Squalene and the Human Skin

The skin is the largest organ in the body and among other functions, serves as a protective covering for our bodies.

Ultraviolet-B radiation from the sun generates free radicals in exposed skin. They also convert ground-level oxygen to ozone, a powerful and destructive oxidant that attacks the internal protective coat of the body. As the ozone layer is depleted, more UV rays reach the earth's surface, increasing threats to our skin.

UV-B radiation is a source of free radicals and potential skin damage.

It is believed that increased UV-B radiation is responsible for a worldwide increase in skin cancer. Other possible consequences may include immune suppression, allergies, memory loss, blood cancer and cataract.

During the last two decades of the twentieth century, the incidence of skin cancer has risen significantly around the world. Medical research has confirmed that strong UV-B rays break the molecular bonds of skin DNA, leading to mutation and significantly increasing the risk of skin cancer.

Squalene is an excellent antioxidant, which makes it a likely candidate to be the skin's best natural protector. This led scientists to test its antioxidant properties in the skin.

In a unique research project, sebum was tested for its ability to prevent lipid peroxidation or to neutralize singlet oxygen.4 Y. Kohno and colleagues compared the antioxidant capacity of Squalene with that of sixteen other fats found in skin. They showed that Squalene more than any other could protect the skin surface from lipid peroxidation. They also discovered that squalene's stable molecular structure resists outside attack by peroxide radicals - meaning it does not act as a pro-oxidant (an agent that at first behaves like an antioxidant, then becomes a free radical).