10 Best Squalane Oils of 2023

Ever notice that people with oily skin never look a day over 30? It could be squalene. 

Squalene (with an “e”) is produced naturally by your body. It’s synthesized by your liver, accounting for approximately 13% of your sebum. And while we’re all born with plenty of squalene flowing freely through our blood (newborns have the most squalene), our reserves often begin to drop somewhere between age 30 and 40. When the tap is turned off, that’s the cue for wrinkles. 

But it’s 2023, and there’s no need to go without: You can find this nourishing oil in a bottle, but take note, it’s called squalane (with an “a”).

A holy grail for some, this thin, lightweight oil beautifully mimics the squalene produced by your body. It replenishes your skin’s natural moisture and locks it in, plumps your skin to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and heals dry, chapped skin — all without looking or feeling greasy. The best squalane oils for any skin type will reduce redness, hydrate your skin, and leave you with a healthy glow.

Best squalane oils overview

• Best overall: Biossance 100% Squalane Oil 
• Best budget: Good Molecules Squalane Oil 
• Best for hair: The Ordinary 100% Plant-Derived Squalane 
• Best subscription: Indie Lee Squalane Facial Oil 
• Best for body: Timeless Squalane Oil 100% Pure 
• Best splurge: ClarityRx Nourish Your Skin 100% Squalane Moisturizing Oil 
• Best K-beauty: Purito Plainet Squalane Oil 100 
• Best vegan: Amara Beauty Weightless Moisture Squalane Oil
• Best cleansing oil: Biossance Squalane and Antioxidant Cleansing Oil
• Best alternative: Youth to the People Superberry Hydrate + Glow Dream Mask

How we chose the best squalane oils

To compile this list, we researched manufacturer specifications, including absorption time, texture, and more, to create a short list of the top squalane oils. Then, we combed through detailed product descriptions, ratings, and reviews to find the best squalane oil for each category.

Our picks for the best squalane oils

Biossance’s 100% Squalane Oil offers weightless, long-lasting hydration at a price that’s not over the top, so it hits our list as the best squalane oil overall. Biossance’s squalane oil, derived from sugar cane, replaces the need to harvest the same oil from shark livers, and the brand estimates it saves 2 million of these apex predators every year.

The oil is bioidentical to the moisture found in human skin, so it’s absorbed quickly, locks in moisture, and never leaves your skin greasy. This squalane oil is vegan, fragrance-free, sustainably sourced, and perfect for use on your face, body, or hair. It also has over 1,500 five-star reviews, with many users raving about visibly hydrated and smooth skin.

Derived from: Sugar cane | Size: 3.4 oz

Good Molecules Squalane Oil offers users 100% plant-derived squalane at a budget-friendly price. Light enough for everyday wear, this 100% olive-derived squalane facial oil tackles dryness, replenishes your skin barrier, and plumps fine lines and wrinkles.

Good Molecules Squalane Oil is weightless and fast absorbing, so it does all of the above without leaving your skin feeling greasy or sticky. Suitable for daily use on all skin types, users are instructed to layer a few drops of Good Molecules Squalane Oil to their skin in the morning and night after serums and other treatments and give it about 30 seconds to absorb.

While some reviewers said the squalane oil makes an excellent base for makeup and adds tons of moisture without looking greasy, others noticed breakouts after using the product.

Derived from: Olives | Size: 0.44 fl oz

The Ordinary 100% Plant-Derived Squalane checks all of the boxes that squalane should check and then some. Not only does it hydrate your skin while supporting its natural moisture barrier, but this sugar cane-derived squalane can also be used on your hair for added heat protection, a boost in shine, and a reduction in breakage.

At a budget-friendly $10, this squalane is an excellent way to try an oil without derailing your beauty budget. While most of the 250+ five-star reviews are from customers using this oil on their skin, quite a few used it on their hair with great results.

Derived from: Sugar cane | Size: 1 oz

If you’re smitten by squalane and never want to be without it, you could try replenishments on a subscription courtesy of Indie Lee Squalane Facial Oil. Olive oil-derived and readily absorbed into your skin, this 100% squalane oil leaves your skin soft and hydrated but never greasy. 

And while a 30-milliliter bottle of this squalane facial oil will set you back $38, users can choose the subscribe-and-save option to knock it down a bit while adjusting the frequency of shipments as needed.

Derived from: Olives | Size: 10 mL

Those who want to extend the benefits of squalane oil to the rest of their body might consider Timeless Skincare Squalane Oil. This oil-derived squalane oil does the heavy lifting to seal in moisture.

It leaves your skin with a healthy glow without leaving behind an oily sheen. Even better, this oil is lightweight and works like a primer. It prepares your skin for your makeup and keeps everything in place. 

And while most squalane oils are only available in 1- to 2-ounce bottles and make you think twice about using it all over your body, Timeless Skincare Squalane Oil is available in a generous 8-ounce size.

Derived from: Olives | Size: 1 oz

ClarityRx offers users a quick-absorbing squalane oil penetrating deeply to nourish skin, boost hydration, and promote healing. As a natural antioxidant, this squalane oil also protects your skin against further damage and premature signs of aging.

With continued use, ClarityRx’s squalane oil promises to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and leave you with visibly smoother skin (although it does come at a pretty steep price).

Derived from: Sugar cane, olives | Size: 1 fl oz

Derived 100% from sugar cane, K-beauty brand Purito Plainet offers a lightweight multipurpose squalane oil that absorbs quickly to hydrate and lock in moisture. This nourishing facial oil also boosts elasticity, soothes irritated skin, and diminishes the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

Perfect for use on your face, body, or hair, this oil is vegan and free of alcohol, parabens, and fragrances. And for those keeping a watchful eye on their carbon footprint, Purito’s squalane oil is also sustainably sourced: It’s packaged in a recycled glass container, and the outer packaging is biodegradable.

