Good Molecules Squalane Oil for oily skin
Squalane
Average
- AverageOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
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 due to squalane, which hydrates and enhances barrier resilience without addressing oily shine.
- While squalane provides emollient action, it lacks sufficient ingredients for effective seboregulation, making it moderately suitable for oily skin.
- The product is safe for your oily skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.
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 800+ reviewsThis product is highly praised for its lightweight, fast-absorbing hydration that benefits dry, dehydrated, and sensitive skin without clogging pores or feeling greasy. Users with fungal acne and compromised skin barriers also report significant improvements, though a few note the small bottle size and potential for closed comedones with overuse.
Highlights
Deeply hydrating Mostly Mentioned
- “Provides great moisture overall”
- “Deep hydration without a greasy finish”
- “give my skin some much needed hydration”
- “leaves my skin soft and supple”
Lightweight, fast-absorbing Mostly Mentioned
- “ultra light-weight texture sinks straight into my skin”
- “absorbed surprisingly fast, leaving no greasy residue”
- “really light, nourishing and doesn't make my skin feel greasy”
- “absorbs quickly, it's not sticky”
Very affordable price Often Mentioned
- “Great product for a great price!”
- “This is a great affordable face oil!”
- “cheapest option here”
- “high performing and affordable, why pay more?”
Safe for sensitive skin Sometimes Noted
- “suffer from fungal acne... squalene oil has reinvented my skin”
- “not even one tiny pimple popping up in reaction to it”
Small bottle size Sometimes Noted
- “disappointed by its size—it's compact to the point where I had to ration it”
- “bottle is indeed small, containing only 13ml”
- “bottle and dropper is tiny”
- “so small it's like playing with a doll toy”
Causes closed comedones Rarely Noted
- “too much use lead to some closed comedones”
- “since it still is an oil... lead to some closed comedones”
- “wouldn't use this everyday as I felt like too much use lead to some closed comedones”
- “lead to some closed comedones for me”
Hard to use dropper Rarely Noted
- “really hard to open and hold the itty bitty child size dropper”
- “bottle and dropper is tiny”
- “hard to open and hold”
- “itty bitty child size dropper”
Sources: lovi.care, goodmolecules.com, ulta.com, reddit.com, skinsort.com, pureambeauty.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Good Molecules Squalane Oil work for oily skin?
Good Molecules Squalane Oil works moderately well for oily skin because it hydrates and strengthens the skin barrier without addressing oily shine. Since it lacks oil-controlling ingredients, this skin type needs a moisturizer with peptides, lightweight hydrating agents, and ingredients that support the skin barrier without heavy oils.
Which ingredients make this oil a good fit for oily skin?
Squalane provides moderate moisture and helps protect your skin barrier without causing irritation. However, a moisturizer for oily skin also needs ingredients that manage excess shine and lightweight hydrating agents to keep your complexion balanced.
What does squalane do for oily skin?
Squalane helps keep oily skin soft and smooth without feeling heavy, because its lightweight texture mimics your skin's natural oils. However, impure or peroxidated forms may sometimes cause inflammation in acne-prone skin, so look for high-purity formulas.
Where does this oil go in a skincare routine for oily skin?
This oil goes on as your moisturizer in the morning and evening routine steps. It helps hydrate your skin and keeps your barrier strong, though oily skin also needs ingredients that balance oil production.
Can I use it with retinol, and in what order?
You can use it with retinol by applying the moisturizer after your retinol treatment to help keep your skin soft and comfortable. This type of skin also benefits from ingredients that help balance oil and shine.
How often should I use it?
You can use this moisturizer daily in the morning and evening as part of your routine. It provides moderate hydration for oily skin, but to better manage oily shine, this skin type needs a product with effective oil-control ingredients.
Can it clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily skin?
Good Molecules Squalane Oil is unlikely to cause irritation on oily skin, but it may rarely cause closed comedones for some people. Products for this skin work best when they include ingredients that balance oil and keep pores clear.
Can I use it around the eyes or on my body?
Yes, you can use Good Molecules Squalane Oil around the eyes and on your body since the thin skin in areas like the eyelids and the thicker skin on the body tolerate its gentle ingredients well. It is unlikely to cause irritation because it lacks harsh ingredients, and studies show that treatments applied to these areas are generally well tolerated.
Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy, 2002Journal of Nanobiotechnology, 2025
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, 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, 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.