Before we dive into “What is Squalane?”, it’s important to understand the difference between Squalene and Squalane. Squalene with an “e” is a natural component of your skin’s sebum and helps keep your skin soft and supple. But like most naturally occurring substances in our skin, Squalene depletes with age, making your skin more susceptible to dryness. Squalane with an “a” is a derivative of Squalene with an “e” and is often sourced from yeast, sugarcane, rice bran, or olives. It’s the form that shows up in skincare products because it's been hydrogenated (converted from an unsaturated oil to a saturated oil), which greatly extends its shelf life and makes it less prone to oxidation (the process where an ingredient degrades).

Squalane is a workhorse ingredient that provides a host of benefits to your skin—from replenishing moisture to helping protect skin from the visible effects of skin-damaging free radicals.

It’s highly moisturizing
Dry skin loves Squalane. Its ability to lock in moisture provides skin with good hydration—the biggest Squalane benefit. The result of this captured moisture is skin that feels comfortably hydrated with improved softness and suppleness. When your skin barrier is continually and properly hydrated and protected, the health of your skin barrier improves over time.

It helps prevent moisture loss
When your skin loses moisture, it not only feels dry and tight, but it can also appear irritated and flakey. What happens is microscopic cracks in your skin’s barrier (sometimes caused by free radicals) create the perfect escape route for water, which can result in visible dryness. Squalane acts as a physical barrier between your skin and the outside elements to prevent moisture loss. “Essentially, it covers those tiny cracks so water can’t evaporate,” says Kristine Schmalenberg.

It helps replenish what’s been naturally lost
That flexible, supple skin in your 20s is partially due to the natural Squalene your body produces. As you get older, your Squalene supply dwindles, which makes your skin more vulnerable to dryness. Applying squalane topically helps discourage moisture loss and keeps your skin's all-important barrier—properly hydrated.