Your Most Important Skincare Questions, Answered
Your skin is as unique as you are. And just like you, its needs change with the years and seasons. But between that and the plethora of available skincare offerings, the simple task of keeping your skin healthy and hydrated can feel overwhelming.
That’s why we’re devoting this post to answering your most frequently asked questions. Keep reading to learn more about ingredients, choosing the right formulas, and how to layer your Biossance skincare products.
In What Order Should I Apply My Skincare Products?
As a rule of thumb, we recommend applying products with the lightest textures first, gradually building up to the thickest, richest products and finishing with sunscreen. When in doubt, use this method to determine what goes on first, or reference this guide (also found on all of our product pages) to see where our products should fall in your routine.
Which Biossance Products Are Good for Sensitive Skin and Rosacea?
We built all of our products to be gentle enough to use on any skin type. But if you have eczema or rosacea, we recommend leaning on the three products that have received the National Eczema Association’s Seal of Acceptance™:
Squalane + Probiotic Gel Moisturizer - This soothing formula visibly reduces redness and calms irritated skin. Its ultralight gel formula is ideal for people who have rosacea acne, or who are both oily and sensitive. Squalane + Omega Repair Cream - This rich, whipped cream absorbs instantly into the skin to deliver a restorative dose of lipids and ceramides, strengthening the skin barrier. 100% Squalane Oil - Apply this weightless, ultra-hydrating oil all over for healthy, glowing skin from head to toe.
If you’re curious about a product not mentioned here, click on the banner at the top of your skin to start a free, one-on-one chat with a highly trained Clean Beauty Advisor.
Why is Vitamin C Good for Your Skin?
Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that is clinically proven to visibly brighten and improve uneven skin tone. As an antioxidant, vitamin c can help neutralize free radicals including skin-damaging UV rays, pollution, dust, and debris. Like many antioxidants, however, vitamin c is notoriously unstable and can degrade in sunlight. Some forms of vitamin c are also acidic, which can irritate the skin.
We use a form of vitamin C called “tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate” in both our Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Moisturizer and Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Oil. This oil-soluble form of vitamin C is exceptionally stable and powerfully brightens without irritating your skin.
Our Squalane + Vitamin C Dark Spot Serum uses 10% ethyl ascorbic acid to deliver vitamin C’s brightening effect while also preventing new dark spots from forming. We combined this high concentration of vitamin C with white shitake mushroom to boost vitamin C’s ability to powerfully and visibly reduce the appearance of established dark spots while also preventing new ones from forming.
If you’re looking to target dark spots, we recommend layering our Dark Spot Serum, Vitamin C Rose Moisturizer, and Vitamin C Rose Oil to maximize this ingredient’s benefits.
Should I Be Using Oil on My Face if I Have Oily Skin?
Absolutely yes! It does seem counterintuitive, but fighting oil with oil is actually extremely effective both when it comes to cleansing and moisturizing.
Think of it this way: We know oil repels water, so water-based cleansers might not be the most effective at removing oil and impurities from your skin. That’s when harsh astringent cleaning ingredients are often introduced. However, oil-based cleansers like our Squalane + Antioxidant Cleansing Oil can easily remove oil, makeup and dirt without stripping the skin. Remember—you don’t want to feel tight and squeaky clean after cleansing because it can actually cause your skin to produce more oil.
Likewise, using non-comedogenic oils for moisturizing can also help reduce overall oiliness. In some cases, your skin can produce more oil because it’s actually dehydrated. Again, it’s an issue of overproduction to compensate for the dryness. Using oils like our Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Oil and 100% Squalane Oil over your moisturizer at night helps lock in hydration, helping to balance skin so you’re less oily during the day.
I Have Red, Irritated Skin. How do I Soothe My Skin?
The number one product we recommend for redness and people with rosacea is our Squalane + Probiotic Gel Moisturizer. Its light formula and effective ingredients like ginger extract visibly reduce redness and irritation. Many of our customers with rosacea have seen a noticeable reduction in redness after just 3 days of use. Of course, your dermatologist is your best resource, so ask your doctor before using any product to treat your rosacea.
If your skin is dry or chapped, we recommend our Squalane + Omega Repair Cream. It uses ultra-nourishing, omega fatty acids and ceramides to moisturize and restore your skin’s protective layer while hyaluronic acid deeply hydrates and plumps.
When it comes to other types of redness or irritation like eczema, many customers have found success using our 100% Squalane Oil. It’s lightweight, ultra-hydrating and incredibly gentle, so it’s ideal for use on itchy, dry skin.
