Jojoba Oil: A Jack of All Trades for Skincare and Cosmetics
History
As we stated before, the jojoba plant grows in the dry regions of northern Mexico and the southwest United States. Its seeds are rich in oil and liquid wax, which are believed to possess healing properties. Because of this, jojoba oil has long been used in traditional medicines.
Today, jojoba oil is used in several commercial skincare, personal care, and cosmetic products. It’s also used as a carrier oil for aromatherapy.
How it’s made
There are several ways you can make jojoba oil. The best way it can be created is via cold pressing jojoba seeds. Cold pressing is done by using an expeller, a screw-like mechanism, that presses out the oil without heating it up. This is ideal because if jojoba oil gets hot, it loses certain properties and becomes less beneficial.
Uses
Aside from aromatherapy, jojoba oil has many uses. First and foremost, it’s important to mention that it can be applied directly to the skin. The way you use jojoba oil also changes the results. It can be used as an all-natural lip balm to soothe cracked lips, but it can also be used as an anti-aging treatment. You can even mix it with acne-fighting ingredients in a DIY face mask.
Because it’s safe around your eyes, it’s popular both in and as a makeup remover. As stated by Dr. Joshua Zeichner, Associate Professor of Dermatology and the Director of Cosmetic & Clinical Research in Dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, "Because oil dissolves oil, it can be used to bind to and remove makeup.”
Jojoba oil also mixes with many other ingredients, which is why it’s become so common in cosmetic and skincare formulations. More specifically, it’s used with other emollients, oils, and moisturizers.
Some products it is commonly used in are:
Mascara
Eye makeup remover
Eye shadows
Eyeliner
Eyebrow pencils
Lip color
Concealers
Foundations
Face powder
Blush
Shampoo
Permanent waves
Hair relaxers
Hair spray
Conditioner
Soap
Deodorant
Moisturizers
Face and neck creams
Face cleansers
Body lotion
Benefits
So with that many uses, it must have a slew of benefits right? 100% correct.
Let’s start with the fact that jojoba oil is an emollient. That means it soothes skin and unclogs your hair follicles. It’s also a humectant, which allows it to seal your skin with a protective barrier to keep it from losing moisture. This may help prevent bacterial infections, acne, and even dandruff.
Speaking of preventing bacterial infections, jojoba oil has antimicrobial and antifungal properties. While it doesn’t kill all bacterial and fungal infections, it does kill the type of bacteria and fungi that cause salmonella and candida.
Jojoba oil also contains the antioxidant Vitamin E. This means it helps your skin fight oxidative stress caused by exposure to pollutants and other toxins. And because jojoba oil is so similar to the sebum your body naturally produces, it’s considered noncomedogenic. This makes it less likely to clog your pores and cause acne.
Because it’s so similar to sebum, it also helps regulate sebum production. So when you use it to create silky smooth skin, it sends signals to your skin follicles and lets them know they don’t have to produce additional sebum
Jojoba oil also might help speed up wound healing. Studies suggest that this happens because jojoba oil encourages skin cells to bind together after you’ve been scratched or cut. This may also be the reason why jojoba oil can treat acne and acne scarring.
In addition to its healing properties, jojoba oil is an anti-inflammatory which makes it a great treatment for eczema, psoriasis, and other drying skin conditions.
Allergies
In general, jojoba oil is seen as hypoallergenic and seen as nonirritating, unlike other botanical essential oils. With that being said, there have been rare occurrences where jojoba oil has caused adverse reactions.
If you’re hoping to soak in all the great benefits of jojoba oil but are worried about reactions, we recommend doing a patch test or talking to your dermatologist.
It is important to note that instances, where jojoba oil has been linked to allergic reactions, could have occurred due to the quality of the jojoba oil. Much like olive oil, not all jojoba oil is created equally. The EWG has different ratings for it depending on the ways it’s processed.
The Takeaway
Overall, jojoba oil gets a gold star from us. It can treat anything from cuts to acne to wrinkles, nearly anyone can use it, and it’s all-natural! Just make sure the kind you use, or the products you use that have jojoba oil in it, are high quality.
