As our understanding of skincare has advanced over the past few years, we’ve become especially invested in ‘actives’ in products. Actives are clinically proven ingredients that can treat specific skincare issues, like retinol for anti-aging concerns and vitamin C to lighten dark spots. And, while actives are great, they make it easy to overlook some ingredients that are just as valuable. Enter squalane!
As the active and more stable form of squalene (found in human sebum), squalane is an ingredient that’s been around for a while, especially in the medical field to treat wounds. However, we often don’t hear about the multitude of benefits squalane can offer your skin, particularly in terms of its exceptional barrier support and anti-aging benefits.
Let’s explore the significant advantages of squalane for your skin and clarify the key differences between squalane and squalene because, yes, they are two distinct ingredients. We’ll also provide recommendations for our favorite squalane-infused skincare products – plus, we’ll uncover the surprising origins of squalane and discuss why we prefer certain sources over others!
Clarifying the Differences: Squalane vs. Squalene
Before we delve into the specifics of squalane, it’s crucial to first discuss ‘squal(e)ne’, which has a spelling difference of just one vowel. Squalene is a compound that our bodies naturally produce, playing a vital role in keeping the skin healthy. It’s fatty, rich, and essential for maintaining skin suppleness and hydration.
However, our natural production of squalene starts to decline rapidly in our early 20s, and by middle age, it’s virtually non-existent. Why is this significant? Squalene is instrumental in securing the skin’s moisture barrier while supporting healthy skin aging. Therefore, it sounds like something we should be applying generously – but is it truly beneficial?
When it comes to sourcing squalene, you might be surprised by the reality: this ingredient is often derived from shark livers – a practice we absolutely do not support for any reason! Beyond the ethical concerns tied to its sourcing, squalene is also prone to oxidation, meaning it can spoil quickly when exposed to oxygen. Consequently, squalene must undergo hydrogenation, effectively transforming it into the more stable ingredient known as squalane.
Squalane is a stable, non-comedogenic oil that’s incredibly lightweight and easily absorbed by the skin. This makes it a stellar ingredient for your skincare routine. Fortunately, with the advancements in technology, we no longer need to source squalane from sharks; we can now extract it from plants, primarily from olives and sugar cane. This makes it an excellent vegan ingredient choice for our products.
Unlocking the Remarkable Benefits of Squalane for Your Skin
While squalane may not be the first active ingredient that comes to mind regarding skincare, its beauty benefits make it stand out. It’s renowned for its exceptional moisturizing properties and its ability to mimic the skin’s natural oils. Because it closely resembles our skin’s natural oils, squalane effectively helps to restore the lipid barrier, aiding in moisture retention and providing protection against environmental stressors.
In addition to its anti-inflammatory properties, squalane’s excellent absorption qualities mean there’s no greasy residue left behind. Once absorbed, it helps replenish the lipid layer, combating dryness and promoting a healthy, hydrated, and radiant complexion. And, there’s an abundance of other significant benefits that squalane offers!
#1: Enhanced Skin Barrier Support
As mentioned earlier, squalene is naturally produced by our skin to maintain its health, with one of its primary functions being to keep the skin moisturized. However, as we age, the production of squalene diminishes, making products containing squalane particularly beneficial.
Yet, squalane does much more than simply moisturize; it also plays a crucial role in supporting the skin barrier. This is vital because the barrier protects the skin from damaging UV rays, pollution, and various contaminants. Furthermore, maintaining a healthy and hydrated complexion involves more than just moisture; it requires coverage against environmental aggressors.
A fantastic addition to your skincare routine is our Fruit Pigmented 2nd Skin Foundation! This antioxidant-rich serum foundation is designed to mimic the look and feel of a second skin, utilizing ultralight olive squalane and pure fruit pigments. It delivers the ideal amount of moisture while seamlessly absorbing into the skin for a lightweight finish.
#2: Powerful Antioxidant Properties
The squalene produced by our bodies also serves another crucial role in promoting skin health. Both squalane and squalene exhibit antioxidant properties, which means they help defend the skin against environmental pollutants and oxidative stress. However, since squalane is more stable, it doesn’t oxidize like squalene, making it an ideal choice for beauty products.
When incorporated into skincare formulations, stable squalane can help neutralize free radicals in the skin. This potentially helps keep skin looking stronger and healthier over time and can aid in warding off the signs of premature aging. However, regardless of squalane’s presence, your most effective defense against free radicals remains consistent sun protection!
