Good evidence
Squalane
INCI: Squalane · also hydrogenated squalene, olive squalane, sugarcane squalane
The saturated, shelf-stable version of squalene, which is the single largest polyunsaturated component of human skin surface lipid. It is the ingredient that makes a strong active feel survivable.
Why it is here
Keeps stronger actives from feeling like a dare. Squalene is the main lipid your own skin surface makes; squalane is its stable, saturated cousin, so it sits on skin like something skin already recognizes.
Squalene is what your own sebaceous glands make in quantity, and it is also highly prone to oxidation. Hydrogenating it removes the double bonds and gives squalane: same skin-familiar structure, no rancidity. On skin it spreads thin and dry rather than greasy, reduces water loss from the surface and works as a carrier for lipid-soluble actives, which is why it turns up as a vehicle as often as an ingredient.
The receipt
The review reports that squalene, the main component of skin surface polyunsaturated lipids, offers advantages as an emollient and antioxidant and for hydration, and that it is established as a material in topically applied vehicles including lipid emulsions and nanostructured lipid carriers.
Biological and pharmacological activities of squalene and related compounds: potential uses in cosmetic dermatology. Molecules, 2009. review. PMID 19169201
What the study actually did
- Study
- Huang ZR, Lin YK, Fang JY. Biological and pharmacological activities of squalene and related compounds: potential uses in cosmetic dermatology. 2009.
- Journal
- Molecules 14:540-554
- Design
- Narrative review of in vitro and in vivo studies
- Subjects
- Human and animal skin models across the reviewed studies
- Concentration
- Varies by study
- Duration
- Varies by study
- Outcome
- Emollient, antioxidant and hydration effects; established topical vehicle
In practice
- Typical use
- 1 to 20 percent in creams and serums, and up to 100 percent as a single-ingredient facial oil. There is no threshold level; more squalane means more slip and more occlusion, not more activity.
- Pairs with
- Retinal, Ceramides, Cholesterol, Free Fatty Acids, Vitamin E
- Keep apart from
- Nothing. Squalane is close to chemically inert and is used specifically because it does not react with what it is carrying.
- Cautions
- None notable. It is non-comedogenic in most testing, though very oily skin may still find a heavy layer of any lipid uncomfortable. Plant-derived squalane, from olive or sugarcane, avoids the shark liver supply chain entirely.
Questions people ask
What is the difference between squalene and squalane?
One letter and several double bonds. Squalene is the unsaturated lipid your sebaceous glands produce, and it oxidizes quickly, which is part of why sebum goes off. Squalane is squalene with hydrogen added across those double bonds. It is stable, it does not go rancid, and it behaves the same way on skin.
Does squalane come from sharks?
It can, historically. Shark liver oil is the richest natural source of squalene, which is why the molecule is named after the shark genus Squalus. Modern cosmetic squalane is overwhelmingly plant derived, from olive or fermented sugarcane. If a brand does not say which, it is fair to ask.
Will squalane clog my pores?
It is one of the less comedogenic lipids in common use, and it is the closest common ingredient to what your own skin surface already produces. That said, comedogenicity is individual and dose dependent. If you are acne prone, a thin layer of squalane is a reasonable place to start and easy to judge.