Olive Squalane: A Moisture-Booster for Your Skin

Contrary to popular belief, sebum, the oil your skin produces, isn’t all that bad. It’s actually your skin’s way to keep itself moisturized and protected from harmful elements. It contains fatty acids, sugars, waxes, ad other natural chemicals that prevent water from evaporating which keeps your skin hydrated and supple. 

In particular, a lipid called squalene helps your skin retain moisture, maintains your skin’s barrier function, and also prevents the harmful effects of free radicals. 

As you age, however, your oil glands tend to produce less squalene leading to drier skin that’s prone to dehydration, roughness, and dullness.

The good news is there’s another naturally-derived alternative to squalene that you can easily find at the beauty counter: olive squalane. This botanical oil has become one of the most popular emollients today and for good reason. 

In today’s blog, we’ll be taking a close look at olive squalene and how it can benefit your skin. Let’s get started!

What is Olive Squalane?

Olive squalene is an emollient, conditioner, and carrier derived from olive oil. It starts out as squalene, the form of this lipid that is present in the skin. It undergoes a process called hydrogenation to make it more stable. The resulting substance is a light, luxurious, and non-oxidative lipid that can lubricate and protect the skin.

Because it is structurally similar to squalene, it can act as a great emollient. It sinks deep in between skin cells which helps smoothen and soften the texture of the skin. It also forms a natural protective barrier on the skin’s surface which helps slow down trans-epidermal water loss. This helps your skin retain moisture and hydration longer.

Squalane is lightweight, transparent, and odorless. It helps moisturized and deeply hydrate the skin without leaving a greasy film behind. It is extensively used in formulations that condition, moisturize, soothe, or replenish the skin. 

Qualities of Olive Squalane as a Skincare Ingredient

Several products contain olive squalane including emollients, facial creams, and serums, hair conditioners and oils, lip moisturizers, cuticle creams, sunscreens. It is also incorporated in products designed to ease inflammatory skin conditions like eczema.

It possesses several qualities that make it ideal as a skincare ingredient. This includes:

• It is a vegan and cruelty-free option. In the past, squalene was sourced from sharks which posed environmental dangers. The manufacture of squalene from botanical sources makes it a far more sustainable approach to skincare.
• It is a derivative of a substance that is already present in the body. Squalane is just a form of naturally-occurring squalene that is hydrogenated to improve stability and to prevent oxidation. Therefore, it poses little to no danger when used even on sensitive skin.
• It can enhance the absorption of other skincare ingredients. It also helps stabilize the end product when included in a formulation.
• Olive squalene can be used as-is. By itself, it has a lightweight texture that’s easily absorbed into the skin. While it makes for a great addition to skincare products, it can be used on its own to promote skin moisture.
• It is skin-friendly. Olive squalene is non-comedogenic and it presents a low risk of irritation. It can be used on most skin types including sensitive skin.

Benefits of Olive Squalane

• Locks in Moisture. Despite being a lightweight product, squalene can still effectively form a lipid barrier on the surface of the skin. This keeps water locked inside skin cells and prevents it from escaping.
• Improves Dry Patches. Squalane has a high affinity with the skin so it can penetrate deeply. It softens and smoothens rough areas that keep your skin looking supple and bouncy.
• Anti-inflammatory. It has excellent anti-inflammatory properties which support skin-healing. It helps soothe inflamed skin by reducing redness and itching.
• Anti-Aging. Olive squalene has antioxidant properties that help slow down the aging effects of UV damage. It fights free radicals which keep your skin young-looking for longer.
• Repairs the Skin’s Barrier. Because it contains high concentrations of Omega 3 6, and 7, olive squalene can help regenerate skin cells. It replenishes the skin to rebuild its protective barrier function.
• Natural Prebiotic. Olive squalane may help support the skin’s acid mantle which is crucial for maintaining healthy skin. It can suppress the growth of pathogenic bacteria while supporting microbiome diversity.

Azelaic Acid: A Gentle Acne Solution

In the world of acne treatments, things like salicylic acid, tea tree oil, and benzoyl peroxide reign supreme. But not all skin types can tolerate these ingredients. If you have sensitive skin that’s prone to breakouts, this could be a problem.

But don’t fret because there’s way to control your acne without disrupting your skin and it’s been flying under the radar for a long time. In this blog, we’ll be talking about azelaic acid and its many skin benefits. Let’s get started!

