Squalane is a saturated form of squalene, a natural compound that makes up about 13% of your skin's own sebum. Research shows it has moisturizing and emollient (softening) properties, plus antioxidant potential—though most evidence so far comes from lab and animal studies, not human trials.

This was a review article that synthesized existing research on squalene and squalane from various sources including fish oils, plant oils, and shark liver oil. The authors evaluated reported bioactivities across multiple studies.

Funding not disclosed in abstract