What is Squalene?
Squalene is a naturally occurring oil found in plants and animals, including humans. Squalene is produced by our skin and acts as a moisturizer, but production slows as we age resulting in drier skin. For that reason, squalene is a great addition to skin care products (The Cleveland Clinic).
The Source Matters
Squalene is found in a variety of plant sources, most notably olive oil, but the most abundant source of squalene is: Shark Livers (American Chemical Society). Additionally, the only method of harvest for shark liver is fishing (National Institutes of Health).
Some cosmetic products (nutraceuticals) continue to use squalene that originated from shark liver but most that do not use squalene sourced from olive oil.
Squalene vs. Squalane
Squalene is the naturally produced oil found in plants, animals, and humans. Squalane is squalene that has been hydrogenated to make it shelf stable.
If you are looking for squalene in your skin-care products, you will likely find it in the form of SQUALANE, with an A (Allure).
Squalene in Silflower
Early tests by our collaborator Sean Liu at the Functional Foods Research Lab, show that the percentage of squalene in Silflower oil is much greater than the percentage in olive oil.
Goals
- Develop better Silflower oil extraction techniques
- Develop better squalene isolation from Silflower oil
- Determine market for Silflower sourced squalene