Squalane for Skin: What It Does and Who It Suits
Squalane is a lightweight, stable oil that softens skin without the heavy feel, which makes it a smart choice if you like the idea of an oil but not the grease. It's an emollient with a quiet job: keeping skin feeling soft.
What is squalane?
Squalane is the saturated (hydrogenated) form of squalene, a lipid that also occurs in skin. It's made by hydrogenating squalene, which turns an unsaturated molecule into a saturated one.
Squalene itself is found in plants (olives are a well-known source) and in human sebum. On labels you'll see "Squalane", "Olive Squalane" or "Plant-Derived Squalane".
Squalane used in skincare is mainly derived from plant sources, with olive oil and sugarcane the main ones, and a share still comes from shark liver oil (Pandarus et al., ACS Omega, 2017). Our Retinol & Peptide Night Repair Cream lists "Olive Squalane".
What does squalane do for skin?
It softens and smooths. Squalane is an emollient.
It's described as helping skin stay soft and flexible, and as a carrier for other ingredients in creams and lotions. It doesn't add water, so it works best on top of hydrated skin.
It has a light texture. Squalane is usually described as a fast-absorbing, non-greasy oil. That's a texture description, not a promise about breakouts.
Why we use squalane
Squalane is in our Vitamin C Antioxidant Elixir and our Retinol & Peptide Night Repair Cream. Our formulator uses it as a light emollient, an ingredient that adds softness to a formula without leaning on a heavy oil.
Our view: a good emollient should do its job and get out of the way. Squalane does that.
Who is squalane good for?
Squalane is often chosen by people who dislike heavy oils but want a softening step, including those with dry or easily dehydrated skin. It's common in formulas for people who want comfort alongside actives.
Take care if you're breakout-prone. Many people tolerate squalane, but no oil is guaranteed not to clog pores for everyone.
Patch test and introduce it gradually. If you have a reaction, stop using the product and speak with a doctor or pharmacist.
How do you use it?
Squalane is typically used after water-based products such as serums or hydrators, as part of a moisturiser or as a final oil layer. If you use a pure squalane oil, a few drops pressed into skin are enough. In a formula, follow the product directions.
What does it pair with?
Squalane is commonly formulated with humectants such as hyaluronic acid and glycerine, with other oils such as hemp seed and jojoba oil, and with antioxidants such as vitamin E. Our Retinol & Peptide Night Repair Cream lists olive squalane alongside hyaluronic acid, glycerine, hemp seed oil, tocopherol and retinyl palmitate. There's no ingredient squalane has to be kept away from, but if you use strong actives, follow the directions on each product.
What does the research say?
The short version: well established as a cosmetic ingredient, with the evidence centred on safety and chemistry rather than skin results.
- CIR, "Final report on the safety assessment of squalane and squalene" (J Am Coll Toxicol, 1982): safe as a cosmetic ingredient under the conditions of use then.
- Huang, Lin and Fang, "Biological and Pharmacological Activities of Squalene and Related Compounds: Potential Uses in Cosmetic Dermatology" (Molecules, 2009): this review is about squalene, not squalane. It describes squalene as an emollient that restores suppleness without an oily residue, and notes that oxidised squalene (squalene monohydroperoxide) caused wrinkling in hairless mice in one study.
- Pandarus et al., "Solvent-Free Chemoselective Hydrogenation of Squalene to Squalane" (ACS Omega, 2017): a chemistry paper that describes how squalane is made from squalene, where squalene is sourced, and its use in cosmetics.
None of these sources measures the effect of a finished product.
Safety and regulation
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel concluded in its 1982 final report that both squalane and squalene are safe as cosmetic ingredients under current practices of use and concentration. The panel based this on low acute toxicity, poor gastrointestinal absorption and non-irritation in rabbit skin and eye tests, and reported that formulations containing squalene were not significant human skin irritants or sensitisers. Squalane is used across a wide range of concentrations in products, from a minor component to the main ingredient in a pure oil, so we don't give a "typical" figure.
Squalane in Dope Skin Co products
Squalane appears in:
- Vitamin C Antioxidant Elixir with CoQ10 (listed as "Squalane").
- Retinol & Peptide Night Repair Cream (listed as "Olive Squalane").
We make our products in-house in Sydney. See each product page for the full ingredient list and directions.
Not sure where to start? The Dope Skin Co skincare quiz takes about two minutes.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between squalane and squalene?
Squalene is the unsaturated molecule found in plants and sebum. Squalane is the hydrogenated (saturated) version made from it.
Is squalane an oil?
Yes, it's a light emollient oil. It's used on its own or as part of a moisturiser or serum.
Will squalane make me break out?
Many people tolerate it, but nobody can promise an oil will never clog pores. Patch test first.
Is squalane vegan?
Squalane from olive or sugarcane is plant-derived. Squalane from shark liver oil is not. Check the label or ask the brand.
Can I use squalane with retinol or exfoliating acids?
It's commonly included in formulas alongside them. Follow the product directions.
Related ingredients
Sources
- Cosmetic Ingredient Review. Final report on the safety assessment of squalane and squalene. J Am Coll Toxicol 1982. Link
- Huang, Lin and Fang. Biological and Pharmacological Activities of Squalene and Related Compounds: Potential Uses in Cosmetic Dermatology. Molecules 2009. Link
- Pandarus et al. Solvent-Free Chemoselective Hydrogenation of Squalene to Squalane. ACS Omega 2017. Link