Understanding Azelaic Acid

Azelaic acid is a dicarboxylic acid that can be derived from a number of sources including our own skin and grains and cereals.  It is a mild exfoliant that prevents comedones, exfoliates deep within the pores, decreases keratin, provides anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits to the skin.

This multifunctional ingredient works by decreasing the swelling and redness of the skin which is great for skin conditions like rosacea. It also kills bacteria and decreases the production of keratin which helps treat and prevent acne.

It is available in prescription concentrations of 15% and 20%. However, you can also find over-the-counter products containing 10% concentration of this ingredient. Azelaic acid is often found in leave-on treatments like gels, foams, and creams.

Benefits of Azelaic Acid

Azelaic acid offers. Any benefits to the skin. Primarily, it exfoliates deeply yet gently. It seeps deep into the pores to remove dead skin cells clog pores and make the skin look dull. It dissolves old and flaky skin cells to reveal younger and brighter skin cells. Unlike topical retinoids, however, it won’t irritate the skin as much.

It also acts as a tyrosinase inhibitor which means it can even out your skin tone. Azelaic acid is great for post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation from acne breakouts. Research suggests that it is also suitable for melasma.

Along with its pore-decongesting properties, its antibacterial nature makes sit useful for keeping acne breakouts at bay. 

Furthermore, it can soothe irritation and redness caused by inflammation. It can reduce the appearance of red bumps on sensitive skin and it can also address some of the secondary infections caused by rosacea.

Since it is such a gentle ingredient, azelaic acid is safe for use on all skin types. Even people with sensitive skin have shown that they can tolerate it.

How to Use It

Regardless if you’re using an OTC formula or you’ve got a prescription from your dermatologist, you need to practice proper application for this ingredient to effectively work its magic.

Apply a thin layer to clean and dry skin once in the morning and again at night. But if you have particularly sensitive skin, it’s best to use to once every other day.

To improve its absorption into the skin, it can also help if you apply an AHA, a BHA, or a retinol product first. Follow this up with a hydrating moisturizer and a sunscreen with SPF 30 during the day.

One of the key things to know about azelaic acid is that it is slow acting. You’ll be able to see its effects if you use it consistently over the course of a few months.

A Quick Guide to Surfactants in Skincare

Nothing quite beats the feeling of the rich and foamy lather we use for cleansing the skin. But did you ever think about what gives your favorite skin cleanser its lovely bubbles? In this blog, we’ll be diving into the world of surfactants in skincare. Let’s get started!

What Are They? 

Surfactant is the short term of surface-active agent. This skincare ingredient help degrease and emulsify oils and fats and suspends them which allows them to be washed away. They are often used in many forms of cleansers like facial washes, shampoos, and soaps.

The most common surfactants used in skincare products are disodium lauryl sulfosuccinate, cocamphocarboxyglycinate, cocoamidopropyl betaine, and alpha-Olefin sulfonate.

Surfactants come in a variety of types. This includes:

• Anionic Surfactant. These are very strong and are by far the most common type of surfactant or cleaning chemical. They are used in just about everything that you come into contact with and are specifically designed to clean grease and dirt from any surface, including our skin and hair.
• Cationic Surfactant. These are commonly used in fabric conditioners and hair products.
• Amphoteric Surfactant. These ingredients are really adaptable to both alkaline and acid, they help to adjust the pH of the water used in solution. Because they are so neutral, they are really mild and gentle on the skin.
• Nonionic Surfactant. These surfactants are often used in heavy thick creams, such as hand or body creams. Fatty acid alcohols such as cetearyl alcohol or stearyl alcohol, are the simplest non-ionic surfactants.

Uses of Surfactants

Surfactants can do more than just help get rid of dirt on your skin. It also serves a variety of purposes for skincare products.

They are excellent emulsifiers that allow cosmetics manufacturers to combine immiscible and insoluble liquids together. It helps oil and water mixtures to stay stable for long periods. They are often used in creams, serums, lotions, conditioners, foundations, makeup products, and gentle cleansing products.

They can also be used as a wetting agent. It allows products to penetrate the skin better.

Furthermore, they can be used as a preservative. It can protect cosmetics and skincare products from being contaminated with bacteria and germs. They kill microbes by breaking the lipid membrane that protects their cells.

They can also be used as a thickening agent. Surfactants work well with salts, polymers, and other surfactants. It can be used in creams, lotions, conditioners, shampoos, cleansing products, mascaras, and other makeup products.

Finally, surfactants can be used as a conditioning agent. Cationic surfactants in particular form a resistant film on the surface of the skin. This helps reduce water loss and lock in nourishing ingredients.