Olive Squalane

Squalene is a component of human sebum, it helps lubricate and moisturize the skin and scalp while acting as a natural guard against external irritants and pollutants. While Olive Squalane is an ingredient derived from olives for cosmetic purposes to offer the same benefits as natural Squalene.

Olive Squalane is a lightweight, transparent, tasteless, and odorless liquid that reflects the Squalene component of human sebum. Its highly valued chemical properties help moisturize and deeply hydrate the skin, hair, and body without leaving a greasy, oily finish. It also acts as a great emollient; Olive Squalane flows in between the cells of the epidermis to smooth out and significantly soften the texture of skin. It additionally creates a natural, protective barrier on the skin’s surface to slow down transepidermal water loss. With age, the skin’s natural Squalene production begins to decline, making products with Squalane more valuable as skin begins to lose its moisture, smoothness, and strength.

But what is the difference between Squalene and Squalane?

Squalene (with an ‘e’) is a polyunsaturated hydrocarbon that is naturally abundant in both plant and animal life. In humans, Squalene is produced by the liver and released mostly by the sebaceous glands located on the skin and scalp. Indeed, the sebum of human skin is composed of approximately 12% Squalene. It acts essentially as the skin’s personal guard, functioning as a natural barrier that protects the skin from water loss and external irritants.

As individuals age, the natural, internal production of Squalene declines – a process that can begin as early as the 20s. The relative deficiency in Squalene can cause the skin to look dry, dull, and textured. The hair can also feel dry, stringy, and lack shine. At the same time, the skin and scalp can be more at risk of being harmed by potential external irritants such as the weather, pollution, and harsh cleansing or styling products.

Unfortunately, Squalene cannot be used directly in cosmetic formulations as it oxidizes and turns rancid in a short amount of time. Some of this has been derived from shark skin. But we much prefer vegan and non-destructive sources of our raw ingredients and Squalane (with an ‘a’) is made from Olives and is simply the hydrogenated version of Squalene. Through hydrogenation, the unsaturated Squalene is transformed to a saturated compound that is more shelf-stable for manufacturing and packaging purposes. It is important to note that the hydrogenation process does not modify the effectiveness and biology of the end product for its intended use.

Benefis of Oilive Squalane

Highly emollient and structurally similar to natural Squalene present in sebum, which helps it get easily absorbed to provide a smooth, silky, non-greasy finish, Olive Squalane also coats the surface of the skin to lock in moisture, slow down water loss that leads to dry skin, and soothe the skin from external irritants. Furthermore, it is believed to possess antioxidant properties that guard the skin against free radicals that deteriorate the health of the skin over time, making it useful for anti-aging applications. Squalane penetrates the skin quickly and easily to offer moisture, enhanced elasticity and resilience. It boosts the skin’s water-retention, leaving it looking and feeling hydrated, smoother, and softer to the touch without leaving a greasy or sticky residue. 

The sebaceous glands located on the scalp secrete sebum and coats both the hair strands and the surface of the scalp itself. A lack of an adequate amount of sebum can lead to conditions such as dry and brittle hair, split ends, hair damage, dandruff, itchy scalp, and dull or frizzy hair. Harsh weather and the use of heating tools and certain styling products or hair treatments can further strip the hair strands from much-needed moisture.

Olive Squalane can be an excellent alternative to lip balm, particularly in dry or cold weather.WE all know that some lipsticks and lip balms have a very drying effect on lips. The addition of Olive Squalane helps to fill in the cracks and smooth the lips.

Why not just use straight up olive oil, you wonder? Lots of reason. Olive oil has quite a strong smell that would really change the aroma of the formula. But that is not the primary reason here. Olive oil is wonderful for the skin as protection, but does not enetrate very deeply due to the size of the molecules it's comprised of. Also olive oil only contains a small amount of the Squalane and that is the preferred ingredients here as far as benefits for the skin go. WE would have to use large amounts of Olive oil to achieve the effect Squalane offers when applied directly to the skin.

Pregnancy and the shifts in hormones in this period of life put a large pressure on many parts of our bodies. Same goes for our skin.