Biossance is a 100% plant-based skincare brand with products ranging from cleansers to moisturizers. Their Squalane Oil is a favorite for locking in moisture. It also contains bakuchiol, which has been shown to deliver the same benefits as retinol without the irritation.
Use this resurfacing serum to help diminish fine lines and promote smoother skin. It contains lactic acid, an alpha hydroxy acid that gently exfoliates and promotes cell turnover.
1. Hydration
Known for their plant-derived squalane, Biossance’s products are rich in hydrating ingredients and help other actives penetrate skin more deeply. Added Vitamin C helps build collagen over time, which plumps and smoothes fine lines.
The brand launched direct-to-consumer in 2016 and recently appeared on Sephora’s shelves. They’re a clean beauty pioneer prioritizing product efficacy and environmental sustainability (they ban over 2,000 harmful chemicals). They’re vegan, Leap Bunny certified, reef safe, and all their packaging is recyclable.
Sign up for their free rewards program, The Clean Crew, to earn points on every purchase that you can redeem later! You can also score discounts on the brand’s full-size products through their sales. They also celebrate their rewards members’ birthdays with 25 points! (Remember to use code GET25 to save on your next order!) You’ll love their squalane and vitamin c rose oil.
2. Brightening
One of the biggest selling points for clean beauty brand Biossance (pronounced bio-sAHN-see) is that it doesn’t contain any of the 1,500 toxic ingredients banned in Europe. The company also prioritizes sustainability with eco-friendly formulas, biodegradable packaging, and an in-house blacklist of 2,000 chemicals they won’t use in their products.
Biossance’s star ingredient is squalane, which comes from sugarcane and is more stable and lighter than olive oil. They’ve built a storytelling landing page to celebrate the power of squalane and explain how the company uses it to protect marine life (including sharks).
For those looking for brightening, Biossance has you covered. Their Squalane + Vitamin C Dark Spot Serum is packed with free radical-fighting vitamin C, chios crystal oil to lift the eye area, and damascus rose extract to calm redness.
3. Firming
Featuring squalane and reparative ingredients like bauchio, this firming moisturizer for hands soothes dryness, calms redness, helps fight signs of aging and promotes skin renewal. Tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, a powerful antioxidant, protects against free radical damage.
Biossance’s key ingredient squalane comes from renewable sugarcane and is bio-fermented to create a highly stable, eco-friendly squalane oil. The brand uses a storytelling landing page to share the benefits of this oil as well as the process that saves sharks (who were once killed for similar oils).
Sign up for their rewards program, The Clean Crew, for discounts on Biossance products. You’ll get free products, earn points every time you make a purchase and exclusive access to new product launches. The rewards program is free and easy to join.
4. Antioxidants
Antioxidants are “the skincare superheroes that tap the brakes on unavoidable chemical reactions that cause oxidative stress, which causes fine lines, wrinkles, blotchy skin tone, breakouts and more,” says Cult Concierge skincare expert
Biossance’s products focus on ethically sourced, sustainable sugarcane derived squalane—it’s the star ingredient in every product formula. This lightweight oil mimics the body’s naturally hydrating oils to lock in moisture and help other active ingredients work more efficiently.
The brand also prioritizes sustainability and environmental impact by using nontoxic ingredients, limiting the use of synthetic fragrances, avoiding Leaping Bunny certified animal testing and using recyclable packaging. The products are also cruelty free, free of parabens and phthalates and formulated in a My Green Lab Certified facility.
5. Retinol
Biossance offers a full line of clean, nontoxic face and body products like its Squalane + Antioxidant Cleansing Oil to dissolve makeup and cleanse pores and the Squalane + BHA Pore Minimizing Toner to tone, balance skin and hydrate. For eyes, there’s the Squalane + Peptide Eye Gel to reduce dark circles and puffiness.
The star of every product is squalane, which instantly hydrates and locks in moisture and helps other active ingredients penetrate more deeply. It’s derived from sugarcane, making it a purer, vegan and more ethical alternative to olive and other vegetable oils.
If you’re new to retinol, Barankin recommends starting slow with once or twice a week and gradually increasing the frequency. Biossance also has a retinol-free option that uses bakuchiol, a plant seed extract that produces many of the same results as retinol without the irritation.