Squalane oil is clear, odorless and has the texture of a gel. It is loaded with antioxidants, fatty acids and will leave you luxuriously hydrated. It’s ideal for aging skin as it offers so many benefits to combat fine lines, wrinkles, uneven texture, sun spots, dullness, and dry skin.
A lot of people are nervous to apply oil to their skin. It seems odd to add oil because you probably assume it will create blackouts. If you already have acne-prone skin the thought of putting oil on your skin might horrify you. There are several causes of acne but the main ones are a bad diet and an overproduction of oil (sebum). If your face is overly dry and you aren’t drinking enough water your body will respond by overproducing sebum to protect the skin and hydrate it. If you incorporate products that are antibacterial to fight off dirt and add oil to hydrate the skin the body will rebalance itself. Doing this on a regular basis will result in a natural reduction of excessive sebum.
Aging skin also benefits from an oil like squalane because as we age, the skin actually produces less sebum and the result is dry, flaky, dull skin and fine lines begin to appear. The gel-like texture of squalane offers hydration, even skin tone, and free radical protection without ever feeling greasy. Like anything else, aging skin just needs to be taken care of to preserve its health and vitality.
Non-Comedogenic
Back in 1979, dermatologist Albert Kligman helped draft a rating system for cosmetic ingredients ranking them by their likelihood of clogging pores and causing breakouts. It is now a rating scale that just about any oil you can think of is included in. The scale goes from 0-5 with 0 being no chance of a breakout to 5 being an almost guarantee of a breakout. Keep in mind that this is a starting point to help you quickly identify products that might not do too well on your skin. Anyone with acne, oily or combination skin should try to use products ranked from 0-2. Anything higher you might want to test out for a few days before applying to your face. To give you a frame of reference:
Wheat germ oil is a 5
Coconut oil is a 4
Soybean oil is a 3
Almond oil is a 2
Castor oil is a 1
Squalane oil is between 0-1
This means that squalane oil is great for all skin types including anyone with acne or skin that clogs easily.
Hydration
There are several factors and causes for premature aging, fine lines, and wrinkles. One of those reasons is dehydration. Skin that is dry will appear sunken, wrinkled, pale and dull. Since squalane offers vast hydration it will plump the skin which fills out fine lines and wrinkles and makes skin appear more vibrant and supple.
Avoiding dehydration is important no matter how old you are. After all the body can only last a few days without water but several weeks without food. The body is 60% water and the skin is made of 64% water. When the skin is dehydrated it becomes weak, sensitive, irritated, fragile, and uneven. Generally speaking, the skin does a good job at regulating itself however it is very sensitive to extreme temperatures, UV exposure, smoking, alcohol, and soap. Dehydrated skin will always appear more aged and this is why squalane oil is a wonderful option to keep skin moisturized. It goes on smoothly, never feels greasy, absorbs quickly and offers great hydration.
Antioxidants
Another way squalane is great for aging skin is because of the antioxidant content. It’s no secret that free radicals wreak havoc of the system and also result in premature aging. Free radicals enter the body as an atom that is missing an electron. It’s unbalanced and seeks to steal an electron from a healthy molecule. Once the free radical steals an electron from a healthy molecule that healthy molecule now becomes unbalanced and is now a free radical looking to steal an electron.
Squalane oil provides antioxidants to the skin to prevent free radical damage and reduce the signs of aging.
This cycle continues and is what causes some form of cancer, Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s disease, tumors, wrinkles, and age spots. Free radicals are caused by many factors such as smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, pollution, UV rays, or even eating fried foods on a regular basis. While the body naturally produces a small number of free radicals as a by-product of converting food into energy it is small enough for the body to counteract. It starts to become overwhelming when you add several of the other mentioned factors.
So where do antioxidants come into play?
Antioxidants are quite amazing. They are stored within molecules and prevent free radicals from stealing electrons. Antioxidants offer an electron of their own to free radicals which stops the chain reaction of destabilizing molecules and turning healthy ones into free radicals. The body naturally produces a certain amount of antioxidants to counteract the effects of creating them while converting food into energy. However, the body does not produce enough to deal with an overabundance of free radicals in the system. Additionally, as we age the body slows down the production of antioxidants.
Fruits and vegetables such as blueberries, strawberries, prunes, dark chocolate, beets onions, and spinach all contain high amounts of antioxidants. Incorporating them into a regular diet is essential but it is also important to provide sources of antioxidants directly to the skin especially skin constantly exposed to the elements such as the face, arms, and hands.
Fatty Acids
Essential fatty acids are needed to create healthy cell membranes. They are types of fat that the body does not produce but requires through diet. Omega fatty acids are a great example of this and squalane oil is very high in omega 2, 6, and 9. They also help keep skin plump and maintain balanced oil production. The skin needs a certain amount of natural oils (sebum) for protection from the elements, to ward off harmful bacteria and to keep skin soft. Fatty acids also reduce inflammation and offer a certain amount of protection from the sun.
When products containing fatty acids are applied directly to the skin it reduces the look of fine lines, balances sebum production and helps keep skin cells strong. The surface of the skin will be smoother, more hydrated and skin tone will be more balanced. Squalane oil is a wonderful source of fatty acids to help replenish the skin and keep it supple and vibrant.
How To Buy
Squalane used to be sourced from shark liver. It’s not that common now but it’s definitely still on the market so always read the label and make sure that it is derived from a plant source. The most common is from olives or sugarcane. Our favorite is THIS ONE.
There is sometimes confusion between squalane and squalene. Squalene is unstable and goes bad quickly which makes it an unrealistic beauty product. So squalene is hydrogenized which makes it stable with a much longer shelf life. This stabilization of squalene turns it into squalane. Any product that contains this oil will be the stabilized version, squalane.
Maximize Results
Apply squalane daily for the best results. Remember that you really only need a few drops of the oil as it spreads nicely and absorbs quickly. As with anything new being introduced to the skin, test a small area for a few days to make sure it agrees with your skin.
If you like to apply moisturizers in the morning start with a clean face and apply squalane first with your moisturizer on top. If you usually apply makeup afterward do so as usual.
If you prefer a night routine then wash your face, exfoliate- if desired, and then apply toner. Next, apply squalane oil followed by any undereye cream and moisturizer.
