I’ve recently starting using squalane oil in my routine and I feel like it has really improved my seborrheic dermatitis and my skin in general. I use it sparingly and only use it 3-4 times a week, but it’s still been great. Moisturizing with oils is something that has always frightened me, but over the past 2 months I’ve experimented more and more with it…annnndd probably one of the best changes I’ve made to treat my SD. I’m actually developing an oil-based moisturizer right now filled with a couple of ingredients that are scientifically proven to suppress Malassezia (fungus responsible for SD) growth and fight seborrheic dermatitis. Stay tuned for that, it’s something I’ve been using and have had great results with.
So let’s get back to it, I want to talk about what squalane oil is and the scientific evidence that suggests that it’s a great addition to your dermatitis routine. I also have some thoughts/opinions on why squalane works exceptionally well for those of us with acne/dermatitis prone skin.
We should first differentiate between squalene and squalane. Squalane will HELP your skin – Squalene will HURT your skin.
I don’t want to get too technical, but squalene is a naturally occurring fatty acid that actually makes up about 12% of our sebum…aka those oily secretions from our sebaceous glands.
Squalene is very unstable an is actually prone to degradation through a process called oxidation. When this happens, it turns into something called squalene peroxide.
Studies (here, here, here) have found that squalene peroxide is responsible for causing acne/inflammation…AND more squalene peroxide = larger comedones (pimples). Researchers also know that people with acne prone skin have twice the amount of squalene in their sebum than those with clear skin.
Alright, so we know having a lot of squalene on your face can be bad…so what causes it to oxidize and turn into squalene peroxide.
A few things – stress, harsh skin products, hormones, UV light to name a few…but here’s the BIG one – Malassezia is a big influence on squalene oxidation. And we know that Malassezia is the fungus that’s causing our seborrheic dermatitis. As you can seen, everything is kind of intertwined.
What about Squalane Oil?
Squalane is the stable form of squalene so it cannot be oxidized and negatively affect the skin. Another important note, Malassezia is able to metabolize lipids/oils with a carbon chain length between 12-24…check this graph. Coconut oil has a carbon number of 12 – so that’s why a lot of people experience SD flares when they apply it as a moisturizer. A moisturizer that I use in place of coconut oil is MCT oil. MCT has a carbon number of 8…if you look at growth the graph, Malassezia cannot metabolize MCT oil so it doesn’t affect your SD. Squalane has a carbon number of 30…so it is safe to use and will not affect your SD. I have no switched from using MCT oil to Squalane as a moisturizer.
My personal experience with squalane oil has been awesome. I think it’s improved my skin in a few ways. It’s definitely faded some of my ‘scars’ and it’s also greatly improved the smoothness of my face. It’s been about a month, but I used to have bumps on my face that wouldn’t go away no matter what I tried. Squalane has pretty much taken care of them. I have large pores and it’s noticeably reduced the size of my pores as well. The nice thing is that even though it’s an oil, it absorbs quickly and doesn’t look overly greasy like MCT oil…a little goes a long way.
Interestingly, I’ve also experienced less breakouts and pimples since using it. I have a hypothesis as to why this is.
So, I do have acne prone skin and I assume my squalene levels are fairly high in my sebum. I’m wondering if by applying squalane oil some signaling or reaction has taken place. For instance, since my face is supplemented with the stable squalane oil, my body is now producing less of the unstable squalene oil. Since it’s producing less, that means less squalene that has the potential to get oxidized and cause flares/breakouts. Again, this is just an idea….but I have noticed a huge difference in my skin since using it.
Here are some benefits that have been found by researchers:
- Increases cell regeneration and oxygenation
- Helps prevent age spots, UV damage, wrinkles
- Heals cracked, scaly skin
- Antibacterial
- Moisturizing
- Softens skin
- Fights eczema and dermatitis
You don’t have to go to a beauty/cosmetic store and buy expensive squalane oil either, here is what I recommend.
Buy on Amazon – I use this Timeless 100% Squalane oil
