Our bodies produce a substance called squalene that helps moisturize our skin. In fact, we have quite a lot of it when we’re young. But once we hit our 30s, the amount our bodies produce begins to decrease. By 50, we produce 50% of what we used to produce. By 60, even less.
Squalene is sometimes sourced from shark’s liver or from a variety of plants including olives. I learned from a new-to-me brand, Biossance, that no matter where squalene comes from, it is unstable. Biossance decided to take matters into their own hands and seek a better source. They learned that when squalene is hydrogenated it becomes a more stable and safer form called squalane.
Biossance went several steps further and they produce their own squalane that is harvested and biofermented from sugarcane sustainably grown in Brazil. Their weightless squalane instantly hydrates skin and also locks in the moisture.
I have been using three squalane-based products from vegan, cruelty-free, non-toxic brand Biossance.
The 100% Squalane Oil is a fabulous super-lightweight multitasking oil. It’s perfect for face, body and hair. I’ve been using it for all three, and I love it. It is clear, fragrance-free and just about weightless so it’s a joy to use. A little goes a long way, and it absorbs very quickly. If I put this on my face at night, I don’t need an additional moisturizer and I wake up to soft, smoother, much more hydrated skin. Love this stuff!
In addition to hydrating and locking in moisture, 100% Squalane Oil soothes irritated skin and takes away redness. You may have heard that I had a bad reaction to a number of wasp stings. Though I relied on prednisone to do most of the healing, after I finished up the 5 day course of the meds, my poor arm was still a little pink and itchy. I decided to give the Biossance 100% Squalane Oil a try, and it definitely helped soothe my skin, take away the irritation, and the pinkness disappeared too. I am impressed!
Biossance 100% Squalane Oil comes in two sizes:
- full size: 3.3 fl. oz./100 ml in a green translucent plastic pump bottle
- travel size: 0.4 fl. oz./12 ml
Biossance Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Oil is a luxurious, well-designed facial skincare product. It combines the lightweight squalane oil with a stable, oil soluble form of Vitamin C for brightening and rose oil for smoothing. Only a couple of drops do the trick, adding radiance to mature, dry, normal or combination skin. I sometimes add a drop or two to my moisturizer, or I press a couple of drops into my skin and it feels instantly more supple. It certainly works for me!
I was reading through some of the reviews on the Biossance website, and I noticed that one woman raved that Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Oil helped fade the brown spots on her hands. I’m starting tonight to try that!!
I have a friend who always asks about the fragrance. To me, Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Oil doesn’t have a discernible scent, but the website says “no synthetic fragrance”. I assume that means that it has a faint natural scent from the ingredients – but I don’t smell anything.
The clear lightweight oil comes in a 1 fl. oz./30 ml glass dropper bottle in either Antique Rose or Clean Green. I’ve got the green bottle.
Squalane + Phyto-Retinol Serum
I have totally fallen in love with Squalane + Phyto-Retinol Serum. In fact, I’ve gone through almost half of the bottle over the past few months because I use it every. single. day. Actually, I use it at night after toning and before my moisturizer.
I was really curious when I first got this serum when I noticed that it is called “Phyto-Retinol” Serum. I had never heard of phyto-retinol. The ingredient is Bakuchiol, a plant-derived alternative to retinol. (Some retinols called retinoids are animal-derived.) The benefits associated with this rather unique skincare product are that it:
- Reduces the look of fine lines & wrinkles
- Visibly improves firmness
- Evens the look of skin tone.
I don’t have any reactions to retinol or to this plant-derived version of retinol, though some reviewers have. For me, Squalane + Phyto-Retinol Serum is remarkably gentle while helping my skin look plumper, firmer and smoother.
Squalane + Phyto-Retinol Serum is a lightweight, off-white cream that melts into my skin on contact. I love the scent of this product: to me, it smells like ginseng, an herbal scent. I find it amazingly soothing to wear and to smell. The serum comes in a 1 fl. oz./30 ml green glass pump bottle.
