The Ordinary 100% Plant-Derived Squalane for oily skin
Squalane
Low
- HighOily Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- ConcerningSafety
A weak match for oily skin; the moisturizers alongside 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 excellent moisturizing for your oily skin due to the high concentration of squalane, which hydrates and enhances barrier resilience without clogging pores.
- While beneficial for general hydration, the formula lacks ingredients specifically targeting oily shine, making its benefits mostly supportive rather than directly addressing your main concern.
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
★4.5Overall rating based on 2.3k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, users consistently praise this product as a lightweight, non-comedogenic oil that effectively hydrates dry and sensitive skin without clogging pores. While the vast majority find it versatile for both face and hair, a small minority of users with specific skin sensitivities experienced breakouts or found the texture too greasy for daytime use.
Highlights
Excellent value Often Mentioned
- “unbeatable price point”
- “bottle lasts forever”
- “cheap but effective”
- “better than expensive oils”
Lightweight hydration Often Mentioned
- “sinks in immediately”
- “doesn't feel heavy”
- “perfect non-greasy moisture”
- “leaves a healthy glow”
Soothes sensitive skin Sometimes Noted
- “stopped retinol irritation”
- “no stinging or redness”
Versatile multi-use Sometimes Noted
- “tames hair frizz”
- “mixes well with moisturizer”
- “great cuticle oil”
- “use on dry elbows”
Greasy residue Sometimes Noted
- “sat on top of skin”
- “too oily for day”
- “made me look shiny”
- “didn't absorb well”
Caused breakouts Rarely Noted
- “gave me cystic acne”
- “clogged my pores”
- “caused tiny whiteheads”
- “skin texture got bumpy”
Insufficient moisture Rarely Noted
- “still had dry patches”
- “felt too thin”
- “needed a cream on top”
- “disappeared too fast”
Packaging issues Rarely Noted
- “dropper cap broke”
- “bottle leaks easily”
- “hard to close tightly”
- “messy to travel with”
Sources: lovi.care, ulta.com, sephora.com, spacenk.com, target.com, makeupalley.com, and more
Questions and answers
Why is The Ordinary Squalane a weak match for oily skin?
The Ordinary 100% Plant-Derived Squalane is a weak match because it lacks ingredients that specifically target oily shine. To work well for oily skin, a moisturizer needs a lightweight texture containing peptides, soothing extracts, and hydrating agents that manage oil without heavy oils or clogged pores.
Which ingredients make this moisturizer a poor fit for oily skin?
This moisturizer is a weak match for your oily skin because it lacks ingredients specifically targeting oily shine and needs a lightweight texture with peptides, soothing extracts, and hydrating agents.
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.
Where does this moisturizer go in a skincare routine for oily skin?
This moisturizer goes as the final step in the morning and evening routines for oily skin. While squalane provides great hydration without clogging pores, oily skin also needs ingredients specifically targeting shine to fully manage excess oil.
Can I use it with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this moisturizer with retinol by applying the retinol first and following with the moisturizer. This routine helps keep your skin soft while managing dryness. An oily skin type also needs ingredients that target shine and control excess oil.
How often should I use this moisturizer?
You can use this moisturizer twice a day, in the morning and evening, as part of your routine. While it provides good moisture and helps keep your skin soft without clogging pores, oily skin also needs ingredients that specifically target shine.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Health Science Reports, 2021
Can it clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily skin?
This moisturizer is unlikely to clog pores since it hydrates without blocking them, but some shoppers with oily skin do report breakouts or a greasy residue. To better manage oily shine and keep pores clear, this skin type needs a lightweight hydrator combined with oil-controlling ingredients like niacinamide or salicylic acid.
Can I use this moisturizer around the eyes or on my body?
Yes, you can use this moisturizer around the eyes and on your body because the skin on the body and the thin skin around the eyes benefit from the hydration and barrier support it provides. The skin around the eyes is among the thinnest on the body, making gentle moisturizers like this a safe and soothing choice.
What the research says
Squalane 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, 2020Application 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, 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, 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
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.