All You Need to Know about Jojoba Oil
Jojoba oil is a common ingredient in hair and skincare products, and is gaining popularity because of its effective results, but there’s lots more to know about jojoba oil, and the more you know, the more you’ll find ways to incorporate jojoba oil into your beauty routine.
Where Does Jojoba Oil Come From?
Unlike many so-called beauty oils on the market, jojoba oil is not a synthetic oil. Synthetic oils are manufactured in labs, modeled after natural oils, but they’re not natural themselves. Commercial manufacturers make synthetic oils because they’re cheaper and more available. Unfortunately, that translates into poor quality and fewer, if any results for proper beauty needs.
Natural Oil
Jojoba oil is a natural oil derived from the seed of the jojoba plant, also called Simmondsia chinensis. Jojoba oil is also known as Simmondsia Chinensis oil. The world's best jojoba oil originates from Israel—the world's key supplier of jojoba oil. The southern part of Israel’s climate and geological conditions are ideal for growing the jojoba plant.
Process
It takes three years for the jojoba seed to mature and produce more seeds. During that time, farmers carefully tend to the plants, using a drip irrigation method that delivers just the right amount of water. Careful handling and extraction methods have been honed to perfection by Israeli providers of this special oil.
Superb Ingredient
Up to 50% of each seed’s weight is comprised of the oil. When extracted from the seed, jojoba oil is also named jojoba wax, because of the oil’s consistency resembling wax. This consistency, due to its chemical composition, gives jojoba oil a long shelf life. While many other oils like olive and vegetable oils grow rancid after a time, jojoba oil stays fresh even without the use of refrigeration. Jojoba oil is a natural fungicide, which makes it resistant to mold. This quality makes for a superb ingredient for those interested in making homemade beauty products.
What’s Special About Jojoba Oil?
Jojoba oil is different from other natural oils in that it closely mimics our skin’s own natural oils. In fact, it’s close to sebum, which the skin secretes to stay moisturized. Jojoba oil is an emollient, ideal for skin and hair care. It’s also noncomedogenic—a long way of saying it doesn’t clog pores. Other benefits include:
- Palmitic Acid –a saturated fat with antioxidant properties.
- Stearic Acid – a fatty acid that provides the emulsifying effects of jojoba oil.
- Oleic Acid – another fatty acid also present in olive oil and which provides nourishing and moisturizing benefits to skin and hair.
- Vitamin E – renowned for its ability to block free radical damage—one the major causes of aging.
- Vitamin B Complex – a combination of B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B9, B12, biotin, choline and inositol. They work in synergy to improve skin tone and elasticity, as well as provide an assortment of other beauty related benefits.
- Silicon – Silicon imparts a smoothness and softness to the skin and hair and why Jojoba oil does wonders for hair care.
What Conditions is Jojoba Good For?
With all these benefits and more, isn’t it time you incorporated jojoba oil into your skin and hair beauty regimen? If you have common skin and hair issues like the following, chances are jojoba oil is the answer you’ve been looking for.
Dandruff
Even though many symptoms of dandruff, such as white flakes, show up in your hair’s tendrils, the root of dandruff cause is dry scalp. Many commercial shampoos can cause or worsen a dry scalp condition. Jojoba oil has moisturizing properties that treat dry scalp, quickly leaving you dandruff free.
Dry Skin
Everyone experiences dry skin one time or another. It may be due to an internal problem, dry air, or the effect of drying ingredients used on the skin. Whatever the cause, using products containing jojoba oil can reverse dry skin condition.
Skin Infections
Minor skin infections and irritations can be successfully treated with jojoba oil—a natural fungicide, which means that many of the leading causes of skin infections can be eradicated with the use of jojoba oil.
Athlete Foot
Athlete’s foot is caused by having your feet encased in a dark, warm and moist environment, where bacteria can grow. This itchy and sometimes painful condition responds very well to jojoba oil. The oil’s anti-fungal properties kill bacteria and provide beneficial vitamins that promote rapid skin healing.
Brittle Nails
If you desire long nails but suffer from brittle nails and cracking, jojoba oil is all you need to keep nails and cuticles moist and strong.
Dry Hair
Although hair strands aren’t composed of living cells, they do respond to the right treatment. Regular applications of jojoba oil can turn even the frizziest hair into silky soft locks that you can’t stop running your hands through. Be sure to pour the oil into a second vessel before using it to dip your applicators and cotton balls. Pour out only what you need, so that the opening around the bottle stays clean. One way to tell a quality brand is if the bottle comes with a dropper to help keep the ingredients from interacting with the applicator. When choosing jojoba oil to use for skin, nails and hair, quality is essential. Choose jojoba oil that’s been cold-pressed, organic and unrefined. This will ensure you’re using the purest form of jojoba oil available.