{"id":5503,"date":"2022-12-05T23:17:20","date_gmt":"2022-12-06T04:17:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bringingbeauty.co\/?p=5503"},"modified":"2022-12-11T17:40:43","modified_gmt":"2022-12-11T22:40:43","slug":"hemi-squalane-vs-squalane-demystified","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bringingbeauty.co\/hemi-squalane-vs-squalane-demystified\/","title":{"rendered":"Hemi-Squalane vs Squalane: Demystified"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you’ve taken the time to look through the ingredients of your favorite skin cream lately, you’ve probably seen one of two ingredients listed there: hemi-squalane or squalane. Obviously, not every skincare cream has one of these included, but in the last few years, they have both gained increased popularity due to their excellent moisturizing and emollient properties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This page contains affiliate links, meaning I get a small commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you.<\/em> See the disclaimer page<\/a> for more information.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, to answer the question, “What really is the difference between hemi-squalane and squalane?” we did a deep dive into the science and effects of each to help you pick the best one for your needs and skin type.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is Squalane?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Squalane is derived from a separate chemical compound called squalene (yes, just a one-letter difference). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A naturally produced oil, squalane is already present in our bodies in our skin’s sebum (oil). Squalene can be found in nature as well, most notably in olives and sugarcane. It is also found in more bizarre places you wouldn’t expect, such as shark liver oil!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Squalene is very important for our skin as it prevents dry skin with its excellent natural moisturizing properties. It has also been shown to have some anti-inflammatory properties and naturally help reduce swelling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Enough about squalene though, you came here to hear about the one with an “a” instead of an “e”. Squalane is a derivative of squalene that solves the big issue with squalene: oxidation. When exposed to oxygen, squalene will break down, while squalane will not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be able to get the benefits of squalene into a bottle and onto your skin, companies have created a hydrogenated version of squalene, called squalane. This prevents oxidation and allows the product to be stable on the shelf and after you open and start using the product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To summarize, squalane is a more stable, lighter version of squalene that is still biocompatible with your skin (won’t cause any pesky irritation issues) and will give your skin the moisturized and smooth texture that you want.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is Hemi-Squalane?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One of the benefits of squalane is how light it is on your skin, hemi-squalane takes that benefit and turns it up to 11. According to a manufacturer of hemi-squalane<\/a>, hemi-squalane has half of the carbon atoms compared to squalane. The benefit of this is that hemi-squalane feels insanely lightweight on your skin. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hemi-squalane will also have a lower viscosity compared to squalane and will be easier to apply to your skin and absorb faster while leaving no residue behind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Benefits of Hemi-Squalane and Squalane<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While we’ve covered a few of the benefits of these ingredients so far, let’s look a little deeper into what exactly they do for your skin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In my personal experience, both hemi-squalane and squalane have produced nearly identical results for my skin. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Benefits for your skin<\/h3>\n\n\n\n