Everything You Need to Know About Squalane Oil

Squalane is a clear, lightweight oil made from squalene, a lipid your skin naturally produces. It is stable, well tolerated by most people, and won’t stain silver hair, which is why I use it in my hair oils. Here is what it is, where it comes from, and how to use it.

I discovered the beauty of squalane and fell in love with it, especially for silver hair. Back in the day, when my mother had her health food store, we sold squalene, and we stopped selling it because of the nature of its source, which were sharks. Not to be confusing but shark squalene is only one source of squalane. There are plant sources, and I will get to that.

I was having some sort of issue with acne on my skin not sure what was going on but something was off. I don’t have acne very often on my face so it usually means it is something new I am trying. I decided to experiment with using neat oils (alone no blends or mixes). I have always loved argan oil, but it’s a little heavy to use alone. I tried several oils and finally found a favorite, Squalane.

I fell in love for a multitude of reasons. So let’s take a look, stay with me, because I have decided to add this beautiful oil to the QuickSilverHair family of products.

Updated 10.6.2026

First, let’s understand where squalane comes from:

What is Squalene?

Squalene is a natural precursor in the synthesis of sterols, including cholesterol. The highest concentrations in animals are usually found in the liver.

Squalene was first discovered by Japanese researcher Dr. Mitsumaru Tsujimoto, in 1906. Dr. Tsujimoto was an expert in fats and oils; he extracted Squalene from the livers of sharks, Squalidae is the shark family scientific name and how he named the oil.

Squalene has since been found in humans, other animals, and many plants. In fact, Squalene is nearly as ancient as life itself. A likely essential substance of cells, it is reported to have been present in the earliest microorganisms on earth.

What is Squalane?

Squalane is hydrogenated squalene. Hydrogenating it makes it stable, so it lasts longer in formulas and doesn’t go rancid.

Squalane is a clear, lightweight oil that resembles the squalene in your skin’s sebum. It is moisturizing, lubricating, and rarely causes irritation.

Human Squalene:

Squalene is something our bodies make from the very start. Our sebaceous glands make squalene and release it onto our skin in sebum, where it makes up about 10-12% of human sebum, thus its popularity in the cosmetic industry. Then, naturally, it declines as we age. Add it to the ever-growing list of things we constantly battle to keep from disappearing.

Could this be part of what makes a baby’s skin so soft and supple? And why our skin gets so dry and loses its suppleness as we age? It may be one contributor, alongside the loss of collagen in the skin as we age.

Squalene and Squalane in the Cosmetic Industry

Squalene became highly sought after in the supplement and cosmetic industry because of its ability to mimic natural sebum in skin and on hair. Sharks are the richest source of squalene and have some of the highest concentrations of squalene in their livers to keep them buoyant and provide energy, which makes their squalene cheap and easy to obtain; and sadly, inhumane.

In addition, squalene is unstable, the cosmetic industry found that when squalene is hydrogenated into squalane, it becomes more stable in formulas and the shelf life increases.

While plant based squalene is much more time consuming to extract and therefore more expensive. The time consumption and expense is getting easier and better as we discover more plants with higher concentrations. This is amazing news for those of us who find great benefit in the oil and even better news for sharks.

Benefits of Squalane for Skin:

• More stable than squalene, so better suited to skin and hair formulations
• Noncomedogenic: lightweight and unlikely to clog pores
• Considered safe as a cosmetic ingredient: the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel concluded that squalane and squalene are safe as currently used
• Generally well tolerated and rarely irritating
• Works for oily or dry skin
• Resembles your skin’s own sebum
• A natural emollient (moisturizer)
• Feels light and sinks in quickly, without a greasy feeling
• It helps lock in moisture, especially beneficial for our skin as it ages

A note on the research: squalene, with an “e,” is the lipid in your sebum, and it’s the one that does the antioxidant work. A 2015 review reports that squalene quenches singlet oxygen, which may help protect the skin’s surface lipids from UV-related oxidation. That depends on squalene’s double bonds, which squalane doesn’t have, so I don’t claim it for squalane. A 2012 review also reports anticancer, antioxidant, and detoxifying activity for squalene and squalane in animal and laboratory studies, which could be promising for human use.

Benefits of Squalane for Hair and Scalp:

• Moisturizes dry skin and scalp*
• “Nature’s silicone,” a silicone alternative that can be used like silicone based hair serums
• Helps lock in moisture, which is especially beneficial for our silver hair
• Softens hair and helps smooth frizz and flyaways
• Helps reduce breakage from brushing and styling
• May add some protection during heat styling. Brands including The Ordinary and SEEN describe this benefit, though the research is still out.
• Clear oil, so it is unlikely to stain white hair

*The National Eczema Association notes that squalane is generally a good option for eczema-prone skin because of its moisturizing and soothing properties.

Why I Love Squalane and Why I added it to the QuickSilverHair Family of Products:

• It just sinks in.
• It didn’t clog my pores or cause breakouts.
• Leaves my skin feeling smooth and hydrated.
• Great for restoring moisture to dry-desert-living skin.
• I love it for my hair as a replacement to silicone based serums.
• It helps smooth flyaways and frizz.
• It is clear, which is great for white hair.
• It is an excellent replacement for coconut oil, and much lighter too.
• It mixes perfectly with QuickSilverHair Clay for the clarifying mask.

How to Use Squalane Oil:

• Use after you wash your face, on clean skin*
• Use alone or as a base layer under facial moisturizer
• Use 1-2 pumps on dry hair as a finishing serum, in place of a hair serum
• Use 1-2 pumps on dry hair before heat tools as a light layer. For flat irons and other high temperatures, pair it with a heat protectant made for that.
• Add 3-4 pumps to the QuickSilverHair Clay mask

*Potential risks: Squalane rarely causes issues, but as with any new product, test a small patch of skin for 24 hours first. If you notice irritation, stop using it.

Shopping for Squalane Oil:

Even though we now have plant forms of it, shark-derived squalene can still be found in some supplements and cosmetics, and the source isn’t always labeled, so many people avoid it. To avoid shark-derived squalane, look for an explicit plant-derived statement on the label or product page, and ask the brand to confirm its source if it isn’t clear. A cruelty-free label alone doesn’t tell you where the squalane came from.

When you are shopping for Squalane, you want to know a few things:

• What is it derived from?
• Is it Cruelty Free?
• Where is it from?
• Is it 100% pure?

Plant Sources of Squalene:

Amaranth seed oil is one of the richest plant sources.

Other Plant sources of Squalene include:

• Olive oil
• Grapeseed oil
• Sunflower oil

Squalane can also be made by fermentation, using sugarcane sugars as the starting material.

QuickSilverHair Squalane

• Italian olive-derived squalane
• with a dash of lavender and ginger essential oils
• clear, so it won’t stain silver hair

I hope you found this post educational and helpful.

Thank you for reading. Please feel free to share.

As always it is about so much more than the hair.

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Studies and articles on Squalene and Squalane:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9988781/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2835893/

https://www.hindawi.com/journals/bmri/2015/367202/

https://www.healthline.com/health/squalane#for-eczema

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22361190/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29883523/

https://www.treehugger.com/shark-free-seal-squalene-5082623

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