Jojoba oil is the liquid obtained from the seed of the Simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) plant, a shrub native to southern Arizona, southern California, and northwestern Mexico.

Although it's called an oil, it's actually a liquid vegetable wax and has been used in folk medicine for various ailments. For example, Native Americans used jojoba oil to treat sores and bruises.

What is organic jojoba oil best for?

Today, it is used to treat acne, sunburn, psoriasis, and chapped skin.

It's also used by people with alopecia because it promotes hair growth. Being an emollient, it soothes the surface and unclogs hair follicles.

Many people know jojoba oil as a carrier oil for essential oil applications, such as making natural skin and hair products, but it's actually also an effective moisturizer and wound healer on its own. You'd be surprised at what you can do with just a little jojoba oil.

What is jojoba oil?

Mature jojoba plants are evergreen, woody shrubs that do not lose their leaves with the changing of the seasons. When planted from seed, jojoba plants can take up to three years to produce flowers, and sex can only be determined by the flowers.

Female plants produce the flower seeds, and male plants pollinate them. Jojoba seeds look a bit like coffee beans, but they are usually larger and their shape is not always uniform.

The chemical structure of organic jojoba oil is different from that of other vegetable oils because it is a polyunsaturated wax. As a wax, jojoba oil for face and body is especially useful because it protects the skin, provides moisture control, and soothes the scalp.

At room temperature, jojoba oil is liquid due to its unsaturated fatty acids. Like some natural oils, jojoba oil does not decompose or become rancid. In fact, it has a very long shelf life, making it suitable for cosmetic products and applications.

Jojoba oil contains beneficial ingredients such as vitamin E, vitamin B complex, silicon, chromium, copper, and zinc. It has a very high iodine content (82%), which gives jojoba oil its healing properties. It also contains three fatty acids: erucic (13.6%), gadoleic (71.3%), and oleic (11.2%).

Benefits

• Moisturizes the skin

Is jojoba oil a good facial moisturizer? That's actually one of jojoba oil's main benefits, due to its ability to work just like our natural oils.

Our sebaceous glands are microscopic glands in the skin that secrete an oily or waxy substance called sebum. The texture and use of sebum are very similar to those of jojoba oil, so as we age, our sebaceous glands produce less sebum, which is why we have dry skin and hair, and it can even cause dandruff or an itchy scalp.

Jojoba plays the role of sebum and works to moisturize the skin and hair when the body stops doing so naturally. Furthermore, excess sebum, which occurs during puberty or when hormone levels are high, can lead to oily, acne-prone skin.

In fact, jojoba oil also removes sticky buildup or excess oil, keeping oil levels balanced. This makes it a powerful natural treatment for eczema and a home remedy for acne, as well as being very suitable for other dry skin conditions.

Jojoba oil is an emollient, which means it moisturizes and prevents irritation or flaky, rough patches. Dryness is caused by water loss in the top layer of the skin. It works by forming an oily layer on top of the skin that retains water.

Jojoba works well on the face, neck, hands, feet, and hair. It can be used anywhere on the body because it's completely natural and contains no chemicals that cause allergic reactions.

Jojoba oil has proven anti-inflammatory effects and potential uses for various conditions, including skin infections, aging, and wound healing. There is also evidence showing that jojoba oil may also be effective for acne, seborrheic dermatitis (dry, scaly skin), and eczema.

• Removes makeup safely

It's perfectly safe to use jojoba oil on your face. In fact, it's good for your skin.

What is not safe is using conventional products that contain a long list of chemicals that can cause irritation.

Instead of using makeup removers containing chemicals, organic jojoba oil is a natural tool that removes dirt, makeup, and bacteria from your face as you use it. It's even safe as a natural makeup remover and is hypoallergenic.

• Avoid shaving irritations

You no longer have to use shaving cream; instead, the waxy texture of organic jojoba oil eliminates the threat of shaving mishaps like nicks and burns. Plus, unlike some shaving creams that contain pore-clogging chemicals, it's 100% natural and promotes skin health.

Try applying jojoba oil before shaving to create a smooth shaving surface, and apply it afterward to moisturize and heal cuts quickly.

• Promotes skin health

Jojoba oil is non-comedogenic, meaning it won't clog pores. This makes it a great product for those prone to acne.

Although it's a cold-pressed oil (we typically think of the oil sitting on our skin as what causes breakouts), jojoba works as a protectant and cleanser.

It's rich in iodine, which fights the growth of harmful bacteria that cause breakouts. The antioxidants in organic jojoba oil smooth fine lines and wrinkles, and naturally slow other signs of aging.

It can also accelerate the wound healing process, as indicated by a study conducted at the Department of Environment and Life Sciences in Italy. The results showed that jojoba oil accelerates wound healing and stimulates collagen synthesis. The study also noted that jojoba oil had extremely low toxic effects when used on the skin.

