Let’s have a close look at what squalene is and why it is so sought after.

In Italian “squalo” means shark and “squalene” is a compound found in the liver of this wonderful marine creature. At the beginning of the last century, a Japanese scientist was studying the amazing immune resistance of sharks and found the answer in this special molecule found in their livers: “squalene”.

It was discovered that squalene, an unsaturated hydrocarbon, releases oxygen when mixed with water. Squalene is lighter than water itself - with a specific gravity of 0.855 - and this helps the shark (which has no swim bladder) to reduce its body density underwater and improve its flotation.

A high percentage of squalene was subsequently also found in human sebum, the fat produced by our sebaceous glands to protect our skin.

This natural organic compound, occurring naturally in the body, plays a vital role in the synthesis and production of sterols, both in humans and plants. In our body for example it is the starting point for the production of cholesterol, steroid hormones and Vitamin D during a complex chemical reaction in the liver.

Amazingly enough, during pregnancy, squalene is also one of the main components of the layer of fat that envelops the baby in the womb, called the vernix caseosa. This coat, a bit similar to soft cheese, protects the baby’s skin and could play an important role in some of the phases of the development of the embryo.

What exactly does squalene do for the skin?

*Protects: reducing the loss of internal water (moisturising effect)

*Powerful antioxidant: similar in its composition to Vitamin A

*Shields ultra violet rays: helping to prevent the skin from ageing.

Furthermore squalene, when exposed to water or other fluids, produces oxygen which helps skin cell regeneration. Lack of squalene production in the body can result in premature ageing and dry skin. Hence squalene is used in many cosmetics to enhance their moisturising, antioxidant, soothing and anti-ageing performance.

Squalene can also be used internally as a supplement to support the immune system and keep it healthy. It is thought that the Mediterranean diet, rich in vegetable oils, and therefore rich in squalene, could be effective at helping to prevent cancer.

Although many cosmetic companies use squalene from deep sea shark liver oil, olive oil has been proven to be one of the richest sources of vegetable squalene (200mg-12,000mg/kg) and just as effective as the shark-derived version!

Extra virgin olive oil is just one of the range of cold-pressed, organic oils which form the highly nourishing base of Inlight skincare products. As with our other ingredients, we use oils only in their complete and natural form, in preference to extracts, in order to maintain their chemical integrity, wholeness and life force and to create a better quality and more effective product.

So there is no excuse for killing sharks to keep our skin young and hydrated. Once again Nature has the answer.