What is "SQUALENE" and what does it do?

Role: EMOLLIENT

Family: SQUALENE

Comedogenic index: 1

Squalene is an oily liquid originally derived from shark liver, but fortunately it can also be found in some vegetable oils.
Olive (0.6 %), peanut (0.1 %) and pumpkin (0.35 %) oils contain them.
What contains more is the sebum (the oily substance) produced by our skin. Around 13 % of human sebum is made up of squalene, making it an important ingredient for the skin.
Chemically speaking, it's an unsaturated hydrocarbon molecule composed solely of carbon and hydrogen, capable of undergoing oxidation.

Not to be confused with Squalane
Squalane is derived from squalene and obtained by hydrogenation. Squalane is lighter than squalene.

Hydrogenation is the conversion of an unsaturated oil into a saturated one. This makes squalane more stable and gives it a longer shelf life than squalene.

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