If you’re looking for enhanced protection from both free radicals and UV damage, our vegan Green Tea SPF 30 acts as a natural sunblock while offering anti-aging benefits from green tea, combined with the powerful antioxidant properties of vitamin E to neutralize free radicals and combat environmental damage.
#3: Potential to Reduce Signs of Aging
Given all of squalane’s protective and restorative properties, it’s no wonder that it may help reduce the visible signs of aging. It’s an excellent emollient, meaning it softens and smooths the skin, enhancing its plumpness and suppleness. As we know, collagen and elastin levels naturally diminish with age.
Additionally, since the neck is one of the first areas to exhibit signs of aging, we recommend incorporating a dedicated neck cream into your skincare regimen. Opt for one that combines the emollient, repairing properties of squalane with clinically proven anti-aging benefits of retinol.
With that said, our Retinol Restorative Neck Cream is an excellent starting point. This youth-revitalizing neck cream enhances elasticity for a firmer, more lifted appearance. Retinol works to reduce the visibility of lines and wrinkles, while olive squalane and hyaluronic acid boost plumpness and suppleness, resulting in a smoother and more toned neck.
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The Reasons Behind Our Choice to Use Squalane in Our Products
As explained earlier, the body naturally produces squalene – specifically in the sebaceous glands. This compound acts as a lipid to hydrate the skin’s barrier, ensuring it remains healthy and hydrated.
However, it’s unfortunate that natural production levels of squalene tend to significantly decrease after the age of 30. This decline can lead to drier skin, exacerbating signs of aging and increasing the likelihood of premature aging. Therefore, sourcing squalene from alternative means becomes an attractive solution.
Nonetheless, squalene is inherently unstable in its natural form. Thus, hydrogenation is necessary to stabilize it. This process involves adding a hydrogen molecule to the structure. Once squalene has been properly hydrogenated, it transforms into squalane, which retains all the benefits of squalene in a safe, stable format.
For decades, shark liver was the predominant source of squalene globally, significantly contributing to their exploitation in the wild. However, as awareness regarding this ethical issue has increased, many brands have shifted away from using shark liver. Nowadays, several brands extract their squalane from plants like rice bran, sugar cane, wheat germ, and olives.
In the beauty industry, there’s no shortage of squalane being utilized in various makeup and skincare products! Many of us opt for its benefits in a concealer to address imperfections alongside a natural foundation. Our Fruit Pigmented 2nd Skin Concealer is a vegan and cruelty-free option that features olive squalane, providing effortlessly blendable and buildable coverage with a soft, satin finish that appears and feels like a second skin.
To effectively banish redness or color-correct dark areas, our 2nd Skin Corrector is an ultra-blendable color corrector made with hydrating olive squalane and natural pigments to eliminate redness, brighten your complexion, and correct dark circles.
Given squalane’s noted emollient properties, individuals with dry, sensitive, and mature skin types may find that they particularly benefit from incorporating squalane into their beauty routines. Check out below for our favorite skincare products featuring olive squalane!
Top Skincare Products Featuring Olive Squalane
We prioritize sourcing wholesome ingredients that harness the power of either plants or clean, synthetic alternatives to conventional components. We’re committed to enhancing the beauty community by incorporating olive-derived squalane into our formulations. This olive substitute is not only better for the ecosystem but also kinder to your skin!
Olive squalane is created as a natural byproduct during the refining process of olive oil. During hydrogenation, squalane transforms into a lighter form of olive oil squalene that is significantly more stable. It aids in boosting cell regeneration, which contributes to fading age spots and scars, tightening the skin, and preserving a youthful appearance. Additionally, it softens rough skin, repairs sun damage, and aids in healing skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema.
In addition to the benefits typically associated with shark squalene, olive squalane is completely shelf-stable, making it a superior choice.
Here are a few of our favorite 100% PURE™ products that feature olive squalane:
Watermelon Cucumber Water Locking Mist
This ultra-hydrating water mist naturally rejuvenates dehydrated skin cells and reduces signs of aging by locking in cactus juice, watermelon hydrosol, and moisture-locking hyaluronic acid. It contains moisturizing Irish Moss Extract and antioxidant-rich olive squalane to provide long-lasting hydration without a greasy after-feel.
