The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser for oily acne-prone skin
Squalane
Glycerin
Coco-Caprylate Caprate
Ethyl Macadamiate
Hydrogenated Hydrolysate Starch
Average
- AverageOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for oily acne-prone skin; other cleansers fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with oily acne-prone skin: shine, breakouts, blemishes, and enlarged pores. For scores and recommendations based on your full skin profile, including your 12D face scan results and any goals or preferences you have, please use the Lovi app.
Page built Nov 8, 2026How the Fit score works
Lovi Assistant explains
- Offers moderate suitability for your oily skin as squalane and caprylic capric triglyceride provide emollient action, though they may not offer sufficient seboregulation for your concerns.
- The formula provides excellent cleansing and hydration with squalane and glycerin, which are supportive for your skin but not specifically targeted for acne, blemishes, and breakouts.
- The safety profile is good, with no risks of irritation for your oily skin due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.
How to apply
- Use this cleanser as part of your AM and PM routine. Start using it daily to help clear your breakouts.
- Apply this cleanser as the first step in the morning and right after your pre-cleanser in the evening. Follow it with your toner and moisturizer.
- Gently massage a small amount of the cleanser onto your face using circular motions. Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water and pat dry.
- Apply the cleanser on slightly damp skin to help clean deeply and remove excess oil. This works best for oily skin types.
- Avoid the sensitive eye area during application. Do a patch test before your first use.
People Say
★4.5Overall rating based on 15.0k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this balm-to-oil cleanser is highly recommended for dry and sensitive skin types, effectively cleansing without stripping moisture. Users frequently report soft, hydrated skin. However, it is noted to struggle with removing waterproof makeup on its own and requires a specific warming technique for optimal results.
Highlights
Gentle and hydrating Mostly Mentioned
- “Leaves my face feeling soft and not tight at all.”
- “Perfect for my dry, sensitive skin; never feels stripped.”
- “Hydrating and doesn't leave that squeaky clean feeling.”
Good for sensitive skin Often Mentioned
- “Finally a cleanser that doesn't sting my face.”
- “Safe for my reactive, acne-prone skin.”
Struggles with makeup Often Mentioned
- “Struggles to get my waterproof mascara off completely.”
- “Leaves raccoon eyes unless I use a separate remover.”
- “Need to double cleanse to get all foundation off.”
Affordable price Sometimes Noted
- “Can't beat the price for the quality.”
- “Great value compared to high-end cleansing balms.”
- “An effective budget-friendly option.”
Unique texture Sometimes Noted
- “Love how it melts from a balm into an oil.”
- “Feels luxurious and smooth to massage in.”
- “The texture change tells you when it's ready to rinse.”
Small tube size Sometimes Noted
- “The 50ml tube runs out way too fast.”
- “Wish it came in a huge pump bottle.”
- “Not cost-effective because you have to use a lot.”
Tedious application Sometimes Noted
- “Annoying that you have to rub it in hands for 10-20 seconds first.”
- “If you don't warm it up enough, it drags on the skin.”
- “Takes too much effort for a quick morning wash.”
Leaves residue Rarely Noted
- “Left a slight oily film on my skin.”
- “Didn't feel clean enough for my oily T-zone.”
- “Caused some congestion because it didn't rinse clean.”
Sources: lovi.care, sephora.com, ulta.com, reddit.com, theordinary.com, makeupalley.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser work for oily acne-prone skin?
This cleanser works moderately well for oily acne-prone skin, as it cleans and keeps skin soft with squalane and glycerin while posing no irritation risks. However, it lacks specific ingredients to control oil production and prevent breakouts. Oily acne-prone skin needs a product that effectively addresses blemishes and controls oil while keeping skin balanced.
Which ingredients make this cleanser a good fit for oily acne-prone skin?
Squalane and glycerin make this cleanser a good fit for oily acne-prone skin by offering supportive cleansing and hydration. A cleanser for this skin needs gentle cleansers, soothing extracts, ingredients that control oil production, and exfoliating components to manage breakouts.
What does Squalane do for oily acne-prone skin?
Squalane may help keep oily skin soft and smooth, but oxidized squalene can trigger inflammation in acne-prone skin. Because of this, oily acne-prone skin needs lightweight, non-greasy ingredients that balance moisture without clogging pores.
What does Glycerin do for oily acne-prone skin?
Glycerin helps keep oily acne-prone skin hydrated without feeling heavy. It draws moisture into the skin while supporting the skin barrier so it stays soft and balanced.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2008Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for oily acne-prone skin?
