A squalane eye cream: what squalane is, why the skin around the eyes dries first, and when an eye cream earns its place

This page contains affiliate links. MoreThanMy earns a commission on qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.

Researched. We have not used this one long enough to give you a verdict, and we would rather say so than invent one. What follows is how it works, who it suits, and what it will not do. When we have used it properly, this page carries the verdict and the date.

BIOSSANCE Squalane and Marine Algae Eye Cream

The listing for this eye cream gives little beyond its name, so this page is about the ingredient in that name and the skin it is made for. Both are worth understanding before you buy any eye cream.

What squalane is

Your skin makes an oil called squalene, which is part of what keeps it soft and protected. Squalene on its own is unstable and goes off quickly, so skincare uses squalane — a stabilised version, almost identical, that stays fresh in a jar.

Because it is so close to what skin already produces, squalane is light, absorbs easily, rarely irritates and does not feel greasy. That is why it turns up so often in products for sensitive and dry skin. Biossance builds its range around squalane made from sugarcane rather than the traditional source, shark liver.

Why the eye area dries first

The skin around the eyes is some of the thinnest on the body and has fewer oil glands than the rest of the face. It loses water faster, and dryness there shows quickly as fine, crêpey lines. It also moves constantly — every blink and smile — which is part of why lines form there early.

Does it need its own cream?

Not always. A gentle, fragrance-free face moisturizer is often fine around the eyes. An eye cream earns its place when your face moisturizer stings or makes your eyes water, when the eye area is noticeably drier than the rest of your face, or when you want something lighter or richer there specifically. Eye creams are usually formulated to be gentle, since products migrate into the eyes easily.

The marine algae

The name also includes marine algae. The listing does not say what it is meant to do, so we will not guess. Algae extracts are used widely in skincare, mostly for hydration.

How to use an eye cream

A small amount — a grain of rice per eye — patted gently with your ring finger along the orbital bone, the bony ridge around the eye, rather than right up to the lashes. It will spread inwards on its own. Patting, not rubbing, is kinder to thin skin.

By day, sunscreen around the eyes matters as much as anything you put on at night; see what SPF measures.

What it will not do

It will not remove dark circles caused by genetics or the shadow of hollows. It will not undo lines from years of sun. And we cannot tell you more about its specific formula, because the listing does not give it.

The product

A small eye cream built on squalane, from a brand known for sugarcane-derived squalane. A gentle option for a dry, sensitive eye area.

The one people are searching for is the BIOSSANCE Squalane & Marine Algae Eye Cream, 0.5 oz.

BIOSSANCE Squalane and Marine Algae Eye Cream

We do not print prices here, because a price we typed last month is a price that is wrong today.

Written by JamieG in Garner Town, Tennessee.