Squalane - the alternative to silicones in hair care

Silicones are unbeatable when it comes to the immediate visual effect. They manage to make your hair look shiny and healthy in one treatment. This probably also explains why - despite all the criticism - they are still among the most used ingredients in conditioners and the like.

Silicones - more appearance than reality

The beautiful silicone shine is a bit deceptive, because it is now known that silicones do not really do anything for your hair, but simply coat them with a layer. Over time, the coat will thicken, making your hair look flat and dull.

A little digression: silicones are also deposited on the scalp. Not that cool, kinda. Therefore, when you switch to natural cosmetic shampoos, you first struggle with a greasy hairline and stubborn hair. The silicone layer is only removed after washing several times. Underneath, the actual and often stressed hair structure comes to light. The only thing that helps here is patience and knowledge: it can only get better.

Plant-based squalane - the natural alternative

We were looking for a fabric made from a natural resource that could compete with silicones. That's when we came across squalane. This precious commodity is obtained for our FIVE hair oil from the pressing residue of olives and is considered a plant-based silicone substitute.

The original substance is called squalen and occurs naturally in vegetable oils as well as in our skin lipids. In order for us to use squalene, it must be preserved by hydration. The cosmetic raw material is called Squalan.

It is characterized by being completely non-irritating and making skin soft and smooth. Squalane is now being used more and more, especially in puristic facial care, including in our FIVE facial oils. However, the benefits are not just limited to the skin, because the natural oil helps with dry, straw-like hair ends and ensures silky, shiny and easy-to-comb hair without making it greasy. It is the perfect replacement for silicones.

Squalane makes thick, dry and straggly hair soft and supple again and gives it a silky shine.

The very best? Squalane can be used pure

It's clear to us that we don't want to mix squalane with other ingredients in a big way just to make it look like a complicated product, because one thing is important to us: you should know and understand what's in Five's products, because we think we owe you that.

So we developed the FIVE hair oil. The leave-in oil consists of 99.8 percent natural olive squalane and 0.2 percent essential organic neroli oil, which gives it the delicately sweet, fresh fragrance. Et voilà, now you even know the recipe.

Our goal is that you can gradually clear out your mirror cabinet. And with Five's products, we want to do our part. In the long term, the highly concentrated leave-in serum can help you to use less or no conditioner at all. In this way you avoid using silicones, which not only weigh down the hair but also pollute the environment because they are not easily biodegradable.

Application FIVE hair oil

Wash your hair as usual with a natural cosmetics shampoo (try leaving out the conditioner) and tie it in a turban with a towel. Then put three to four drops of the hair oil in the palms of your hands and distribute into the still damp hair lengths and ends. Comb, blow dry and style hair as usual.

☝️ Tip: You can also mix the oil for the hair directly with the shampoo in the palm of your hand, but you will then need about double the amount because part of it will be washed out. The advantage here is that the care oil can also work on the hairline.

The beauty tip for all minimalists

Since the original substance squalene is a natural and essential component of our skin lipids, FIVE hair oil can also be used as puristic and light facial care. This application is particularly recommended in the warmer seasons and as a base for make-up. To do this, the skin is moistened with water and then simply applied two drops of FIVE hair oil. The skin becomes smooth and soft and is optimally protected against moisture loss.

You can read about all the things you can use this multifunctional cosmetic product for in the blog article Holiday fun with little luggage: multi-use cosmetic products.

Conclusion

Our hair oil, made from only 2 ingredients, offers the ideal alternative to silicone-containing hair oils for particularly voluminous and dry hair. The hair becomes soft and shiny and is easier to style. You only need a small amount of the product, usually three to four drops are enough, and one hair oil is enough for 150 applications.