Squalane Oil; The Next New Big Thing In Skincare

Wrinkle who, we don’t know her!

Squalane oil—the name is quite alien to us! Unlike centella asiatica, salicylic acid or retinol, squalane oil isn’t really up there when it comes to the fame game! Whether you’ve heard the name or not, you might want to read this because this ingredient hosts different benefits in skincare; moisturizing, anti-aging and even fight acne.

What is Squalane Oil?

Squalane is actually an emollient ingredient which is excellent in sealing in moisture and repairing skin barrier, but do not confuse it with squalene! While the two actually are related, squalane is the hydrogenated version of squalene—a lipid or fat that’s naturally occurring in human’s body.

Squalene is a key component of the sebum which keeps skin hydrated. Unfortunately, squalene is too unstable to be included in skincare as it spoils very quickly when exposed to oxygen. Hence, the hydrogenated version—squalane—is manufactured to be more shelf-friendly.

The Origin of Squalane

Besides being naturally found in human’s skin, squalene is also (shockingly) found in shark liver. Yup, it’s true! If you don’t believe it, shark liver was one of the most common sources for cosmetically-used squalene.

But don’t fret because now that the beauty industry is fortunately more conscious on animal testings and using animal-based products, squalane that is nor commonly used in cosmetics are extracted from plants—olives, rice bran, wheat germ and sugarcane.

How Does Squalane Benefit in Defying Aging?

As mentioned above, squalane is a fabulous emollient which makes it automatically ideal for softening the skin and sealing that moisture in the dermal layer. Plus, because it mimics so closely to the natural oils in our skin, it’s very lightweight on the skin, without feeling greasy or heavy!

Not only that, squalane also has antioxidant properties, making it absolutely marvelous to combat dry skin—including eczema and psoriasis.

image taken from: skincarebyalana

Being it safe for sensitive skin type, it is also friendly to oily and acne-prone skin. As squalane has shown to have anti-inflammatory properties and non-comedogenic, it can help to calm redness associated with breakouts without the worry of clogging pores.