Squalane, the secret ingredient in tinted facial oils for a smooth glow | Sali Hughes on beauty

I never expected five years ago – when it seemed that every beauty image was caked in matte, full-coverage foundation – that one would even be able to buy a tinted oil, much less wear one and be on trend, but I love to see it.

It’s no secret that I favour a sheerer, more natural, dewy finished base, but the rise of the tinted oil gives instant skincare benefits too. Mainly thanks to the use in almost all of them of squalane, a non-greasy, lightweight emollient most often sourced from olives or sugarcane.

Squalene (it becomes squalane after a hydrogenation process) is naturally present in our skins but gets depleted as we age. Replacing it helps to relubricate skin and repair its barrier function, giving a softer, smoother, healthier appearance and a comfy feel. Also, virtually no one is sensitive to it.

One can buy squalane cheaply and add a drop to skincare and foundation, of course – but the new tinted oils come locked and loaded and ready to glow.

Among the best is Westman Atelier Vital Skincare Complexion Drops, £62, but my head has been turned by Hourglass’s exceptional Veil Hydrating Skin Tint, £49. I’ve loved smooshing this tinted oil-cream over my dry skin, but the use of glycerin and squalane (as opposed to heavier, greasy-feeling carrier oils) means that every type can enjoy it. The sheer coverage means that 18 shades probably span at least 36 skin tones and the finish is beautiful – healthy-looking, natural and glassy. Concealer and anything else buff in seamlessly over the top.

If you’d like a fluid consistency, Clarins’s new Tinted Oleo-Serum, £39, somehow manages to include an impressive 30% plant oils and squalane while remaining silky rather than greasy. It has what I’d call a generous-light coverage (a tad more than the Hourglass one) – that is, it doesn’t look like foundation but looks noticeably better than nothing, evening out skin tone and adding glow.

If you can tolerate the dropper applicator, Typology’s Tinted Serum, £28.90, is a great buy. Made almost entirely from natural ingredients (squalane in the main), this very light-textured oil packs a surprising punch in terms of pigment, giving unexpectedly good coverage for its category.

If you’re loth to make the switch from matte, try applying powder over any of these, but only on the nose, chin and forehead, leaving cheeks with the youthful and appealing sheen of squalane.