Squalane is a skin-softening oil, or emollient, used in cosmetics. It is the saturated form of squalene, an oil that makes up about 13% of the sebum on human skin. Evidence for its skin benefits is mostly from lab and animal work, and a 2023 expert safety review confirmed it is safe in cosmetics.
- Helps with
- dry, tight skin, rough-feeling patches, wanting a facial oil that is not heavy, worries about oils and clogged pores
- Evidence
- Limited. Its safety record is well reviewed, but the moisturizing and soothing effects reported for squalane come mainly from laboratory and animal studies rather than controlled trials on people.
- Works well with
- ceramides, glycerin, hyaluronic acid
What does squalane do for skin?
Squalane is an emollient, an oil meant to soften the skin’s surface. Think of the cheeks that feel stretched after washing on a cold morning, or the rough patch beside the nose that catches foundation. That is the kind of dryness an emollient is meant for, although most of the evidence for squalane itself comes from the lab rather than from people.
How does squalane work?
It borrows from something your skin already makes. The film of oil on your skin, sebum, is made mainly of squalene, wax esters and triglycerides, according to a 2018 review of skin lipids, and a 2012 review puts squalene at about 13% of human sebum. Squalane is the saturated version of that oil, which means its molecule no longer has the double bonds squalene carries. The 2012 review lists skin-hydrating and emollient effects among those reported for squalene and squalane, but notes that they come from animal models and lab work.
Is squalane the same as squalene?
No, and the difference matters on a shelf. Squalene has 6 carbon-carbon double bonds, and a 2022 review describes it as “very reactive with ozone,” the gas present in outdoor and indoor air. Squalane, as the saturated form, has none of them. Both occur in shark liver oil and, in smaller amounts, in some vegetable oils.
Will squalane clog pores?
The pore-clogging research in this area is about oxidized squalene, not squalane. In a 2000 study on rabbit ear skin, a squalene peroxide, the first product formed when squalene is exposed to UVA light, caused more plugged pores than several known pore-clogging cosmetic ingredients, while squalene itself caused fewer. Squalane was not tested. If your skin breaks out easily, introduce any new oil slowly, as our guide to introducing a new skincare product explains.
How long until you notice a difference?
The effects reported so far come from animal and lab studies, which do not give a human timeline. Judge it by how your skin feels over a week or two of regular use.
How do you use squalane?
Apply a few drops after moisturizer when your skin feels tight, or mix them into your cream on dry days. If you want the barrier side of the story, our guide to whether ceramides repair the skin barrier covers the lipids that sit between skin cells.
Who should be careful with squalane?
Few people need to avoid it. The Expert Panel for Cosmetic Ingredient Safety first assessed squalane in 1982, reviewed newer studies in 2023, and confirmed that squalane and squalene are “safe as cosmetic ingredients in the practices of use and concentration as described in this report.” As with any oil, patch test first if your skin reacts easily, and stop if a new product coincides with breakouts.
- Fiume M, et al. Squalane and squalene. Int J Toxicol. 2023;42(3 suppl):107S-109S.
- Kim SK, Karadeniz F. Biological importance and applications of squalene and squalane. Adv Food Nutr Res. 2012;65:223-33.
- Wertz PW. Lipids and the permeability and antimicrobial barriers of the skin. J Lipids. 2018;2018:5954034.
- Coffaro B, Weisel CP. Reactions and products of squalene and ozone: a review. Environ Sci Technol. 2022;56(12):7396-7411.
- Chiba K, et al. Comedogenicity of squalene monohydroperoxide in the skin after topical application. J Toxicol Sci. 2000;25(2):77-83.
Editorial content, not medical advice.