Squalane can help hydrate skin and hair. It may also reduce inflammation and damage from free radicals, among other benefits.

Your body has a built-in system for moisturizing your skin, but it doesn’t always provide enough hydration, especially as you get older. This is why many people turn to external moisturizers.

Squalane, a natural antioxidant, mimics your skin’s natural oils, making it an excellent emollient.

Read on to learn more about squalane, including how it can slow down the signs of aging in your skin and help your hair.

Squalene (with an “e”) is a lipid produced naturally by your own skin cells. But the amount of squalene your body produces declines with age.

Peak production of this natural moisturizer occurs in the teen years, with production slowing down in your 20s or 30s. As a result, your skin becomes drier and rougher.

Squalene is also found in plant sources such as olives, rice bran, amaranth, and wheat germ. It’s also found and harvested from shark livers.

Squalene must be hydrogenated and made into squalane to be included in skin care products.

Animal and plant squalene is too unstable to be used in skin care products. When exposed to oxygen, it can become rancid and spoil quickly.

Before it can be used in skin care products, squalene must be hydrogenated into squalane (with an “a”), which is a stable form of the molecule. This process makes the oil more skin-friendly and helps increase its shelf life.

Hydrated skin is healthy skin. So, when applied topically, squalane has tremendous benefits. Squalane absorbs easily into the surface of the skin, without leaving oily residue.

Boosting hydration can help your skin appear more vibrant and healthier. Squalane’s antioxidants also help fight skin damage and free radicals, which can both accelerate the aging process.

According to research, squalane helps counteract UVA-induced cell damage and helps with post-sun skin repair.

Regular use can also boost collagen production, resulting in firmer skin. Apply topically as directed on the product package.

Squalane isn’t only for the face and body. You can also apply the oil to your hair.

Moisturizing your hair can increase shine and help prevent breakage. Hair has its own natural oils. Yet weather, age, diet, and heat damage can dry out locks. Squalane can help replenish and smooth your strands.

Place a few drops of squalane oil into the palm of your hand and massage it into your hair to boost moisture before rinsing in the shower.

There’s also some evidence that it may be a helpful ingredient in hair regrowth, but more study is needed.

Squalane is considered safe for all skin types and is an excellent alternative if other oils are too heavy or greasy. Despite being an oil, it’s lightweight and noncomedogenic, meaning it won’t clog your pores. It penetrates pores and improves skin at the cellular level, but it doesn’t feel heavy on the skin.

Squalane also has anti-inflammatory properties and may help with wound healing and tissue repair.

While squalane won’t clog your pores, natural skin oils, dead skin cells, and bacteria can. So, before applying squalane to your face, use a gentle cleanser to clean out your pores. Also, exfoliate once or twice a week to help remove dead skin cells.

The short answer is yes.

Squalane has anti-inflammatory properties and can help soothe a variety of inflammatory skin problems. These include:

Dry skin is a symptom of these skin conditions, so keeping your skin hydrated can boost your moisture level, reducing flare-ups and dry patches.

Any skin care product — even when it’s determined safe, like squalane — can cause irritation or an allergic reaction in some people.

If you’re using squalane for the first time, don’t apply it over a large area of your body. Test the oil on a small patch of skin, like your inner arm, to ensure you aren’t allergic to it. Signs of an allergic reaction include:

  • itching
  • redness
  • swelling

Be mindful of the environment. Use squalane derived from plants, not sharks. Squalene harvested from the liver of sharks isn’t environmentally friendly or sustainable.

When shopping for squalane, look specifically for oils that are 100% plant-derived. Plant-derived oil is cruelty-free and sustainable.

As your body produces less squalene, dry skin and dry hair can become normal. However, natural skin care ingredients that mimic your body’s natural sebum can boost hydration and increase your moisture level.

This can result in healthier-looking skin and hair and help improve a variety of skin conditions, ranging from acne to eczema.