New Test Detects Shark Oil in Cosmetics

Animal products are often hidden in cosmetics under aliases like "stearic acid" and "collagen." The trickiest ones to detect are ingredients that can come from either animals or plants, like squalane and squalene.

Squalane is an oil used as an emollient and hydrating agent in cosmetics ranging from lotion to lip gloss; squalene increases the effectiveness of vaccines (recently harvested in unknown quantities for the H1N1 vaccine). Both oils can be derived from olive oil and other plant sources, or from the liver oil of deepwater sharks. Until now, there was no way to tell the difference. 

The new method, developed by a research team in Italy, distinguishes between vegetable-based oil and shark liver oil based on the ratio of two different forms of carbon in a finished product. Not only can this help cruelty-free shoppers make ethical purchases, but it can also help expose fraudulent manufacturers, crack down on the illegal fishing of deepwater sharks, and protect endangered species.

Even though vegetable-based alternatives for the oils exist, thousands of endangered sharks are killed every year because their oil is cheaper and faster to process. Liver oil comes in right after fins as the most sought after shark product.

One of the "best" sources for the oil comes from gulper sharks, who are among the most critically endangered shark species. The gulper shark is a perfect example of why the impact of shark fishing is so devastating — they don't breed very often and, when they do, their gestation period is about two years. That makes it much harder for their population to recover, as opposed to other animals who reproduce frequently and mature quickly. These sharks are in so much trouble that scientists believe there is no sustainable level of fishing; every death threatens the survival of the species. Dealing that kind of blow to another species just to get softer skin simply isn't worth it.

Being able to detect the source of squalane can help both consumers and cosmetics companies ensure that they're not unwitting supporters of illegal shark fishing. For those cosmetics companies that knowingly use shark oil, they're likely to lose customers ... and possibly a lot more than that if they've been falsely claiming that their products are shark-free. If this test is widely adopted, it could be an important step toward saving deepwater sharks from extinction.

Photo credit: Akira Ohgaki