Neossance® Hemisqualane

Neossance® Hemisqualane is a beautiful non-volatile, non-polar, lightweight emollient made from plant sugar.

C13-15 Alkane

Clear liquid

Up to 55%

Lightweight, smooth, oil-like

None

Fast

Oil

Neossance® Hemisqualane is an emollient: oil-like, but ultra light. I love it in many things, but I find it especially shines in cosmetics and haircare, where we want oil-like emollience, but without the weight and greasiness that oil can bring to formulations.

Neossance® Hemisqualane can be a good cyclomethicone alternative in situations where the success of the formulation does not depend on cyclomethicone’s volatility (ability to evaporate quickly). This means Neossance® Hemisqualane typically will not work as a cyclomethicone alternative in waterproof cosmetics or in ultra-light hair oils.

Because Neossance® Hemisqualane is non-polar it can help improve the stability of your emulsions as non-polar emollients are easier to emulsify than higher polarity emollients like plant oils. It’s non-polar-ness also means you can encounter separation/splitting issues when blending Neossance® Hemisqualane with higher polarity emollients.

No, but it is great. I would highly recommend it if you have hair that’s easily weighed down by “real” oils and/or if you enjoy making cosmetics.

Neossance® Hemisqualane only exists as a refined product.

Excellent lightweight, naturally derived, non-polar emollient.

Can be harder to source.

Mineral oil is also non-polar, so if you’re ok with using synthetic ingredients, a lightweight/low viscosity mineral oil could work well. It’s also a lot cheaper!

Other lightweight emollient esters like Coco-Caprylate, Isoamyl laurate, Isoamyl cocoate, medium chain triglycerides, and C12-15 alkyl benzoate can be good options.

I recommend checking out the table on page two of this document for ideas!

If the non-polar nature of Neossance® Hemisqualane is vital to a formulation, make sure you’re replacing it with another non-polar emollient. In general, I’d try to make sure you’re using something with a lower polarity (most esters) rather than higher polarity (like “real” oils).

Include in the oil phase of your formulations; Neossance® Hemisqualane can be hot or cold processed.

Stored somewhere cool, dark, and dry, Neossance® Hemisqualane should last at least two to three years.

Neossance® Hemisqualane is sometimes sold as a stand-alone facial serum at a substantial markup—if you like it, purchase it from a DIY supplier and enjoy some substantial savings!

100mL (3.3fl oz)

Buy it from an online DIY ingredient supplier. You can also purchase pure Neossance® Hemisqualane from several cosmetic brands, like The Ordinary, though usually at a much higher per mL price (~$10.40USD/30mL [1fl oz] from The Ordinary vs $7.95USD/3.5 oz from Lotion Crafter as of early 2025).