Editor’s Picks: 8 of the Best Squalane Oils to Soften Your Skin and Lock in Moisture (Without Feeling Greasy)

As a beauty editor, I’ve tested and evaluated squalane oils from a range of brands. These are my top picks for every preference:

Best Clean Beauty

• Indie Lee Squalane Facial Oil
• Biossance 100% Squalane Oil

Best Clinical

• ClarityRx Nourish Your Skin 100% Squalane Additive Oil
• Indeed Labs Squalane Facial Oil

Best Budget

• The Ordinary 100% Plant-Derived Squalane
• Good Molecules Squalane Oil
• Timeless Squalane Oil 100% Pure

Best Travel-Friendly

• Skin Proud Proud Pods

For more details on each product, read on. 

Indie Lee Squalane Facial Oil was one of the first pure squalane oils that you could buy, and it still ticks off all the boxes with its performance, feel and packaging. If I had to pick just one favourite squalane oil, it would be this. 

It’s derived from olives (in Indie’s own words: “I found the highest grade you could get”). Olive squalane is usually thicker, but this oil has a beautiful fine texture that melts right into your skin, yet is still extremely moisturizing. Plus, it comes in a beautiful, durable, frosted glass bottle, with a dropper that makes it easy to control the number of drops.

Biossance 100% Squalane Oil is one of the most lightweight oils I’ve ever tried, sinking into the skin instantly. It’s a sugarcane-derived squalane, which is actually the brand’s signature ingredient in all of its products.

This is the perfect choice if you go through a lot of oil, since it comes in the largest size, and in a plastic bottle with a pump. So if you plan to use it not only on your face but also on your body or hair, the pump will be more convenient than a dropper. (But if you only use a drop or two at a time, it may dispense more than you need!)

ClarityRx Nourish Your Skin 100% Squalane Additive Oil is an olive-derived squalane from a brand that’s all about minimalistic, high-quality formulas. So it’s no surprise that this is a deep-penetrating oil that works wonders on dry and flaky skin. 

It’s even said to increase oxygen flow to the skin and improve the look of fine lines and wrinkles with continued use. I’d layer this over the bestselling four-ingredient hyaluronic acid serum (reviewed here)—no moisturizer required.

Indeed Labs Squalane Facial Oil is a sugarcane-derived squalane with a thinner, almost “dry oil” texture that sinks in quickly. That makes it ideal for anyone who doesn’t like the weight and greasy feel of most oils. 

According to the brand, it can help to diminish the production of excess oil and has both anti-aging and anti-inflammatory properties. The glass bottle with a dropper makes it easy to measure out, drop by drop.

The Ordinary 100% Plant-Derived Squalane is the least expensive oil on my list—so it’s ideal if you’re on a budget or if you just want to try out the ingredient without spending a lot. 

Although this oil is derived from sugarcane, which is usually lighter, I find it has a medium-weight texture that can be slightly slower to absorb. But we’re still talking squalane here—so in the grand scheme of things, this is a still a very light oil! It comes in a glass bottle, too. (Heads up, the label peels off after a while... but for this price, who cares?)

Good Molecules Squalane Oil has the same low price point as The Ordinary, but keep in mind that the bottle is half the size. Even so, a little squalane goes a long way—and this version may be of higher quality. 

It’s derived from olives, so the texture is on the thicker side. However, reviewers have noted that it penetrates readily instead of sitting on top of the skin. It comes in a glass bottle with a dropper, and the colourful label is so fun and unique.

Timeless Squalane Oil 100% Pure is the most popular squalane oil on Amazon, where it’s available in a range of sizes, and there are currently over 5,000 four-star reviews and counting!

Derived from olives, this is not the lightest squalane, nor is it the heaviest—it’s somewhere in the middle. (One reviewer went as far as claiming it “gave me the best skin of my life!”) It comes in an opaque glass bottle with a dropper and a bamboo top. Besides hydrating, the brand also recommends using it as a primer to help makeup go on smoothly and stay in place all day.