I’m very impressed with the three products I’ve tried so far from Biossance. In fact, I love them! And I already have my eye on both their Squalane + Peptide Eye Gel and their Squalane + Marine Algae Eye Cream. If you’re a fan of vegan, well-made skincare products, check out Biossance! It’s sold on the Biossance website and at Sephora, and is promoted as one of Sephora’s “Clean” brands. 🙂
Wow, i wonder if it helps with mosquito bites too? We get them really bad and i end up with LUMPS!
I tried to look up if Squalane oil helped mosquito bites, but didn’t see any evidence of that 🙁
I get mosquito lumps too- it’s just my luck of the draw that my immune system gets really amped up about mosquitoes. I don’t think squalane or any other oil is going to mitigate the histamine response there, sadly. What it may do though is feel soothing to skin that’s already irritated and the hydration should [from what I’ve read in my non-medical-professional capacity] help an already compromised skin barrier (because honestly no matter how much advice you get to not scratch, it’s a rare person that can do it) maybe bounce back a little faster. If a derm would advise a gentle skincare routine for someone having a compromised skin due to product reaction, then I figure what’s that same approach going to hurt for a nasty rash of mosquito bites? For the bites themselves itself I still resort to taking benadryl and using a topical like lidocaine. 🙂
I think your assessment of the mosquito/bug bite itch is right on. I was suffering so much with the damn wasp stings that both hurt and itched unbelievably. For some reason, the very nice nurses who I saw were not very helpful about the itch that was driving me crazy. Finally, when I finally got the prednisone that had been out of stock at CVS, I asked the pharmacist about what to take for the itch. She told me to take benadryl every 4-6 hours (that I hadn’t been doing) and to use lidocaine. The lidocaine along with the prednisone was what finally helped. My skin, however, got dried out from the betamethasone lotion and maybe from the reaction to the venom? The squalane oil definitely helped rehydrate my desiccated skin. Now I just need the 6 scabs where the stinger was inserted to finally go away!
That’s amazing that they make their own squalane. The products sound fantastic. I’d be interested in trying some of these in the future, especially during winter for my dry skin season.
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These products are on my Sephora loves list and I had a snack size of the squalane and retinol serum. It was effective enough to make me want a full size!
I wish the Biossance Squalane + Phyto-Retinol Serum was a little less expensive because I love it so much I am practically drinking it. I will hold off till Sephora’s next sale till I replace it.
I agree!
Thanks for addressing the fragrance question. Long ago I used a wonderful squalene product but once I realized it could have been from shark’s liver I didn’t rebuy. Squalane sounds like an excellent replacement.
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Have you tried Biossance yet, Marcia? It is a fabulous brand. I think you would love the 100% Squalane Oil that is fragrance-free.
I didn’t even know squalene could be vegan!
I love their mask and deodorant. I also like the fact that they used plant-based derivative of squalene because really, animal ingredients are not needed for skincare. I love to support brands that are vegan and cruelty-free.
I love the peptide eye cream!
I need to try the eye products next. So glad you love the Peptide Eye Cream! Tyvm for letting me know
These sound very impressive, and the oil is of particular interest to me (unsurprisingly).
Those oils sound amazing!
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My skin really loves squalane. Such a great ingredient.
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I’ve been wanting to try Bakuchiol so the Squalane Phyto-retinol serum in particular is drawing me in!
I think there may be a travel size Biossance Squalane + Phyto-Retinol Serum!
I have never heard of squalene before – thank you for sharing that information.
I’ve not heard of this, nice to know about it, sounds like its good!
I haven’t dabbled much with squalene, but these sounds like really great options to start with.
I’ve heard about squalane, but, I’ve never tried it before. Though a friend of mine suggested the Biossance Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Oil and I’ve seen her face improved a lot — and by that, I mean that her skin no longer looks oily and her wrinkles have been reduced. However, I just had a rhinoplasty four months ago. I am wondering if it’s safe to use? Does it have any side effects?