Squalane
Squalane · INCI Squalane
Most of what a skincare oil does is to soften the surface, slow the loss of water, and carry the rest of the formula evenly across the skin. Squalane does that work with less weight, and a longer shelf life, than a heavier oil.
It is the stable, saturated version of a lipid your own skin makes, and that stability is a large part of why it is in every formula.
What it is
Squalane is a lightweight emollient oil, best understood through its relationship to squalene. Squalene is a lipid your own skin makes, one of the main components of the film that sits on its surface. It is good at what it does, but the same chemistry that makes it useful also makes it oxidise quickly, which is why the plant oils richest in it tend to turn.
Squalane is squalene with that weakness taken out. Through hydrogenation, the reactive parts of the molecule are saturated, leaving an oil that is far more stable while keeping the light, skin-friendly feel. Ours is made from olive, Olea europaea, rather than from shark liver, the traditional source and still a live conservation concern. What reaches the bottle is an olive-derived, stable form of a lipid your skin already makes.
What it does in our formulas
Squalane softens the skin, stays stable in the formula and helps the rest of the formula spread.
It softens and holds moisture in
Squalane is thought to blend into the lipids of the skin's outer layer, which helps slow water loss. It leaves skin feeling smoother and more supple, without the weight of a richer oil.
Well characterisedIt stays stable
Unlike the polyunsaturated oils it sits alongside, squalane is fully saturated, so it resists the oxidation that turns oils rancid and keeps well in the formula.
Well characterisedIt carries the rest of the formula
Squalane spreads easily and has a light, almost dry finish, which helps the other oils and actives lie evenly across the skin.
Well characterisedWhat the research does not show
Squalane is a good ingredient, which is why the claims around it tend to drift past what the evidence supports. Three are worth correcting.
Marketed as A powerful antioxidant
Marketed as Identical to your skin's own oil
Marketed as Clinically shown to raise moisture by 40 percent
On the label and in the range
Squalane appears in every one of our formulations. Where it falls in the ingredient list depends on how much a given product carries, and that varies from one product to another, so it reads higher in some and lower in others. On the label it is Squalane, its INCI name. The exact percentage is published on each product page, as it is for everything we use.
Is it suitable for me?
Independent expert-panel reviews have found squalane and squalene safe as used, and squalane carries no restrictions under UK or EU cosmetic law. Allergic reactions to squalane are rarely reported, and it has been used in cosmetics for decades. It is light enough for oily skin as well as dry, and suits a vegan routine, since ours is olive-derived.
As with anything new, if your skin reacts easily it is worth patch testing first.
The research behind this page
We review the published literature. We do not conduct the studies below.
- Huang ZR, Lin YK, Fang JY. Biological and Pharmacological Activities of Squalene and Related Compounds: Potential Uses in Cosmetic Dermatology. Molecules 2009;14(1):540-554. →
- Wołosik K, Knaś M, Zalewska A, Niczyporuk M, Przystupa AW. The importance and perspective of plant-based squalene in cosmetology. J Cosmet Sci 2013;64(1):59-66. →
- Elder RL (ed). Final Report on the Safety Assessment of Squalane and Squalene. J Am Coll Toxicol 1982;1(2):37-56. →
- Andersen FA (ed). Squalene and Squalane. Int J Toxicol 2003;22(Suppl 2):27-31. →