Squalane Oil: Skin Care Benefits & Our Favorite Products

It's not often that a "new" ingredient comes along in the beauty market and completely envelops the space. Well, not too long ago, that's exactly what squalene and squalane oil did. Now, you can find these in a wide variety of products and at a wide range of price points. In a shockingly short amount of time, this ingredient went from buzzy to almost ubiquitous. 

Let's revisit why I put quotes around "new." Squalene (notice the "e" in the middle versus the "a"—that small letter change is important, so be sure to pay attention to it throughout the article) and this is actually as old as humans are: It's found naturally in our skin's barrier. "Squalene is a natural oil produced by the sebaceous glands in your skin. It plays a role in skin hydration and barrier protection," says board-certified dermatologist Joshua Zeichner, M.D. "Squalane is a cousin to squalene that can be produced in the lab from botanical sources. Squalane can give similar emollient benefits to its cousin squalene."

So what makes these oils so different? It comes down to their molecular structure. Squalene is not hydrogenated and a polyunsaturated hydrocarbon, whereas squalane is hydrogenated. This means squalane has more stability when used on it's own; squalene can also have a long shelf-life, but it needs to be formulated with other stabilizing ingredients—not on its own.

Those with weakened skin barriers will benefit from both. How do you know if that's you? Chronically dry, inflammation-prone skin is a dead giveaway that you suffer from a compromised skin barrier. So if your skin is easily irritated, sensitive to products and external aggressors, or you have inflammatory skin conditions like rosacea or eczema, these oils are a great choice for you. Additionally, squalene is a great option for body products as its better for extra dry patches, like hands, elbows, and feet. So if you struggle with severe dryness in areas, we recommend looking for this in your body products.