Jojoba (Simmondsia Chinensis) oil wax
Jojoba oil is a truly remarkable substance that is beneficial to skin in a number of ways. Jojoba is a desert shrub native to the American Southwest and Northern Mexico. Native Americans throughout the region historically used jojoba to address a plethora of medicinal and cosmetic issues.
Unique among plant oils, jojoba is not actually an oil, but rather a wax ester remarkably similar in structure to the wax esters found in human sebum, our skin’s own natural lubricant. As such, use of jojoba oil is able to balance sebum production in all types of skin, whether it is dry, oily, or combination. (1)
Jojoba oil works on your skin in a number of ways. It is easily and deeply absorbed by the skin, allowing the vitamins, antioxidants and fatty acids it contains to work below the surface of the skin.(2) It is a wonderful carrier of active ingredients, being able to pull the active compounds deeper into the skin rather than just having them sit on the surface.
Jojoba also forms a thin protective layer on the surface of the skin that helps seal in moisture and offer protection from harmful environmental pollutants.
Jojoba oil has been used for wound healing and to lessen the appearance of scars and stretch marks. (3)
Jojoba oil is naturally antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial making it ideal for use on skin with problems such as acne, eczema and psoriasis (3). It is rich in natural tocopherols making it effective at fighting free radicals that lead to premature aging, photo damage and wrinkles. This also makes it extremely resistant to oxidation giving it a relatively long shelf life.
Jojoba oil is noncomedogenic and can be used to clean the skin and unclog pores. It is also an excellent moisturizer. In addition to all these other benefits, jojoba is non-toxic and biodegradable.
Jojoba thrives in an environment that is hot, dry and arid, and can grow in soil that most other species of plants are unable to grow in. This has allowed successful farming of jojoba in arid and semiarid environments not traditionally thought of as fertile offering a sustainable income for many people across the globe.
1.Wertz PW. Human synthetic sebum formulation and stability under conditions of use and storage. Int J Cosmet Sci. 2009 Feb;31(1):21-5. doi: 10.1111/j.1468-2494.2008.00468.x. PMID: 19134124.
2. Pazyar N, Yaghoobi R, Ghassemi MR, Kazerouni A, Rafeie E, Jamshydian N. Jojoba in dermatology: a succinct review. G Ital Dermatol Venereol. 2013 Dec;148(6):687-91. PMID: 24442052.
3. Ranzato E, Martinotti S, Burlando B. Wound healing properties of jojoba liquid wax: an in vitro study. J Ethnopharmacol. 2011 Mar 24;134(2):443-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2010.12.042. Epub 2011 Jan 4. PMID: 21211559.
4. Mosovich 1985