You’ve probably seen jojoba (pronounced “ho-ho-ba”) oil on the ingredient list of some of your favourite health and beauty products, but do you know what it is? The jojoba, or Simmondsia Chinensis, is a desert bush and was first found in the Sonora and Baja deserts and has been used for hundreds of years treating wounds by Native Americans.
Despite its long history, it didn't come into everyday use into the modern day until the 1971 ban on whaling when industries went into a scramble to replace whale oil in everything from mechanical lubricants to health and skincare (thank goodness for animal protection!).
Uses
Jojoba oil is farmed primarily for use in cosmetics, skincare, and hair care products like:
- Cleansers
- Moisturisers
- Skin and hair oils
- Body wash
- Shampoo and conditioner
- Shave oils
- Body scrubs
Its variety of skin and hair benefits are why we use jojoba oil in so many of our products. It also works well with various other ingredients, making it incredibly versatile. It also doesn't contain cholesterol or triglycerides, so jojoba oil may be the next trending oil in healthy cooking!
Beauty Benefits
To understand what makes jojoba oil so good for the skin, we have to understand what it is. Despite its name, jojoba oil is a wax that’s incredibly similar to the natural conditioners our skin produces (it’s the closest thing we’ve found). That means it conditions the skin while controlling oil and doesn’t clog pores like coconut oil. It’s also:
- A natural humectant (it attracts water to the skin to moisturise)
- Naturally antibacterial and antifungal
- A natural source of vitamin E (which makes it great for anti-aging!)
- Hypoallergenic
- Naturally soothing and a great way to treat skin irritation and conditions like eczema and psoriasis
Treat yourself!