• Promotes hair health

Jojoba oil for hair replenishes moisture and improves texture. It also improves split ends, treats dry scalp, and eliminates dandruff.

You can use jojoba oil to add shine and soften your hair, as well as naturally eliminate frizz. It's a much better option than using conditioners or hair products full of dangerous chemicals, which only make your hair drier and limper.

To detangle your hair, add a few drops of jojoba oil to your brush or directly to your hair. Your brush will pass smoothly, eliminating the threat of breakage and split ends.

Recently, jojoba oil has been used to treat alopecia, which is hair loss resulting from a fungal infection or damage to the hair shaft and follicles.

Since essential oils can cause irritation in some people, reports suggest that mixing them with jojoba oil is helpful. Adding three to six drops of essential oil to a tablespoon of jojoba oil is a remedy for hair loss because it treats dry hair follicles.

By restoring hydration, the scalp is in a healthier state and hair is more likely to grow.

• It has vitamin E

Vitamin E acts as an antioxidant. It strengthens capillary walls and improves hydration and elasticity, acting as a natural age-reversing nutrient within your body.

Studies show that vitamin E helps reduce inflammation in both the body and the skin, helping to maintain a healthy, youthful appearance. These antioxidant properties are also helpful when exposed to tobacco smoke or ultraviolet rays from sunlight, helping to protect against skin cancer.

When jojoba oil, which contains vitamin E, is absorbed by the epidermal layer of the skin and can be used to treat sunburns, which are one of the main causes of skin cancer. Because it accelerates cell regeneration, it can also be used to treat scars, acne, and wrinkles.

Another benefit of vitamin E is its ability to help thicken hair. This is due to its antioxidant and moisturizing properties.

• Contains vitamin B complex

B vitamins act as antioxidants and help the body fight free radicals and cell damage. They're excellent for the skin and for naturally maintaining hormonal balance.

Vitamin B5 (called pantothenic acid), for example, helps treat skin reactions from radiation therapy and can speed the healing of wounds and cuts. It's also known to delay the appearance of premature aging, such as wrinkles and dark spots.

Data collected from several studies suggest that pantothenic acid accelerates the normal healing process due to certain mechanisms it helps control. This benefit of vitamin B5, which you can obtain by using jojoba oil, keeps your skin free of infections and bacteria while it attempts to heal.

• Fights fungi and infections

Jojoba oil has antifungal and anti-inflammatory properties. It can treat toenail fungus and athlete's foot and helps get rid of warts.

A 2013 literature review indicates that the oil can be used for various skin conditions, including infections and wound healing.

How to use it?

When purchasing cold-pressed jojoba oil, choose organic jojoba oil, making sure it's 100% jojoba oil and contains no irritating additives.

There are many uses for organic jojoba oil, so don't be afraid to experiment with your body products by adding a few drops of this beneficial ingredient.

Some recommended uses:

• Facial moisturizer

Apply four to six drops of oil to your face in the morning and at night before bed. Can you leave jojoba oil on your face overnight? Of course you can. In fact, it will nourish your skin while you sleep.

• Hair moisturizer

Add three to five drops to your conditioner or apply one or two drops to damp hair after showering. If you have split or dead ends, massage jojoba oil into your ends after showering and before styling.

• Reduces wrinkles

Use one to three drops of jojoba oil and apply it to wrinkled areas. Then, rub it into your skin in circular motions until absorbed. You can do this twice a day.

• Makeup remover

Add three to five drops of jojoba oil to a cotton ball or pad, and wipe off the makeup.

• Lip balm

Apply one or two drops of jojoba oil to your lips as a natural lip balm.

• Fights infections

Add one to three drops of jojoba oil to the infected or irritated area twice a day.

• Soothes sunburns

Rub a few drops on sunburned areas for relief.

• Mosquito repellent

Research suggests that a combination of jojoba oil, coconut oil, and vitamin E oil can help repel mosquitoes for three to four hours.

• Fight acne

Using a cotton ball or clean fingers, apply jojoba oil to acne-prone areas morning and night. You can also combine it with acne-fighting essential oils, such as frankincense and lavender.

Other uses

It can be used as a safe, natural pesticide. Today, it's used to control whitefly in all crops and powdery mildew that accumulates on grapes.

It forms a physical barrier on the crop surface that keeps insects away. It's a great substitute for many common commercial pesticides because it's nontoxic and poses no risk to other organisms in the environment.

Precautions

Symptoms of jojoba oil allergy may include hives and itching. However, jojoba is considered hypoallergenic, and adverse reactions are rare.

Jojoba is not safe to take orally because it contains a chemical called erucic acid, which can cause heart damage and other serious adverse effects. Limit jojoba oil to topical use only, not for internal use.