Squalane

What it is

Squalane is a fully saturated hydrocarbon oil made by hydrogenating squalene, a lipid your own body produces and which makes up a few per cent of human sebum. Cosmetic squalane today is mostly fermented from sugarcane or fractionated from olive oil, rather than taken from shark liver as it once was. Formulators reach for it because it spreads thinly, feels dry rather than heavy, dissolves other oily ingredients, and does not go rancid the way unsaturated plant oils do.

What it does well

• Softens skin and slows water loss without feeling heavy

  Squalane is a long-established emollient that fills the microscopic gaps between surface skin cells. The Expert Panel for Cosmetic Ingredient Safety reviewed the available data in 2023 and confirmed it as safe at the concentrations actually used in cosmetics.

  Moderate evidence

• Extremely resistant to going rancid

  Because squalane has no carbon-carbon double bonds, oxygen has nothing to attack. This matters: the unsaturated parent molecule squalene forms squalene monohydroperoxide when exposed to UV, and that peroxide was strongly comedogenic in rabbit skin, whereas squalene itself and its reduced forms were much less so.

  Strong evidence

• Well tolerated on reactive and blemish-prone skin

  Squalane is chemically inert, fragrance-free and closely related to a lipid already present on the skin surface, which is why it is a standard choice in products aimed at sensitive or acne-prone users. Reports of irritation or contact allergy are rare.

  Moderate evidence

Worth knowing

• It conditions the surface but does not treat anything

  Squalane softens and protects; it will not fade pigmentation, clear acne, or rebuild the barrier lipid matrix the way a ceramide-plus-cholesterol blend can. Products sold on squalane alone are moisturisers, not treatments.

  Matters most toAnyone buying a product expecting an active effect.

• The label does not tell you the source

  Shark-liver squalane still exists in the global supply chain, and the INCI name is identical whether the material came from sugarcane, olives or fish. Brands that use plant sources almost always say so explicitly.

  Matters most toPeople avoiding animal-derived ingredients.

Where the EU stands

Sources (2)

Every link goes to the original: a journal, a PubMed record or an EU document.

1. [1]
   Squalane and Squalene

   International Journal of Toxicology (Cosmetic Ingredient Review) · 2023 · doi:10.1177/10915818231204276

   After reviewing studies published since 1982, the expert panel confirmed squalane and squalene as safe for use in cosmetics at current concentrations.

2. [2]
   Comedogenicity of squalene monohydroperoxide in the skin after topical application

   Journal of Toxicological Sciences · 2000 · doi:10.2131/jts.25.77

   The UV-generated peroxide of squalene was strongly comedogenic in rabbit ear skin while squalene itself was much less so, which is the practical reason cosmetics use the saturated, oxidation-proof squalane instead.