What is Squalane: Everything You Need to Know

Despite being one of the most effective moisturizing ingredients in skincare products, squalane has, for the most part, stayed under the collective radar of many skincare fans. It’s not often as talked-about as other A-list staples, and it wasn’t until the skincare world began embracing clean and natural beauty that squalane finally gained the attention it deserved. So, what is squalane, and why is it a must-have ingredient in your skincare routine? Below, we turn the spotlight on this game-changing and multitasking ingredient and break down all the wonders it does for your skin.

Table of Contents:

• What is Squalane?
• What are the Benefits of Squalane for Your Skin?
• What are the Potential Side Effects of Squalane?
• How to Use Squalane
• Squalane vs Squalene
• Squalane vs Hyaluronic Acid
• Shop the Best Products with Squalane
• The Bottom Line

What is Squalane?

You may have come across both squalene and squalane while reading up about skincare, but they are, in fact, not the same. (Yes, the “a” and “e” make all the difference—we’ll get into more of this later.) Squalene with an “e” is a lipid naturally produced by skin cells to lubricate the skin and protect its natural barrier. It’s also found in many plants and animals, including shark’s liver, olives, sugarcane, and rice bran.

Squalane, on the other hand, is the hydrogenated form of squalene. Converting squalene, an unsaturated oil, to saturated squalane oil stabilizes the molecule and extends its shelf life, making it a more viable and efficacious skincare ingredient that delivers the same benefits as squalene.

What are the Benefits of Squalane for Your Skin?

As an emollient, squalane oil mimics the skin’s natural oil squalene, making it a lot easier for your skin to know exactly what to do with the ingredient and maximize its properties. Unlike other oils, squalane is light, non-greasy, and works for all skin types. Among the top benefits of squalane for your skin are:

1. Regulates oil production: Squalane mirrors the benefits of squalene, which includes controlling the amount of oil secreted by the skin’s sebaceous glands. This makes squalane ideal for those with oily, acne-prone, and sensitive skin, especially since the oil is known for being lightweight and non-comedogenic.
2. Moisturizes dry skin: Possessing powerful emollient properties, squalane is the perfect ingredient for those with parched, dehydrated, and mature skin.
3. Prevents trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL): Not only does squalane add a dose of moisture to dry skin, it also helps prevent water from escaping your skin by creating a layer that locks in hydration.
4. Soothes irritation and inflammation: Squalane’s nourishing benefits help in calming redness, sunburn, and inflammatory skin conditions like eczema, acne, rosacea, and psoriasis.
5. Strengthens skin barrier: Squalane’s emollient properties reinforce and help restore the skin’s natural skin barrier, preventing water loss, blocking external irritants, and keeping things balanced especially during drier and colder months.
6. Acts as an antioxidant: Several studies support squalane’s antioxidant activity, and it has been found to help protect the skin from free radical damage caused by pollution, UV exposure, and other external aggressors.

What are the Potential Side Effects of Squalane?

While squalane is deemed safe for all skin types, there is no 100 percent guarantee that it won’t cause unwanted side effects for everyone. Although quite uncommon, signs of irritation or allergy from squalane may include itching, swelling, or redness. To be on the safe side, it’s always best to do a patch test before fully incorporating squalane or any skincare ingredient in your routine.

How to Use Squalane

Squalane is great for all skin types and should be added to both your AM and PM routines daily—either as an oil serum or as a key ingredient in your moisturizer—to get your desired results. Because squalane is fat-soluble and mimics your skin’s natural oil, it can penetrate deeper into the skin's layers and deliver its transformative benefits at the cellular level.

To add squalane to your daily skin regimen, make sure to apply the oil after cleansing and after all water-based products to ensure proper absorption. Then, follow it up with your moisturizer to help the oil sink into the skin and lock in hydration, and finish off with SPF during the day.

As an active ingredient, squalane also plays well with other workhorse ingredients. If you have sensitive skin or are new to using potent ingredients like retinol, you can use squalane before applying retinol to reduce irritation. The combo works so well together that they’re often used in the same formula.

However, it’s important to note that some beauty connoisseurs tend to feel iffy about the use of squalane in skincare and cosmetics because the ingredient was mostly sourced from shark’s liver. The good news is, with clean and conscious beauty now taking center stage, most brands have turned to using a more sustainable, plant-based form of squalane.

Squalane vs Squalene

While we’ve briefly touched on the main difference between squalane and squalene, it’s important to fully understand what exactly each one does and why it’s crucial to convert squalene into squalane.

We know that the human body produces squalene, but just like other essential naturally occurring compounds such as collagen and hyaluronic acid, its production decreases with age. While it makes sense to infuse skincare products with squalene in its truest form to counter this decline in production, squalene on its own is unstable. Exposure to air and the elements causes squalene to oxidize and lose most of its natural benefits. That’s where squalane comes in.

By undergoing a saturation process, squalene turns into the more stable squalane, which also has a longer shelf-life, before being added to skincare products. It retains the key properties of squalene, making it a biocompatible ingredient that the skin easily recognizes and harnesses.

Squalane vs Hyaluronic Acid

Squalane and hyaluronic acid may have completely different properties, but using them together is one of the best ways to pamper your skin. Hyaluronic acid is a powerful humectant that attracts and binds water into the skin, while squalane is an emollient that locks in moisture and prevents water loss in the skin’s layers. When used together, the two ingredients deliver and seal in a heavy dose of moisture to keep your skin plump, radiant, and healthy. For best results, apply hyaluronic acid first and allow the product to sink in, then layer squalane oil on top to keep all that goodness in place.

Shop the Best Products with Squalane

1.Medik8 Total Moisture Daily Facial Cream