Derived from: Sugar cane | Size: 1.01 fl oz

Amara Beauty Weightless Moisture Squalane Oil mimics skin’s natural sebum. It absorbs quickly to hydrate your skin and lock in moisture but doesn’t feel greasy or sticky. This sugar cane-derived oil suits all skin types, including dry, sensitive, oily, and acne-prone.

While it’s a great go-to for your face, it also works for moisturizing hair and cuticles, restoring moisture to dry hands and feet, and soothing chapped lips. Amara Beauty’s squalane oil has plenty of five-star reviews, most of which indicated that the squalane oil left their skin feeling dewy and hydrated rather than heavy, sticky, or greasy.

Derived from: Sugar cane | Size: 2 fl oz

For those concerned about layering oils on their face, cleansing oils might be a better way to reap the benefits without the greasy feel. And Biossance Squalane and Antioxidant Cleansing Oil offers just that. 

This lightweight cleansing oil lifts away makeup and other impurities, then rinses clean with water with no greasy feel left behind. But make no mistake: You still get everything that a good squalane oil has to offer — hydrated skin that feels nothing but fresh.

Derived from: Sugar cane | Size: 6.8 fl oz

If you want to add squalane to your beauty routine, oils aren’t the only ticket in town. Those who prefer a cream might find some happiness with Youth to the People’s Superberry Hydrate + Glow Dream Mask. This overnight sleep mask deeply hydrates your skin, but the goodness doesn’t end there. This squalane cream also plumps, brightens, and evens out skin tone.

Under the lid, we find a nourishing blend of maqui berries to help combat free radicals, vitamin C to firm and brighten the skin, and, of course, squalane, which mimics your skin’s natural oils to boost hydration. It’s worth noting that while it’s called a mask, this is a super-rich cream. Just apply an even layer on your skin before bed and follow your normal routine the next morning.

Derived from: Vegetal sources | Size: 0.5 oz

Nature always seems to get it right 

Squalane oil can be an excellent addition to any beauty routine. This nourishing oil hydrates your skin, plumps it up to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and soothes dry, chapped skin — all without looking or feeling greasy or sticky. Plus, it absorbs quickly, it’s fragrance-free, and can be used on your face, body, and hair.

Anyone ready to add squalane to their beauty routine might consider Biossance’s 100% Squalane Oil to get started. Like most squalane oils, it hydrates your skin, absorbs quickly, locks in moisture, and never leaves your skin feeling greasy or sticky.

How to pick the right squalane oil for you

Like anything else in your beauty bag, there are a few things to remember when shopping for a squalane facial oil. Specifically, you might want to consider the source, your skin type, and the potential benefits.

Source 

Squalane has long been controversial, as it was typically sourced from shark liver. But the benefits were just too good to ignore. No doubt, that was the impetus for finding plant-based sources of this super oil. Today, users can reap the same benefits of squalene through squalane. 

Sourced from plants like olives and sugar cane, squalane is a more stable, nonoxidative version of squalene. But rest assured, squalane is equally adept at hydrating your skin, replenishing your skin’s moisture barrier, and restoring a healthy glow. 

Skin type

• Mature. One of the many benefits of youth is supple, glowy, and wrinkle-free skin. As we age, however, our natural squalene production throttles way back. And when fine lines and wrinkles start forming, most of us are running (not walking) to find a fix. Anyone with youth on their side might not stand to gain much from incorporating squalane into their beauty routine, and if they do, they may not notice much of a difference. Ultimately, squalane is probably more beneficial to those with dry or mature skin because its emollient properties can effectively hydrate and plump skin leaving it looking smoother and more moisturized.
• Oily. While adding more oil to oily skin may seem counterintuitive, it’s actually not a bad idea. Most people with oily skin tend to care for it by washing away the oils their body naturally produces. Unfortunately, that leads to skin that’s stripped of its much-needed moisture. Sensing that it needs some hydration, oily skin then kicks into high gear to replenish what it lost — the net effect is even oilier skin. The takeaway? Squalane oil can regulate the amount of oil your skin produces, making it a must-have for oily skin types.

Benefits

• Hydration. The emollient properties of squalane make it a powerhouse moisturizer. From soothing chapped lips to replenishing your skin and protecting your hair from heat damage to softening cuticles, squalane oil is body care from head to toe. Not only does it hydrate your skin, but also locks in moisture for a lasting effect and gives your skin barrier a nice boost.
• Anti-aging. While squalane is an incredible emollient, its anti-aging benefits don’t end there. Squalane hydrates and plumps the skin, ultimately diminishing the look of fine lines and wrinkles.
• Calms redness and inflammation. Squalane is teeming with anti-inflammatory properties that help reduce redness and inflammation in the skin, and it’s also chock-full of fatty acids, which doubles down on its ability to calm irritated skin.
• Moisturizes dry hair. In addition to being beneficial for your skin, squalane can also give dry hair a hydrating boost, lock in moisture, and protect it from heat damage — all without weighing your hair down or leaving your locks looking greasy.

FAQ

What percentage of squalane is best? 

We recommend using 100% plant-derived squalane. 

What oils are high in squalane?

Olive oil has the highest concentration of squalane oil at 564 milligrams per 100 grams. And while soybean, grape seed, hazelnut, peanut, and corn oils all contain squalane, their concentrations aren’t nearly as high. 

Is olive or sugar cane squalane better?

Our research shows that squalane derived from olives may be a little thicker than sugar cane-derived squalane, so it might be a bit more occlusive, leading to breakouts.