Everyone online swears squalane is safe for fungal acne. But Mary & May’s Blackberry Cream has a secret — and it’s not your friend.
That “safe” ingredient list? Four items in it are known triggers. The internet oversimplified. Again.
🧪 **The Cream That Duped TikTok**
It’s $16 for 60ml. Lightweight cream. Claimed to hydrate without clogging. I bought it specifically because squalane was listed first.
Squalane Base
Smooth, non-greasy slip — feels like nothing on skin.
Blackberry Extract
Antioxidant-heavy. Sounds clean. But it’s fermented — risky for malassezia.
Vegan Formula
No animal bits. Still full of esters that feed yeast like candy.
Photo: Sonia Roselli / Unsplash
🍓 **The Ingredient Trap**
Hero ingredients are squalane and blackberry extract. Sounds hydrating and brightening. But the supporting cast is where it gets ugly.
- Squalane: Safe for fungal acne — the only win here
- Blackberry Extract: Fermented = potential yeast trigger
- Cetearyl Alcohol: Low risk, but not zero
- Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride: Moderate trigger — feeds malassezia
- Glyceryl Stearate: High trigger — avoid if you’re sensitive
Photo: Fleur Kaan / Unsplash
🛑 **Sinks In. Then Betrays You.**
Texture is a dream — spreads like water, absorbs in 8 seconds. Skin feels plush. No residue. First week I thought I’d found the one.
Week 2: tiny bumps on my chin. Classic fungal acne flare. The cream was too gentle to feel wrong, but the ingredients were quietly feeding the problem.
Photo: Rosa Rafael / Unsplash
💡 **Results: Mixed Bag**
Skin looked hydrated. Texture improved on cheeks. But chin — the fungal acne zone — got worse. Not a disaster, but not safe.
Photo: Content Pixie / Unsplash
✅ **The Real Take**
Mary & May made a lovely cream for most people. But “squalane-safe” doesn’t mean the whole formula is. Your chin will tell you the truth.