cow tears. Nor anything grosser than thinking that it may have come from excrement fluids.

When it comes to figuring out exactly what animal ingredients are, it can get downright confusing. That’s why I’ve decided to make quick and easy reference guides for animal ingredients that may be present in your health and beauty items. Some are easy to understand and pretty self explanatory, while others need a more detailed description. Each week, the goal is to help shed some light onto the details about one animal ingredient. Over time, this will create an in-depth and detailed guide.

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