(INCI: C13-15 Alkane · Neossance Hemisqualane)
Lightweight emollient · Silky slip · A plant-based silicone alternative · Sugarcane-derived, ECOCert and USDA Biobased
5 min read · A sensory lipid in both hero formulas
Hemisqualane for menopausal skin is the ingredient behind the way a Philogeni formula glides. A close, lighter cousin of squalane, it is the reason our oil and balm spread so effortlessly and sink in with a silky, weightless finish rather than dragging or sitting heavy. It is also our plant-based answer to silicone, made from sugarcane through modern green biotechnology.
Why texture matters, not just chemistry
A formula built for the lipid gap can carry the most thoughtful oils in the world, but if it feels heavy or greasy, it will not become the ritual it needs to be. Texture is not vanity, it is what makes rich, anhydrous skincare a pleasure to use every day. Hemisqualane is our sensory lipid: it gives the formula slip and glide, helps the actives spread evenly, and leaves a dry, silky finish, all from a plant.
The chemistry
Hemisqualane is a shorter-chain relative of squalane, listed by its INCI name, C13-15 Alkane. Where squalane is a longer C30 hydrocarbon, hemisqualane's shorter chain makes it even lighter and faster-spreading, with a silky, weightless glide that closely mimics the sensory qualities of silicones, without the environmental persistence. Because it shares squalane's clean hydrocarbon nature, it is odourless, colourless and exceptionally well tolerated.
What hemisqualane does in the formula
- Silky slip and glide: gives the oil and balm their effortless, spreadable feel.
- Weightless finish: absorbs cleanly to a dry, non-greasy touch.
- Even delivery: helps distribute the actives smoothly across the skin.
- A silicone alternative: delivers that silky sensory quality from a plant source.
How it is made, and where it comes from
The hemisqualane we use is Neossance Hemisqualane, made by Aprinnova, an Amyris company, and its story is a quietly modern one. Rather than being pressed from a seed, it is produced by fermenting the sugars of renewable sugarcane, a green biotechnology process that grows the ingredient from plant sugars much as brewing turns grain into something new. This gives a pure, consistent, fully traceable material without the land and supply pressures of many botanical alternatives.
It is a genuine answer to a real problem. Silicones give skincare a beautiful silky slip, but many are persistent in the environment and increasingly restricted for that reason. Hemisqualane offers the same sensory magic from renewable sugarcane, and it is readily biodegradable, so it does its job on your skin and then breaks down rather than lingering. For us, choosing it over silicone is a small decision that reflects a larger principle: performance and responsibility should not be a trade-off.
Certifications and credentials
- Sugarcane-derived through fermentation, a renewable feedstock.
- ECOCert-approved, in line with natural and organic cosmetic standards.
- USDA Certified 100% Biobased.
- Readily biodegradable, unlike many of the silicones it replaces.
- Full traceability to sustainable raw materials.
Ingredient profile
- INCI: C13-15 Alkane
- Common name: Hemisqualane (Neossance Hemisqualane, Aprinnova)
- Chemistry: short-chain plant hydrocarbon, a lighter relative of squalane
- Character: ultra-light, silky, fast-spreading, dry finish
- Sourcing: sugarcane-derived via fermentation, biodegradable, a silicone alternative
- Credentials: ECOCert-approved, USDA 100% Biobased
- In Philogeni: in both the Bio-Lipid Concentrate and the Resilience Balm
Featured in
Hemisqualane is in both hero formulas. Start with the Resilience Balm, our most-loved formula, or explore the Bio-Lipid Concentrate. In each, it gives the formula its silky glide and helps the M-Veil actives spread evenly.
Common questions
What does hemisqualane do?
It is a lightweight plant emollient that gives the formula its silky slip and weightless finish, and helps the actives spread evenly. It is a plant-based alternative to silicone.
How is it different from squalane?
Hemisqualane is a shorter-chain, lighter, faster-spreading relative of squalane. Squalane replenishes a skin lipid; hemisqualane mostly shapes how the formula feels and spreads. In our hero formulas the squalane is olive-derived and the hemisqualane is sugarcane-derived.
How is it made?
It is produced by fermenting the sugars of renewable sugarcane, a green biotechnology process, rather than pressed from a seed. This makes it pure, consistent and fully traceable.
Is it sustainable?
Yes. It is sugarcane-derived, ECOCert-approved, USDA-certified 100% Biobased, and readily biodegradable, unlike many of the silicones it replaces.
Ingredient note
Hemisqualane is a common trade name for cosmetic-grade C13-15 Alkane. Ours is Neossance Hemisqualane by Aprinnova. On our ingredient lists you will see it by its INCI name, C13-15 Alkane.
At a glance
- Common name: Hemisqualane
- INCI: C13-15 Alkane
- Type: short-chain plant hydrocarbon emollient
- Cosmetic function: silky slip, lightweight emollient, silicone alternative
- Sourcing: sugarcane-derived, ECOCert, USDA 100% Biobased, biodegradable
- Found in: Bio-Lipid Concentrate and Resilience Balm
- Status: vegan, plant-derived
The silky, sustainable reason a Philogeni formula glides, grown from sugarcane rather than drilled from silicone, hemisqualane makes the ritual a pleasure. Shop the Resilience Balm or explore the Bio-Lipid Concentrate.