So I must admit I had no idea that shark oil was used in a variety of cosmetics, especially the liver oil of rare deep sea sharks.

But not only is it used widely, so are other animal products and the companies do a good job of hiding them. Usually under aliases like “steric acid” and “collagen;” one of the trickiest to detect is the emollient squalane, which comes either from olive oil or rare sharks’ liver oil.

The compound, which is the hydrogenated version of squalane, is widely used as a protective, emollient or hydrating agent in many cosmetics, and is also used to increase the power of vaccines.

A research team in Italy has found a new identification method that could end the use of this controversial oil in cosmetics. Olive oil distillates are a perfect alternative but thousands of endangered sharks are killed every year because their oil is much cheaper and faster to process. Squalene is the second most sought after raw product of sharks after their fins.

And until now it was almost impossible to tell the different between the shark liver oil and olive oil distillates. According to the study, the method makes it possible to detect the presence of more than 10% shark squalane in a formulation, making it easier for manufacturers to make clear claims about the ethic formulations of their products.

In 2006, the EU imposed deep sea shark fishing limits in the North-East Atlantic, and pressure from environmental groups prompted companies such as L’Oreal and Unilever to phase out the use of squalane in their products.

Let me know your thoughts on this…… Are you more inclined to purchase a product that passes this test?