Squalane has an almost a weightless application, and it helps support the skin barrier, encourages elasticity, and brings calm to dryness or irritation. As a bio-mimetic oil, it mirrors what the skin naturally makes, allowing it to absorb effortlessly and replenish what the skin naturally loses with age.
With consistent use, skin appears smoother, more even toned, and naturally luminous.
Shwally Squalane Facial Oil
$46.31
We created this for those of us who's skin-care almost always clogs a pore or two. Pure Squalane is for you.
This feather light, fast absorbing oil, created from olives, delivers intense moisture without leaving a greasy residue or ever clogging pores. It's perfect for all skin types and it's a little secret to a soft, supple, beautifully radiant complexion.
- Sinks in within seconds, with no slick or shine left behind
- Mirrors natural oils your skin already makes, so it feels instantly familiar
- Non-comedogenic and light enough for oily and breakout-prone skin
- Seals in water-based serums so hydration lasts all day
- Nothing to go rancid: no seed oils, fragrance, fillers or preservatives
Good for: Oily & combination · Dry or tight skin · Breakout-prone · Sensitive skin · Beards & post-shave
Size: 1 fl oz (30 ml)
Ingredients: Pure Squalane From Olives
What you won't find: Seed oils, Synthetic fragrance, Preservatives, Fillers & silicones, Shark-derived squalane.
- Hydrate. After cleansing, apply a water-based serum like our Hyaluronic Serum, or simply leave skin a little damp.
- Press. Warm 1–2 pumps between your fingertips and press into face and neck.
- Seal. Wear it alone, or finish with a Shwally balm at night when skin wants more richness.
- Extra. One drop smooths flyaways, softens dry cuticles and conditions beard skin.
- Step 1 · Hydrate: Shwally Hyaluronic Serum – Hydrate & Plump. Floods skin with water. The squalane on top keeps it there.
- Step 2 · Seal: Shwally Squalane Facial Oil. One light layer to lock everything in.
- Step 3 · Nourish: Tallow & Methylene Blue Anti-Aging Repair Face Cream. Your richest layer, for nights when skin wants repair.
Buy It With
The Lightest Facial Oil In Existence
Most facial oils are cocktails of cheap seed oils, synthetic fragrance and fillers. Squalane is different. It's mirrors the skins own oil, squalene, and feels almost as light as water.
Seed Oils are full of fragile fats can break down with light and air. Oxidized oils are horrible for your skin and pores, and research shows exactly why (see The Research below).
So we went the other way. A fully saturated oil with no weak spots for oxygen to attack and create rancidity.
The result is quietly glowing skin with zero chance of clogged pores.
We use it all the time, and we hope you love it as much as we do.
-Amanda
Why it's different
Shwally vs.
- Ingredients: 1: pure squalane from olives (typical: often 10+ oils, plus fragrance)
- Feel: Absorbs in seconds, no shine (typical: can sit on top and feel slick)
- Freshness: Saturated, resists oxidation (typical: fragile seed oils can go rancid)
- Pores: Non-comedogenic (typical: hit or miss, often heavy)
- Preservatives: None needed (typical: often required)
What To Expect
The Research Behind It
Published studies on these ingredients, summarized in our own words. They describe the ingredients, not tests of this product.
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In a review of the lipids on the skin's surface, a Johnson & Johnson skin scientist described squalene as one of the three main oils made by the skin's sebaceous glands, alongside triglycerides and wax esters. Studies put it at roughly 10 to 15% of sebum. Squalane is its stable form, which is why it feels so familiar to skin.
Source: Pappas A. Epidermal surface lipids. Dermato-Endocrinology, 2009. View study
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A classic British Journal of Dermatology study tested several oils, including squalene and squalane, in a skin model of clogged pores. Squalene on its own barely clogged pores, but once UV light oxidized it into peroxides, it became highly pore-clogging. Squalane is fully saturated, so it has no weak spots for oxygen to attack.
Source: Motoyoshi K. British Journal of Dermatology, 1983. View study
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A widely cited review of squalene and squalane in cosmetic dermatology summarized its benefits for skin as an emollient and antioxidant, and for hydration.
Source: Huang ZR, Lin YK, Fang JY. Molecules, 2009. View study
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Researchers at the University of Pavia found that acne-prone skin carried more squalene, and more of its oxidized form, than healthy skin. Oxidized squalene rose along with oil levels.
Source: Condrò G, Sciortino R, Perugini P. Pharmaceuticals, 2023. View study
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When UVA light hits squalene, the first product it forms was more pore-clogging in testing than well-known pore-clogging cosmetic ingredients. Saturated squalane doesn't form it.
Source: Chiba K, et al. The Journal of Toxicological Sciences, 2000. View study
Frequently Asked Questions
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Squalane is considered non-comedogenic, which is exactly why we chose it. It's light enough for oily and breakout-prone skin. As with anything new, patch test first.
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Often, yes. When skin is stripped or dehydrated it can feel oilier. A weightless, skin-identical oil like squalane helps skin feel balanced instead of greasy.
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Water-based serums first, like our Hyaluronic Serum. Then 1–2 pumps of squalane. Finish with a Shwally cream or balm if you want extra richness.
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Yes. It's lovely on dry cuticles, elbows, beards and the ends of your hair. Keep it out of your eyes.
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At 1–2 pumps a day, a 1 oz bottle lasts about two months.
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Many come from sugarcane or shark liver, and plenty are priced like luxury serums. Ours is pure squalane from olives, one ingredient, no preservatives, priced as an everyday staple.