Ingredient Deep Dive: Squalane

3 MIN READ 

Meet one of the key ingredients in Moondust Hair Conditioner- squalane. 

You may have noticed squalane in your skincare products, but squalane isn’t typically seen in haircare. At Susteau, we like to formulate with ingredients your body naturally prefers. As mentioned here in our post about rice protein, we discuss why plant-based proteins are a great moisturizing ingredient for hair and skin alike. Similar to rice protein, squalane is another ingredient that provides similar skin-loving benefits to the hair, which is why we had to incorporate it in our concentrated and creamy conditioner formula.

Defining Squalane

Squalane (with an ‘a’) is a hydrocarbon that is modified from hydrogenating squalene with an ‘e’. Squalene is the naturally occurring lipid that is found in our own skin’s sebum. Traditionally, squalene has been harvested from shark liver oil for skincare purposes. However, squalene is also naturally occurring in vegan alternatives such as olives and sugarcane. Once modified into the hydrogenated form, squalane acts as an emollient in skin care formulations. One of the key benefits of squalane is its ability to retain moisture, while still feeling lightweight and non greasy to the touch. As a natural and oil-soluble antioxidant, squalane helps protect the skin and hair against free radical damage caused by environmental stressors and UV light.

Squalane in Haircare

Squalane is probably an ingredient you have seen before; however, you typically won’t see it listed as an ingredient on your standard conditioner bottle. This is because squalane is difficult to stabilize in liquid emulsions like shampoo and conditioner, ultimately reducing its efficacy. Because we don’t add any water to our concentrated formulas, our Moondust Hair Conditioner is the perfect delivery system for squalane to add an ultimate boost of hydration to your hair, without making your hair feel heavy or appearing greasy. We are also all about offering the most sustainable alternative, so we use 100% plant-based squalane that is derived from olive oil in our Moondust Hair Conditioner. 

Why Our Hair Loves Squalane

Squalane with an ‘a’ imitates the natural compound of squalene (with an ‘e’) found in the sebum our bodies naturally produce. We produce the most sebum on our face and scalp, areas that often undergo the most damage from free-radicals. These environmental stressors, one being UV light, depletes the skin’s surface from our natural oils. The presence of squalane in skin and hair formulas not only restores the lost moisture but also protects these areas from future damage. Often times in conditioners, emollients are the culprit of weighing the hair down. Our skin and hair love squalane so much, it absorbs almost immediately leaving the surface hydrated and flexible.   

There is no question that squalane has been all the hype recently in skincare. Susteau is breaking traditional haircare standards and offering this powerhouse ingredient into our Moondust Hair Conditioner. Because of our unique powdered format, our formula allows for squalane’s maximum benefits to be applied to the hair. Squalane can do wonders as an ingredient in your moisturizer, but have you tried it in the shower? Your hair will thank you later! 

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