Hydrogenated Olive Oil Unsaponifiables
Explained
Hydrogenated Olive Oil Unsaponifiables are the "leftover" part of olive oil after the fatty acids get turned into soap.
Most of what's left behind is a concentrated blend of squalene, phytosterols, and vitamin E.
Squalene is pretty cool because it's already naturally found in our skin and makes up about 13% of sebum. This makes it a great moisturizing and skin-barrier-supporting ingredient.
This ingredient is typically used at low concentrations (~1-3%) and occasionally up to 25% when acting as the main ingredient in a formula.
Fungal acne note: Though this ingredient is largely free of fatty acid esters that feed Malassezia, it may still have some residual fatty acids depending on the purity. This is why this ingredient is marked as not fungal acne safe.
People with existing olive oil allergies should be cautious as well.
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