Jojoba (simmondsia chinensis) is a super-hydrating, nutrient dense oil often used to:
• Hydrate dry skin
• Prevent premature aging of the skin
• Smooth fine lines and wrinkles
• Protect against sun damage
• Help skin complaints including acne vulgaris, acne rosacea, psoriasis, eczema
• As a carrier oil for other skincare ingredients
Jojoba is actually a lightly-textured wax that is extracted from the seed of a woody evergreen shrub.
Jojoba grows in the deserts in America and Mexico, and this harsh and arid environment has resulted in the plant concentrating its active constituents, including long chain fatty acids, palmitic acid, oleic acid, tocopherols and free sterols, into a beautifully hydrating, therapeutic, light-textured wax.
Jojoba wax, which is most commonly referred to as jojoba oil, has a molecular structure very similar to human sebum, which is why it is very hydrating for the skin. It replenishes the sebum levels that naturally deplete with age and which results in skin become dry and wrinkled. So regular use of jojoba and other oils and butters can replace this depletion and be ‘anti-aging’.
The hydrating nature of jojoba oil also helps protect the skin barrier, which protects the skin from environmental damage including UV light.
As well as being very hydrating, jojoba is also suitable for congested skin, skin that is prone to blemishes and/or inflammation. This is because jojoba is non-comedogenic (doesn’t block pores). It actually helps to get rid of excess sebum that gathers round hair follicles and is associated with blemishes and acne.
Due to the fatty-acid makeup of jojoba oil, it penetrates deep into the layers of skin. And it can take other oils with it, so is great when used as a carrier oil for other ingredients, such as butters, flower waters and essential oils. It is also very stable so can help protect other less-stable ingredients, preventing premature-oxidation of a skincare product.
Jojoba oil is a stable oil and has a shelf life of 12 months or more. Always secure the lid back on the bottle and keep the bottle in a cool, dark place away from direct sunlight.