Watermelon Cucumber Water Locking Serum
Our intensely hydrating hydrogel serum locks in watermelon hydrosol to revitalize dehydrated skin cells, enriched with skin-plumping polyglutamic acid from fermented natto beans and moisture-retaining hyaluronic acid – plus antioxidant olive squalane to deliver long-lasting hydration without a greasy finish.
Watermelon Cucumber Water Locking Moisturizer
Our hydrating moisturizer seals in watermelon hydrosol and polyglutamic acid to naturally restore skin elasticity, promote cell regeneration, and minimize signs of aging – along with antioxidant olive squalane to provide all-day hydration with a non-greasy feel.
Green Tea EGCG Serum
This lightweight, hydrating serum is concentrated with EGCG, the key antioxidant in green tea that helps delay signs of aging, and caffeine to tone, brighten, and depuff – along with antioxidant olive squalane to ensure all-day hydration without leaving a greasy residue.
Puristry Nopal Cactus Cleanser
This replenishing cleanser is crafted with a concentrated blend of desert botanicals, including nopal cactus, prickly pear, and aloe vera to deeply cleanse and balance the skin. Organic aloe provides deep hydration, while nopal cactus imparts nutrients that help retain moisture – plus olive squalane for locking in essential hydration throughout the day.
Coffee Bean Face Cream
This exceptional face cream is formulated to reverse sun damage and brighten and tighten your skin for an immediate radiant glow. Powered by a blend of skin-loving ingredients such as green coffee extract, caffeine, and green tea EGCG, this serum boosts circulation for your skin, transforming your complexion for a healthy, vibrant glow. The inclusion of olive squalane delivers and locks in all-day hydration for supple skin!
Understanding How Squalane Interacts with Your Skin
Having covered the practical benefits of squalane for the skin, and discussed our preference for plant-derived squalane over shark-sourced alternatives, we still need to address an important question: how does squalane behave on the skin?
One of our favorite aspects of squalane is its texture on the skin. Even if you have oily or combination skin, don’t let the classification of “oil” deter you. Similar to the squalene your body produces, squalane is known for blending seamlessly into the skin without leaving a greasy finish as the day progresses.
Thanks to its lightweight composition, squalane is ideal for moisturizing the skin, resulting in a luminous glow. Its lightweight emollient nature allows it to penetrate deeply, infiltrating the spaces between your skin cells for even greater hydration.
Common Questions About Squalane’s Benefits for Skin
What Sets Vegan Squalane Apart from Traditional Squalane?
Traditionally, squalene has been harvested from shark liver oil for skincare purposes. Beyond the ethical concerns tied to its sourcing, squalene is also susceptible to oxidation. Conversely, vegan alternatives such as olives and sugarcane naturally contain squalene. Once transformed into its hydrogenated form, squalane functions as an emollient in skincare.
In What Ways Does Squalane Enhance Skin Hydration?
Squalane oil acts as an emollient, closely mimicking the skin’s natural oil (sebum) to prevent moisture loss. It hydrates your skin effectively, allowing it to retain essential moisture. This improves overall skin hydration, contributing to a more vibrant and youthful complexion.
How Does Squalane Contribute to Anti-Aging Skincare?
Squalane reinforces the skin barrier’s function by mimicking natural oils, thereby preventing moisture loss and protecting against external irritants. Daily application of squalane offers numerous benefits, ranging from anti-aging effects to enhanced moisturization. With a fortified skin barrier, moisture is locked in, helping to combat dryness that can amplify fine lines and wrinkles.
Can Squalane Benefit Acne-Prone Skin?
Squalane serves as an excellent alternative for those who find other oils too heavy or greasy for their skin. Despite being an oil, it is lightweight and non-comedogenic, meaning it won’t clog your pores. It penetrates deep into the pores to improve skin at the cellular level without feeling heavy. Moreover, squalane possesses anti-inflammatory properties that make it beneficial for acne-prone skin.
What Are the Environmental Benefits of Using Vegan Squalane?
By choosing vegan squalane sourced from olives, we eliminate the need for shark-derived ingredients, making a positive impact on the planet, marine life, and your skin. With contemporary technology, we can efficiently extract squalane from plants, primarily from olives and sugar cane. This makes it an excellent vegan ingredient choice for our products.