Squalane Vs Squalene: What’s the Difference?

The time has finally come to settle down on the sofa with a delicious cup of tea and a blissful hour of you time. What will you do with it? As you ponder the possibilities, you notice your recent sunburn is starting to peel and you hate how dry and itchy your skin feels in the heat. So, you search for tips on keeping your skin soft and supple. All the articles seem to be talking about squalane but you’re sure you’ve heard that word before. Isn’t it something to do with sea creatures? But the products in these articles are apparently vegan? How does that work?

What is squalane?

Squalane is a natural moisturising agent that can be obtained in a number of ways. It was originally derived from squalene, an oil found in humans and animals but a lot of the squalane currently used in beauty and skin care products comes from olives. Many vegetable oils contain triglycerides, which can take on a greasy, heavy texture. However, olive-derived squalane is similar to the naturally occurring squalene in human skin and is therefore light and easy to absorb.

Squalane is a powerful emollient with the amazing ability to penetrate the skin very quickly, making it an excellent ingredient for wash-off skin care products. This is why our body bars enjoy an olive-derived squalane base from which to thoroughly moisturise and hydrate the skin. Simply lather up and treat your skin to a luxurious, cruelty-free treat!

As well as being an effective antibacterial, there is also evidence that squalane can protect the skin from UV damage and signs of aging. Who knew that so much goodness could be found in the humble olive?

What is squalene?

Squalene is a poly-unsaturated hydrocarbon liquid that is naturally found in humans and animals. It is particularly abundant in the livers of sharks, which is where much of the beauty industry’s squalene comes from. For humans, squalene is a lipid that is essential for healthy body function. It ensures that organs, joints, and muscles are sufficiently hydrated as well as making up around 12% of the skin’s natural oil.

The body’s production of squalene decreases with age, causing the skin to lose moisture. Although it is an effective emollient, squalene can’t be used in skin care products unless it has been hydrogenated, due to its very short shelf life. The hydrogenation process changes squalene into squalane, which is much more stable.

Squalane in skin care

As a fantastic natural moisturiser, squalane has multiple benefits for the skin. Squalane is non-comedogenic, meaning that any product containing it won’t clog the pores. Therefore, squalane is suitable for all skin types and won’t contribute to acne breakouts.

Some of the main reasons to look for squalane in your skin care products include:

• It is a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory.
• It boosts skin elasticity.
• It retains moisture in the skin.
• It spreads on your skin easily.
• Olive-based squalane comes from a natural, renewable source.

Our products all contain squalane as an active ingredient and it plays an important role in each of our body bars.

In our Hydrating body bar, squalane restores suppleness to the skin and locks in much-needed moisture to particularly dry skin. It teams up with tomato seed oil and jojoba oil to keep the skin soft and healthy.

In our Clarifying body bar, squalane nourishes acne-prone skin and reduces the appearance of blemishes with the help of salicylic acid and tamanu oil.

In our Exfoliating body bar, squalane keeps the skin moist during exfoliation. It is joined by lactic acid and ground olive stone to provide a gentle removal of dead skin cells and a thorough pore unclogging.

In our Shaving body bar, squalane ensures that the skin retains moisture throughout the shaving process and enables a smooth, safe shave. Together with coconut and lavender, it reduces the risk of razor bumps and shaving burn.

Beauty Kin is vegan!

The squalane in our body bars is entirely sourced from olives, meaning that our products are 100% vegan and cruelty free. We believe in providing the best, most effective solutions for your problem skin and we are delighted that we can do that through sustainable sources. Your skin deserves the very best treatment, so why not discover our body bars today?

While squalane and squalene are both highly effective moisturisers and retain the skin’s elasticity, only squalane can be used in skin care products. Olive-based squalane is wonderfully light, easily absorbed and leaves your skin feeling silky smooth - completely cruelty free!