Testimonial: Plant-Based Squalane Should Rule Your Skincare Routine
Nowadays, I’m hard-pressed to find anyone who isn’t facing some level of skin crisis. Whether it be acne from mask-harbored bacteria or 2020-induced stress lines, we’re all suffering. I was a six-year veteran of my skin care line until this past year pushed me beyond its capacities. Thankfully, at the near-end of our near-apocalypse, I found a brand that brought me back from the brink.
It hits all of my ethics checkpoints (more on that later), and it came in a little gift set with samples of everything I needed for an effective trial run. Enter: Biossance.
The Morning-After Glow
My first night with the new line, unbeknownst of the love affair to which I was about to commit, I layered the Marine Algae Eye Cream, Resurfacing Night Serum, and Omega Repair Cream.
I awoke feeling brighter, tighter, and profoundly confused. When switching up my skin care routine, it usually takes about a week or so to see any real differences, but I felt changes in the texture of my skin overnight.
After a quick cleanse, I applied the Vitamin C Rose Oil and Probiotic Gel Moisturizer (in that order — it’s important), and by then I was sold. While I once assumed shine = grease, Biossance proved me wrong.
Whatever lay within this litany of products, it hit the zenith of hydration. I effectively achieved the dewy dolphin skin trend, at no cost to my acne-prone pores, or the integrity of my brow-liner.
Fast-forward three months of skin-surface rehab (still waiting out my mental recovery), and it’s time to sing my praises to the public.
So what’s the secret to Biossance’s magic? One word: squalane.
Squa-what?
Squalane is the hydrogenated version of squalene, a lipid that your skin cells produce naturally, though less and less as you mature through your 20s to 30s. While squalene is too unstable to be bottled and shelved, once it gives way to its saturated counterpart, squalane, it’s safe for production.
Ever wonder why babies’ skin is so plump and soft? This is due in large part to the maximum squalene stores in their sebum, which ward off the oxidative stress from the sun that eventually makes us look tired and thirsty by the time we hit 23.
Short-Term Benefits
Since squalene is already 13% of the sebum in your skin, your pores welcome its hydrogenated relative with open arms. It absorbs quickly, so it doesn’t feel like a heavy, greasy layer atop your skin, and it can act as a vehicle for ingredients like Vitamin C or lactic acid to penetrate deeper than they are able to alone.
This also means it’s acne’s worst enemy. While pimples arise from a combination of excess oil and dead skin cells that clog your pores, squalane balances oil production at the cellular level to keep the dermis lively.
Long-Haul Perks
Skin cells repair themselves naturally, but as we age, these processes often lose pace with the dehydrating effects of sun exposure and decreased circulation. Though it’s something we might not immediately notice is getting away from us, keeping up with cell regrowth is especially important for the sake of collagen formation: the anti-wrinkle agent.
Squalene (the cell-boosting super-hydrator) is therefore your best friend if you’re anything like me and constantly anxious about your skin sinking down from your eye sockets.
For the same reasons, topical squalane can also lighten dark spots and help to reverse the visual effects of UV damage. Paired with the fact that it’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, squalene is being studied as an eczema treatment and ingestible anti-tumor pharmaceutical as well.
The list goes on (seriously). There’s just one more thing you need to know.
For the Love of the Ocean, Verify Before You Buy
Squalane isn’t new to the beauty industry, but its vegan claims might be. For decades, cosmetics companies harvested squalene oil from shark liver, hunting and “livering” thousands of sharks from our oceans to meet egregious demands for its emollient properties.
This isn’t the only way to capture the coveted oil, though. Plant-based sources include amaranth seeds, olives, rice bran, sugarcane, and wheat germ, which, because they are more expensive to extract, have been long-overlooked by major brands.
It’s not required that cosmetics companies disclose the source of their squalane, but the vegan and cruelty-free brands will more-than-often make the clarification on their own. For now, the plant-based alternatives are a little pricier, but arguably well worth it to assure you’re not inadvertently contributing to the shark poaching industry.
The state of our oceans is just one of many important things our generation needs to worry about. Best to air on the safe side for the things we can control.
There are plenty of other brands besides Biossance that utilize ethically-sourced squalane, such as Youth to the People and Indie Lee. Biossance just happens to have made it their mission to put squalane at the forefront of their entire line, so why not test this miracle oil at its full potential?
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*I am not affiliated with Biossance and do not receive revenue from purchases