This cleanser fits into both your morning and evening daily routine as a first or second cleansing step. An average fit for oily acne-prone skin, this type of product works best when it also includes ingredients that help control oil and target breakouts.
Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cleanser with retinol by washing your face with it before applying your retinol treatment. This cleanser is unlikely to irritate your oily skin because it lacks harsh ingredients, but this skin type needs a cleanser with oil-controlling ingredients to properly target breakouts.
How often should I use this cleanser?
You can use this cleanser twice a day as part of your morning and evening routine, because its gentle formula is safe and unlikely to irritate your oily skin.
Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily acne-prone skin?
This cleanser is unlikely to cause irritation or breakouts on your oily acne-prone skin due to the absence of harsh ingredients, though it may not help control excess oil as effectively as other options. To properly manage breakouts, this skin type needs targeted blemish-fighting ingredients and oil-balancing benefits.
Can I use this cleanser around the eyes or on my body?
Yes, you can use this cleanser on the body and around the eyes, where the skin is particularly thin, as it has a good safety profile with no risk of harsh irritation. However, oily acne-prone skin needs a product of this type to include targeted acne-fighting and oil-controlling ingredients for the best fit.
Is this cleanser fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
Topical application of an emollient emulsion containing 15.0% caprylic/capric triglyceride doubled the amount of urocanic acid isomers and increased skin hydration with reduced transepidermal water loss in healthy subjects, though it did not prevent ultraviolet-induced urocanic acid isomerization.
Life, 2023A single application of a moisturizing fluid containing hyaluronic acid 1%, glycerin 5%, and Centella asiatica stem cells extract significantly increased skin hydration by 29% and reduced transepidermal water loss at 24 hours compared to baseline and an untreated control site in twenty healthy women.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017Squalane at 0.005-0.015% counteracts UVA-induced oxidative stress, inflammation, and collagen metabolism inhibition while stimulating fibroblast migration in human dermal fibroblasts.
Molecules, 2025Plant-derived squalane protected human dermal fibroblasts against UVA-induced damage by counteracting ROS formation, suppressing apoptosis-related proteins p53, caspase-3, caspase-9, and PARP, and restoring the pro-survival p-Akt/mTOR pathway.
Antioxidants, 2025The emollient V0034CR significantly reduced TEWL compared to vehicle and vehicle plus glycerol, and significantly increased corneometry scores compared to vehicle and vehicle plus petrolatum in healthy volunteers with dry skin, demonstrating combined barrier function improvement from petrolatum and hydration improvement from glycerol.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Ten days of treatment with a cream containing 20% glycerin significantly increased skin hydration measured by corneometer values in 17 healthy volunteers compared to a placebo cream, but showed no influence on transepidermal water loss or skin sensitivity to an irritating surfactant.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2001Niacinamide/glycerin body moisturizers provided better rapid and prolonged improvement of cosmetic xerosis through functional improvement of stratum corneum barrier function compared to no treatment and conventional moisturizers in female subjects.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2012Liquid coco-caprylate/caprate combined with electrogenic Staphylococcus epidermidis significantly reduced UV-B-induced skin injuries in mice compared to poorly electrogenic isolates.
Scientific Reports, 2020
Why other cleansers fit oily acne-prone skin better
Topical 5% tea tree oil gel significantly improved total acne lesions and acne severity index compared to placebo in 60 patients with mild to moderate acne vulgaris, showing 3.55 times and 5.75 times greater efficacy respectively.
Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology, 2007A botanical face cleanser with hops and willow bark extract continuously reduced skin sebum levels without reactive seborrhea after treatment in 21 healthy volunteers compared to a sodium laureth sulfate cleanser, with neither cleanser causing skin irritation.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019Tea tree oil gel and face wash significantly reduced total facial acne lesions from 23.7 to 10.7 and improved investigator global assessment scores in 14 participants with mild to moderate facial acne over 12 weeks.
The Australasian Journal of Dermatology, 2017
Ingredients
Squalane, Water, Coco-Caprylate Caprate, Glycerin, Sucrose Stearate, Ethyl Macadamiate, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Sucrose Laurate, Hydrogenated Hydrolysate Starch, Sucrose Dilaurate, Sucrose Trilaurate, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Isoceteth-20, Sodium Polyacrylate, Tocopherol, Hydroxymethoxyphenyl Decanone, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Malic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Chlorphenesin
Behind this fit score
Lovi calculates every fit score from the full ingredient list with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.
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Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
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Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
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Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
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Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
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Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
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