Squalane Face Oil for People Who Avoid Face Oils

If face oils have always felt greasy to you, Squalane Face Oil is the one to try: it is clear, silky and almost weightless, and it sinks in within moments. Warm about four drops between your palms and press them into clean, slightly damp skin, and your face feels soft and smooth rather than shiny. Most people who say they dislike face oils have been using too much of a heavier oil on dry skin, and squalane, used this way, changes their minds.

Why this oil feels different

Most face oils are made of fatty acids, and the heavier ones can leave a film you notice for an hour. Squalane Face Oil contains no fatty acids at all. Squalane is the stable form of squalene, a lipid your own skin makes as part of its natural oil, so it is close kin to what is already there. It glides with a smooth slip, spreads further than you expect, and leaves skin feeling moisturized without feeling anything on it.

It is also about as simple as a bottle gets: 100% pure squalane from olives, never from sharks, with no added fragrance. There is nothing in it to smell and nothing else to get used to, which is useful if you are cautious about what goes on your face.

What you will notice in the first week

The first thing is how quickly it disappears. Pressed into damp skin, squalane is gone from the surface within a minute or two, and what is left feels like your own skin on a good day: soft, a little silky to the touch, not tight.

The second thing usually shows up after a few days. Skin that felt tight after washing feels comfortable for longer, and makeup goes on more smoothly over it. Our label calls the oil balancing, and with steady use skin looks smoother in texture and calmly even.

What you should not notice is shine. If your face still looks glossy five minutes after applying it, you used more than you need. Use one drop fewer the next day.

How to start if you are wary

1. Start in the evening. Try it at night for the first week, so you can judge how your skin feels the next morning without worrying about makeup or the day ahead.
2. Start with two drops. The usual amount is about four, but begin low and add one at a time. The right amount is the most your skin takes in without looking shiny.
3. Leave your skin damp. After cleansing, blot rather than rubbing dry. Oil over damp skin spreads thinly and evenly; oil over dry skin can sit on top and feel heavier than it is.
4. Press, do not rub. Warm the drops between your palms, then lay your hands flat on your cheeks, forehead and jaw and hold for a moment. Rubbing drags the oil into a few places and leaves others bare.
5. Give it two weeks. Skin takes a little time to show what a new product does for it. Change only one thing at a time so you know what is working.

If you still prefer a cream

You do not have to wear it as an oil. Stir one drop into your usual moisturizer in the palm of your hand and apply them together. The cream feels a little silkier, skin feels a little softer, and you have not added a step. Many people start this way and move to wearing the oil on its own once they have seen how light it is.

Three habits that make any face oil feel greasy

• Using a cream-sized amount. An oil has no water in it, so a few drops cover the whole face. A palmful is several times too much.
• Applying it to a dry face. Without water underneath, there is nothing for the oil to hold in, and it can feel slick on top.
• Putting it under a water-based serum. Oil goes after watery products, not before. Applied first, it slows down everything that follows.

Fix those three and squalane wears like nothing at all.

Questions from first-time face oil users

Will squalane make my skin look greasy?

Not if you use the right amount. About four drops pressed into damp skin sink in within a minute or two and leave a soft, smooth finish rather than shine.

I have combination skin. Is a face oil a bad idea?

Squalane is the oil we suggest for combination skin. Use fewer drops through the center of the face and a little more wherever skin feels tight.

Is Squalane Face Oil scented?

No. It is 100% pure squalane with no added fragrance, so it has no scent to speak of.

How long until I see a difference?

Skin feels softer right away. Give it about two weeks of steady use to judge how your skin looks and how comfortable it stays through the day.