Squalane ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is primarily an emollient and skin-conditioning lipid, used to soften the skin, reduce transepidermal water loss, and improve slip in creams, oils, serums, and balms.
What does Squalane do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is primarily an emollient and skin-conditioning lipid, used to soften the skin, reduce transepidermal water loss, and improve slip in creams, oils, serums, and balms.
Is Squalane clean?
It is generally well-tolerated, low in irritation potential, and widely accepted in clean-beauty standards when sourced from plant or biotech routes. Clean-standard questions usually center on origin and traceability rather than skin compatibility.
Is Squalane sustainable?
This material can be made from renewable sources such as olive-derived feedstocks or sugarcane fermentation, though historical animal sourcing makes supply-chain verification important. It is biodegradable and does not raise the persistence concerns associated with many synthetic silicone emollients.
Is Squalane COSMOS-approved?
It is permitted under COSMOS-natural and COSMOS-organic when derived from approved renewable sources and processed by allowed methods, such as hydrogenation. From a Green Chemistry view, plant or fermentation-based production aligns well through renewable carbon, good biodegradability, and low residue concerns.
How does Squalane work chemically?
The molecule is a saturated, branched C30 hydrocarbon, which makes it nonpolar, lightweight, and more oxidation-stable than its unsaturated precursor. Typical use ranges from about 0.5% to 20% in emulsions and anhydrous products, with broad pH compatibility and good heat stability in standard cosmetic processing.
Last updated 2026-05-13