Squalane vs Squalene: One Letter, a Big Difference (and a Shark-Free Story)

Squalane and squalene. One letter apart, often confused, and quite different in a formula. Here's the story, which also involves sharks, olives and some clever sugarcane chemistry.

Squalene: part of your skin's own oil

Squalene (with an E) is a natural lipid your skin makes. It's found in sebum, where it makes up around 12% (Picardo et al., Dermato-Endocrinology, 2009). It's part of what keeps skin supple and protected.

The catch: squalene's structure has several double bonds, which makes it easy to oxidise, especially under UV. Researchers describe it as photo-oxidising into hydroperoxides on the skin surface (Khalifa et al., Antioxidants, 2021). In an older animal study, oxidised squalene was strongly comedogenic (pore-clogging) on rabbit ear skin, while fresh squalene was much less so (Chiba et al., Journal of Toxicological Sciences, 2000). Rabbit ears are much more sensitive than human faces, but it's a good reason to treat squalene carefully.

Squalane: the stable cousin

Squalane (with an A) is squalene that has been hydrogenated, meaning those reactive double bonds are filled in. A 2022 review explains that this makes squalane far more stable (Mendes et al., Pharmaceuticals, 2022).

The result is one of the most loved emollients in skincare:

• Light, silky and non-greasy, so it sinks in fast.
• Very stable on the shelf.
• Low odour and colourless, ideal for fragrance-free formulas.
• Works neat as a facial or hair oil, or at 1–20% in creams (see the squalane dictionary entry).

Which one should you use?

• Almost always: squalane. Stable, versatile and beginner-proof. Use it in facial oils, serums, creams, lip products, hair serums and the winter routine from our winter switch guide.
• Squalene, if you specifically want it: use Squalene at modest levels with an antioxidant like Tocopherol, in airless or opaque packaging, and make small batches.

The shark problem

The richest natural source of squalene has historically been deep-sea shark liver oil (Mendes et al., 2022). The marine conservation group BLOOM estimated in 2012 that about 90% of shark liver oil went to cosmetics, equivalent to roughly 2.7 million deep-sea sharks a year (BLOOM Association). National Geographic reported that 26 of 60 shark species fished for their liver oil are classed as vulnerable by the IUCN (National Geographic, 2018). Deep-sea sharks grow and reproduce slowly, so they're especially easy to overfish.

Many brands have since moved to plant and fermentation sources, but it's still worth asking.

Shark-free alternatives

• Olive-derived: made from by-products of olive oil refining. Try Olive Squalane.
• Sugarcane-derived: yeast ferments sugarcane sugar into a building block called farnesene, which is then joined and hydrogenated into squalane (process described by its developer in Cosmetics & Toiletries). Try Sugarcane-Derived Squalane.
• Amaranth seed is another plant source mentioned in the literature.

Sourcing tip: whatever the label says, ask your supplier to confirm the origin on the Certificate of Analysis or a sourcing statement. Plant-derived squalane is suitable for vegan formulas.

A two-ingredient luxury oil

98% squalane + 2% Mixed Natural Tocopherols. Add a few drops of Rosehip Seed Oil if you like. Simple, stable and lovely on face, hair ends and cuticles.

Explore Esters & Emollient Bases, Emollients & Occlusives and Vegan-Suitable Ingredients.