Squalane for hair: what it is, what it does, how we blend it
Squalane is the oil for people who think they do not like oil: a single clear molecule made from olives that feels weightless, has no scent and never goes rancid.
| Role | Base oil |
|---|---|
| Weight | 1 of 4, light |
| Chosen for | Moisture, lightweight feel, shine |
| On the label | Squalane |
| In our blends | Fine Print 52.3% |
| Builder limit | Up to 85% of a hair blend |
What it is
Unlike every other base in the library, squalane is not a blend of fatty acids. It is one saturated hydrocarbon, C30, made by taking squalene from olive oil and adding hydrogen so it cannot oxidise. Skin makes its own squalene; the plant version is the stable form of it. No double bonds means no rancid smell, ever, and no colour.
How it feels on hair
Weight 1 of 4, the lightest in the library. It feels dry almost as soon as it touches the hand, gives shine without slip and leaves no film on hair or pillowcase. It is also completely scentless, so an essential oil reads exactly as it is.
Who reaches for it
Fine and straight hair that cannot carry a visible oil; anyone who wants shine on mid-lengths and ends and nothing else; people who oil at night and do not want it on the pillow. It leads Fine Print for exactly those heads.
Where it sits in our blends
Fine Print carries squalane at 52.3% (with Jojoba 26.2%, Prickly Pear Seed 10%, Pomegranate Seed 10%, and more). The blends with a product page can be bought as they are; every one of them can be opened in the builder and changed oil by oil.
How to compose with it
Squalane can take up to 85% of a hair blend as a base. On its own it can feel a little too dry, so Fine Print pairs it with jojoba at two parts to one. Add light actives (prickly pear seed, pomegranate seed, rosehip) and a bright essential oil; a rich active like castor would undo the point of it.
Compose with squalane Find your formula
Weighed to the gram and blended to order in New Jersey, with the recipe printed on the label. For external use only; patch test before first use. Every oil, with its INCI name, is in the oil library.