Indie Lee Squalane Facial Oil for oily skin
Squalane- Squalane Oil
Average
- AverageOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
Works for oily skin; other moisturizers fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with oily skin: shine, enlarged pores, blackheads, and blemishes. 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 moisturizing for your oily skin, as squalane oil provides emollient action to enhance barrier resilience without exacerbating oiliness.
- While beneficial for general hydration, the formula lacks specialized ingredients to directly address oily shine, which is your main goal.
- The product is safe for your oily skin, with squalane oil being a non-irritating and beneficial ingredient.
How to apply
- Could be used as part of your AM or PM routine every day to keep your face fresh.
- Apply this moisturizer after cleansing and toning, but right before your SPF in the morning.
- Gently press a small amount into your skin and let it absorb fully.
- Apply on clean, slightly dry skin to help control that oily shine.
- Avoid the eye area and do a quick patch test before your first use.
People Say
★4.7Overall rating based on 500+ reviewsThis facial oil is frequently praised for its lightweight, non-greasy feel and its ability to hydrate without clogging pores. Users with sensitive, oily, and acne-prone skin often report improvements in skin texture, reduced redness, and a radiant complexion. A small number of users experienced breakouts, and some noted issues with packaging or found the price high for a single-ingredient product.
Highlights
Lightweight & fast-absorbing Mostly Mentioned
- “soaks in nearly instantly”
- “feather-light texture”
- “never leaves a greasy residue”
- “absorbs amazing”
Deeply hydrating Often Mentioned
- “skin feels supple”
- “eliminated my dry patches”
- “leaves face feeling soft”
- “keeps skin glowing”
Improves texture & tone Sometimes Noted
- “improved my skins texture”
- “evened out skin tone”
- “helped with dullness”
- “pores look smaller”
Sensitive/acne-prone skin Sometimes Noted
- “safe for acne-prone skin”
- “calms my redness”
- “didn't break me out”
- “great for sensitive skin”
Caused breakouts Rarely Noted
- “broke me out like clockwork”
- “caused cystic acne”
- “gave me whiteheads”
- “skin didn't like olive-derived squalane”
Lack of efficacy Rarely Noted
- “sat on top of skin”
- “didn't feel hydrating”
- “did nothing for me”
- “not enough for dry winter skin”
Packaging issues Rarely Noted
- “bottle shattered easily”
- “dropper stopped working”
- “glass is very fragile”
- “leaked in my bag”
Price point Rarely Noted
- “expensive for just squalane”
- “can find cheaper alternatives”
- “pricey for what it is”
Sources: lovi.care, indielee.com, sephora.sg, bluemercury.com, aillea.com, thegreenkiss.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Indie Lee Squalane work for oily skin?
Indie Lee Squalane Facial Oil offers moderate moisturizing for your oily skin by supporting the skin barrier without feeling too heavy, though it lacks specialized ingredients to directly manage oily shine. A moisturizer for oily skin needs peptides, hydrating agents, soothing extracts, and light textures that control shine while keeping the skin calm and hydrated without clogging pores.
Which ingredients make this facial oil a good fit for oily skin?
Squalane makes this facial oil a good fit for oily skin because it softens skin and protects the moisture barrier without adding extra oiliness. However, an oily skin type needs lightweight products with peptides and soothing extracts to control shine and keep pores clear.
What does Squalane do for oily skin?
Squalane helps keep oily skin soft and smooth without feeling heavy, though oxidized forms may sometimes trigger irritation. To work well for oily skin, this type of product needs lightweight, non-clogging ingredients that balance moisture without adding excess grease.
What does Squalane Oil do for oily skin?
Squalane oil helps balance oily skin by providing lightweight moisture without feeling heavy or greasy. It is unlikely to clog pores and may help keep your skin feeling soft and smooth all day.
Where does it go in a skincare routine for oily skin?
This moisturizer goes after your hydrating toner in the morning and after your treatment at night. While it helps keep your skin soft without adding extra oiliness, an oily skin routine also needs specialized ingredients to directly manage shine.
Can I use this facial oil with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this facial oil with retinol by applying the oil after your retinol treatment to help keep your skin soft and calm. Squalane is generally safe and unlikely to cause irritation, though oily skin often needs extra ingredients that directly target shine and oiliness.
How often should I use it?
You can use this facial oil twice a day as part of your morning and evening routine. It helps keep your skin soft and comfortable without feeling greasy, though an oily skin routine also needs specialized ingredients to manage shine.
Can this facial oil clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily skin?
This facial oil is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for oily skin, as its main ingredient has a safe profile that does not irritate. However, a small number of reviewers have mentioned breakouts. Oily skin that wants to avoid extra shine typically needs lightweight hydrators paired with oil-controlling ingredients like niacinamide or salicylic acid.
Can I use it around the eyes or on my body?
You can use this moisturizer around your eyes and on your body because squalane oil is safe and non-irritating for delicate and thinner areas of skin. It helps keep skin soft while strengthening its barrier without feeling too heavy.
Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy, 2002Journal of Nanobiotechnology, 2025
What the research says
Application of squalene/phosphotungstate calcium nanowires (Sql/PWC) oleogel on UVB-irradiated skin decreased epidermal thickness, increased dermal thickness, and promoted the expression of elastin, collagen, and skin barrier markers through antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities.
Journal of Nanobiotechnology, 2025Squalane at 0.005-0.015% counteracts UVA-induced oxidative stress, inflammation, and collagen metabolism inhibition while stimulating fibroblast migration in human dermal fibroblasts.
Molecules, 2025Topical application of a vitamin C-squalene bioconjugate significantly increased epidermal thickness, type III collagen production, and glycosaminoglycans production in human skin explants compared to free vitamin C and vitamin C-palmitate.
Scientific Reports, 2020Plant-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, 2025
Why other moisturizers fit oily skin better
A panthenol-enriched mask improved skin hydration, regulated sebum, and reduced redness and TEWL across dry sensitive, oily sensitive, and oily acne skin subgroups with excellent tolerance and no adverse reactions.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
Ingredients
Squalane Oil
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
How does it fit your skin?
Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.