The global squalene market size is expected to reach USD 307.9 million by 2030, expanding at a CAGR of 10.9% from 2024 to 2030, as per the new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The industry is majorly driven by rising health awareness among the masses and continuously rising demand for squalene in personal care and cosmetics. Squalene acts as an emollient and provides nourishment to the skin. Moreover, it finds application in pharmaceuticals due to its ability to act as an anti-cancer and anti-oxidant agent.

Squalene is now largely produced from plants. It can be obtained from vegan sources such as sugarcane, rice bran, wheat germ, palm trees, and olives, with olives being the most popular. Although many businesses prefer squalene derived from plants, there is still a possibility that it comes from animals. The demand for the product from shark liver oil is still in the market because of its low cost. In the cosmetics industry, products such as perfumes, lotions, eyeliners, and eye shadows, contain squalene in the range of 0.1% to 10%, whereas other products such as foundations and lipsticks contain 50% of the product.

The usage of synthetic and plant-based squalene has been motivated by the growing concerns over the extinction of sharks. To create squalene from plants or synthetic processing, manufacturers are engaged in research & development. A supplier of natural component products for the cosmetics market, Sophim, invested USD 11.94 million to increase its production capacity. Two-thirds of the company's investment is to be made in Spain, where a production facility is planned to be built to treble the amount of squalene that can be extracted from olive oil.

Gather more insights about the market drivers, restrains and growth of the Squalene Market

Detailed Segmentation:

Market Dynamics

The European Union has banned the use of shark oil-based products in the cosmetic industry, which has further forced manufacturers to focus on finding suitable alternatives for the product. Increasing concerns regarding the extinction of sharks have prompted use of plant-based and synthetically derived products. Its extraction has shifted towards plant-based oil that includes rice bran, amaranth olive, and others. About 65% of olive oil exports are produced, consumed, and exported by the European Union.

Source Insights

The plant segment dominated the market with a revenue share of over 82.3% in 2023. This is attributed to the declining population of sharks, increasing awareness among people regarding animal welfare and protection, and regulatory frameworks imposed by various governments for the protection of marine animals.

Plants are alternatives to sharks for extraction of the product as they can be grown and harvested sustainably. For example, the monkey Jack, or Artocarpus lakucha is an Asian plant that produces 10%-20% of its product, equivalent to its dry weight capacity. The product can also be extracted from its leaves having high purity.

End-use Insights

The personal care and cosmetics segment dominated the market with a revenue share of over 70.1% in 2023. The growth in this segment can be attributed to the usage of squalene in a variety of cosmetic products meant for skin care and hair care.

Squalene is used in a variety of cosmetic products meant for sun care, skincare, and hair care. Approximately 70-80% of the total product produced globally is consumed by the cosmetics industry. Multinational cosmetic companies such as L’Oréal, Unilever, and St. Botanica have already started to shift from shark liver oil-based to plant-based products for use in their personal care products and cosmetics owing to its exceptional properties, along with less extinction risk posed by them to sharks.

Regional Insights

Europe dominated the market with a revenue share of over 32.8% in 2023, followed by Asia Pacific region. This is attributed to large-scale production of olive oil, which is a major plant-based source of product, and increased demand for the product from major economies such as Germany, France, UK, Italy, and Spain, in the region.

As of 2023, Europe accounted for a significant share of olive oil production. Italy, France, and Spain are a few among nine producing member countries in the region. Spain accounts for more than half of the total area under olive groves in Europe. Squalene manufacturers in this region are switching to production of plant-based squalene from shark-based ones.

Browse through Grand View Research's Food Additives & Nutricosmetics Industry Research Reports.

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Key Companies & Market Share Insights

The market is fragmented and competitive with presence of several players. Major players are clustered in European and North American regions, whereas several small players are clustered in Asia Pacific, mainly in India, China, and Japan, as the region offers easy access to shark liver oil and olive oil, which are essential raw materials for production of the product.

Partnership strategies have been adopted by the leading players in the market to enhance the reach of their products by leveraging the networks of acquired players and geographic availability. For instance, in May 2023 Amyris announced its partnership with Croda International Plc. in order to supply pharmaceutical-grade squalene in adjuvants to boost the immune response.

Key Squalene Companies:

• Amyris, Inc.

• Sophim SAS

• Henry Lamotte Oils GmbH

• efpbiotek

• Vestan Limited

• Kuraray Co., Ltd.

• Croda International Plc

• AASHA BIOCHEM

• Arbee

• Oleicfat, s.l.

• Kishimoto Special Liver Oil Co., Ltd.

Squalene Market Segmentation

Grand View Research has segmented the global squalene market report based on source, end-use, and region:

Squalene Source Outlook (Volume, Tons; Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

• Animal

o Shark Liver Oil

o Other Animals

• Plants

o Amaranth Oil

o Olive Oil

o Rice Bran Oil Plants

o Other Amaranth Oil

o Synthetic

Squalene End-use Outlook (Volume, Tons; Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

• Pharmaceuticals

• Personal Care & Cosmetics

• Nutraceuticals

• Food & Beverages

• Others

Squalene Regional Outlook (Volume, Tons; Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

• North America

o U.S.

o Canada

o Mexico

• Europe

o Germany

o France

o UK

o Italy

o Spain

o Russia

o Benelux

• Asia Pacific

o China

o India

o Japan

o South Korea

o Vietnam

o Thailand

o Indonesia

• Central & South America

o Brazil

o Argentina

• Middle East & Africa

o Saudi Arabia

o South Africa

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