Are Biossance Products Really Clean?
Sustainability isn’t just what we do, it’s who we are.
Biossance was founded on the idea that your beauty products should be as good for the planet as they are for your skin. Biossance was born when our scientists discovered a sustainable, ethical way to produce your body’s perfect moisturizer, squalane, by fermenting sugarcane instead of sourcing natural squalene from sharks. This saves 2 million sharks annually, protecting precious marine ecosystems.
The sugarcane that we use to create our squalane is grown in Brazil far from the Amazon rainforest on land not suitable for food production. It’s irrigated solely by abundant natural rainfall, and the waste products from squalane production are used to create our outer cartons and power our production plant.
In addition, we take care to package our ingredients using recyclable glass and post-consumer-recycled plastics. They can also easily be upcycled.
We also use carbon-neutral shipping. For each order shipped, we plant trees and fund reforestation projects at no additional cost to you. And inside our shipper boxes, you’ll find recycled paper, not plastic cushioning.
When Should I Start Using Anti-Aging Skincare Formulas?
The number one dermatologist-recommended, most powerful anti-aging ingredient is SPF. While aging is inevitable, protecting yourself from sun damage is the best way to get smoother, more even-toned skin as you get older.
Use our Squalane + Zinc Sheer Mineral Sunscreen every day—even in the winter months—for invisible, broad-spectrum protection against the UV rays that cause wrinkles, fine lines, and dark spots.
Continue down this preventative path by incorporating vitamin C into your routine starting in your 20s to fight free radicals and further prevent signs of aging. Our Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Oil instantly brightens and creates a beautiful, dewy glow. It’s also an extremely versatile product. Just a few drops can serve as a stand-in for highlighter, add luminosity to foundation, or even mix with lipstick to create a tinted lip oil.
You likely won’t need to treat signs of aging until you’re in your 30s, when you may begin to see fine lines, dullness, and dark spots. Lactic acid is a powerful anti-aging ingredient to incorporate when you start seeing signs of aging. It exfoliates and speeds cell turnover to firm skin, improve the look of dark spots, and increase hydration.
Can I Get the Benefits of Retinol without Irritation?
Retinol works by rapidly increasing cell turnover, which can cause the top layer of skin to flake. Avoid this by gradually incorporating retinol into your routine, starting with just once a week. Skin cycling—or using retinoids alongside a gentle exfoliant and incorporating “rest days”—is also a great way to acclimate your skin to retinol use.
The type of retinoids you use will also affect whether your skin becomes irritated. Our Squalane + Retinol Night Serum reimagines retinol to retain its clinically proven efficacy while avoiding the redness and irritation commonly associated with retinoids. Over the course of 8 hours, our encapsulated blend of retinol and retinal gently releases into your skin alongside a dose of potent antioxidants and our soothing superhero, squalane.
The result: visibly brighter, smoother, more even-toned skin without irritation.
How long do I need to use a product before I see results?
Depending on what you’re targeting, you may see results on contact! For example, our fan-favorite Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Moisturizer visibly boosts brightness upon application, while our Squalane + Copper Peptide Rapid Plumping Serum instantly plumps and hydrates.
It’s important to note, however, that long-term changes in your skin take time. The skin renews itself every 28 days or so, which is about when you should start seeing dramatic improvements in concerns such as dark spots. Continued use amplifies these benefits as your skin’s health improves.
Which Biossance Products are Safe to Use During Pregnancy?
Your doctor is your best resource for determining which skincare products are safe during pregnancy. Give her office a call before trying any new product or routine while you’re pregnant or breastfeeding.
That said, all Biossance products except for our Squalane + Retinol Night Serum are safe during pregnancy with your doctor’s approval. In fact, our pregnant clients have long been raving that our 100% Squalane Oil is the perfect salve for helping stave off stretch marks and dry, itchy skin.
Suffering from pregnancy acne? Our Squalane + 10% Lactic Acid Resurfacing Serum is a great pregnancy safe option. Not only does it help exfoliate and reduce the appearance of enlarged pores, it increases cell turnover to improve the look of uneven pigmentation after a breakout.
If you’re looking to address signs of aging while you’re pregnant, try our Vitamin C collection. Our Squalane + Vitamin C Dark Spot Serum, Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Moisturizer, and our multi-award-winning Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Oil work together to improve the look of fine lines, wrinkles, and dark spots, while instantly brightening and hydrating deeply.
