Squalane is a saturated form of squalene, a compound that naturally makes up 13% of your skin's own sebum. Research shows it has moisturizing and emollient properties, plus antioxidant and potential anti-cancer effects—though most of these benefits come from animal studies and lab tests, not human trials yet.

This was a review of existing research on squalene and squalane from various sources like shark liver oil and plant oils. The authors compiled findings from multiple studies to assess what's known about how these ingredients work biologically.

Funding not disclosed in abstract