I love beauty products of all kinds and sometimes I enjoy a good, simple product. This post is part of a series sharing my favorite one ingredient beauty products. If your are into simple beauty routines, some of the products in this series might fit really well into your collection!
Squalane is found naturally in our skin, but it is also a beauty oil created from plants (mostly sugar cane and olives – in my brief research I didn’t really see a big differences in quality/effectiveness based on the source, let me know if you are aware of any! ) . First squalene is extracted from plants, then it goes through a hydrogenation process (adding water, but it’s not watering it down because … chemistry … the oxygen atoms run away and the hydrogen atoms stay to party) creating squalane. Squalene is an unsaturated oil that can go rancid quickly after being exposed to the air or heat while squalane a very stable oil that doesn’t expire quickly and can be exposed to air and heat.
Squalane is a great moisturizer for all skin types, it promotes skin regeneration, is antibacterial, and is an antioxidant. If you are oily, adding squalane to your skincare routine can help regulate your skin’s sebum production. If you are dry, squalane can deeply hydrate your skin. Squalane absorbs quickly and is non-comedogenic. It can be used to treat eczema, acne, and psoriasis. Squalane can also be used in the hair to prevent moisture loss and breakage and, because it is stable at high temperatures, it can be used as a heat protectant too!
I have only used Deciem’s The Ordinary 100% Plant Derived Squalane, but I think that any squalane from a company you like and trust would work the same – products range from The Ordinary’s for $8.00/oz to $17.00/oz for one from Biossance. I use squalane both morning and night – it mixes well with other oils, is so intensely hydrating, absorbs quickly, and is not greasy. I like making a cocktail of oils for my moisturizer and squalane noticeably amps up the hydration and plumpness of my skin… I especially notice the plumpness in my lips! Also, I started using it in my hair as a heat protectant and it totally works! The thing I like best about using squalane in my hair over other oils is that fact that it has a very mild scent (even when heated) so it doesn’t compete with my perfume or smell weird while heat styling.
Beauty and bounty 