What is it?
A colorless, odorless oil made by fully hydrogenating squalene, an oil that occurs naturally in shark liver, in olives and other plants, and in human skin. Hydrogenation makes squalane stable in air, while squalene oxidizes easily. In cosmetics and personal care products squalane works as an emollient that softens and smooths skin and hair, in moisturizers, serums, facial oils, makeup, lipsticks and hair care. Squalane itself is also a natural component of human sebum.
Key information
- The CIR Expert Panel concluded in 1982 that squalane is safe as used in cosmetics, and it reaffirmed that conclusion in 2001 and 2019.
- Squalane is the saturated, stable form of squalene, which oxidizes easily.
- It can come from shark liver oil, olive oil or sugarcane, and the label name is the same whatever the source.
- In 2019 it was reported in 2,785 cosmetic products, at up to 96.8 percent.
More information
Squalene was first identified in deep-sea shark liver oil, and squalane was traditionally made by distilling shark liver oil and hydrogenating the squalene. Sharks grow slowly and have long reproductive cycles; one review estimates that around 3,000 sharks are needed to produce 1 ton of squalene and says this demand has depleted wild populations and endangered some species. Olive oil, including byproducts of olive-oil refining, is now the main plant source, and olive-derived squalene makes up an estimated 55 percent of the global market. Squalane is also made from sugarcane: genetically modified yeast ferments the sugar into farnesene, which is then joined in pairs and hydrogenated.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel concluded in 1982 that squalane and squalene are safe as cosmetic ingredients in the present practices of use and concentration. Undiluted squalane did not irritate rabbit skin or eyes. The Panel looked at the ingredients again in 2001 and 2019 and kept its conclusion. By 2019 squalane was reported in 2,785 products, at up to 96.8 percent. Newer studies suggested some potential to cause skin allergy, but the Panel found no significant clinical evidence of it and noted a lack of case reports despite much wider use.
The ingredient list cannot tell you whether squalane came from sharks, olives or sugarcane. One review notes that shark and plant squalene are sometimes blended and sold as plant-derived, and that the European Union enforces measures to trace the origin of squalene in consumer products. Squalene, spelled with an “e,” is a different, less stable ingredient.
Sources: Cosmetic Ingredient Review: Final report on the safety assessment of squalane and squalene (1982); Cosmetic Ingredient Review: Squalane and squalene re-review summary (2019); Pharmaceuticals (2022): From sharks to yeasts, squalene in the development of vaccine adjuvants; ACS Omega (2025): From olive pomace to squalane, a green chemistry route
