In case you're wondering, lanolin is a naturally occurring soft and waxy substance that comes from wool-bearing animals, usually sheep. Medical-grade lanolin is used in a wide range of skin and beauty products due to its excellent moisturising qualities. It's also the most common ingredient in popular nipple creams. Yes, applying a small amount of olive oil after breastfeeding can help prevent soreness and you don’t need to wash it off before breastfeeding. Like Vaseline, it provides a cheaper alternative, which some mothers prefer. What to look for when choosing a nipple cream

Baby and nursery wholesaler, Baby Brands Direct, is offering our wholesale customers the chance to win a great Lansinohprize, featuring items from theirinnovative and unique birth prep range! Finally, we collated all of this research to bring you our list of the 10 best nipple creams for a variety of needs and budgets. Ingredients include nourishing coconut oil, shea butter and vitamin E, which is an antioxidant that's great for skin protection. It’s considered safe to use during breastfeeding and you don’t need to wash it off before you start a feed. However, around 2% of people are allergic, so if you or your baby experience irritation when using lanolin-based products stop using them immediately and look for alternatives. Why you should trust us The Dr. Lipp Nipple Balm certainly wins the award for most versatile product, boasting a number of uses in addition to soothing sore nipples, ranging from eyebrow shaping to shoe shining (yes really!)Lansinoh believes when mums choose to breastfeed, they should have the support and encouragement they need to experience all of its benefits, and ensure baby feels the same. They'll always take mothers seriously and their needs personally, creating high-quality products mums want and can trust as they nurture their babies and develop a special bond only formed in motherhood.

Lansinoh is committed to making the safest, purest lanolin for nursing mothers. To do this, we ethically source our lanolin from New Zealand, which is well known for its clean, green environment. We support small farms and never test on animals. Motherlove Herbal Nipple Cream is organic and free of lanolin. It's unscented too with interesting organic ingredients like marshmallow root, calendula flower and even a bit if extra virgin oil (amongst other things). Short answer, yes. If you don't want to invest in a dedicated nipple cream then a dab of Vaseline can help. Some women prefer it, while others feel better with a lanolin, or other oil-based product. Just make sure you wipe it off your nipple before you start a feed. Can you use olive oil as nipple cream? Composed of an ultra-purified grade of lanolin, our purple tube nipple cream is 100% natural without any preservatives or additives. Our breastfeeding cream is naturally hypoallergenic and approved by the British Allergy Foundation, meaning it is safe to breastfeed your little one without having to remove it.

Creams made of organic oils or medical-grade lanolin will almost certainly be fine for both you and your baby. Creams containing petroleum or parabens are safe for skin application, but are not meant to be swallowed so will need washing off before letting your baby latch. Can you use Vaseline as nipple cream?

Many of our recommended creams do not need to be washed off before feeding, but bear in mind that if you use too much just before a feed your nipple may become too slippery and prevent your baby from latching on properly. Is it safe to use nipple cream?Fragrance: Some of our recommended creams are heavily scented whilst others are completely fragrance-free. Most fragrances are created through the inclusion of natural ingredients such as coconut and mango and, whilst they won’t do your baby any harm, some mums prefer to use something unscented so as not to interfere with baby’s feeding, particularly in the early days. Price: You don’t need to spend loads to get good quality - our list is testament to that. But bear in mind that some of the cheaper products may be less concentrated, so you may need to use more.