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Jojoba Oil
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Jojoba is pronounced as “ho-ho-bah”. It has come to be widely called an oil but it is in fact a liquid wax from a shrub called Simmondsia chinensis. Jojoba was traditionally grown and used in North America but it is now grown in Australia, with large plantations thriving in inland regions. It is a well known anti-inflammatory, moisturiser, and restorer. The structure of jojoba, and especially the pure golden jojoba, is perfect for use as a carrier for skin care products as it is very similar to the natural wax esters in the sebum produced by human skin. This makes it great for the skin, nails and hair. As well as being a common carrier for skin care products, it is also used as a carrier oil for essential oils that are used in aromatherapy. (Jojoba is the main base carrier for cosmetics).
Massage
Long chain carbon molecules in golden jojoba give it a smooth and silky feel on the skin. It is the premium lubricant for all types of massage. Beyond the soothing effect of massage jojoba leaves the skin feeling soft and moisturised.
As jojoba is a liquid wax it does not stain towels like massage oils can do.
Jojoba and Skin Care
Jojoba oil has many uses when it comes to the skin. The golden liquid wax can penetrate the lipid layer of the skin, leaving soft, dry feeling, and it slows down the loss of moisture from the skin, as well as improving its flexibility and elasticity. Jojoba stabilises and maintains the intercellular structure of the skin, and penetrates deeply into the skin – keeping the bacteria out and allowing the skin to maintain and heal itself without having to battle the problems that are caused by poor skin health. It mixes readily with skin sebum and dissolves dried sebum that may clog skin pores as blackheads. Golden jojoba can be used as a pure ingredient or as a component to other ingredients. Because it gives the skin better elastic properties, it is good for treating and preventing stretch marks. Golden jojoba is also good for reducing skin inflammation and stopping the skin from flaking. Even though it is not an oil, jojoba is great for oily skin as it penetrates deeply and merges with the skin sebum, tricking the skin into regulating its own production of sebum.
Jojoba can be used as a cleanser for the skin, and it is great if you have had a late night and just want to go to bed, as it is very quick to use. As it is the base carrier in your cosmetics jojoba is an outstanding make up remover. It instantly mixes with itself and even eye make up just wipes away! It is a great moisturiser for the hands and nails, as well.
Jojoba and Hair Care
Many scalp problems are caused by the accumulation of (dried) sebum, which stops the capillary follicles of the hair from breathing properly. This can cause scalp problems such as scaling and, if this is not treated, the hair follicles can become retarded to the point where they release the hair or even eventually die. Jojoba can quickly penetrate the scalp and loosen and dissolve the hardened accumulation of sebum. It can also be used to remove any buildup of hair care products. It is also very hydrating to the hair. Regular massage with jojoba oil is stimulating and refreshing for both the scalp and the hair.
Medicinal Applications for Jojoba
Jojoba is becoming a popular carrier for medications that need to penetrate through the skin in order to work correctly. It is also important in the application of band aids, helping the band aids to not stick to healing skin. Jojoba also helps to reduce the appearance of scars. It can be used to treat skin conditions such as psoriasis, acne, cold sores, rashes, chafing, dermatitis, eczema and rough skin. This is because it has strong antibacterial and antifungal properties. It is also great for treating bruises.
Jojoba Meal
The fruit of the jojoba shrub is a bean that comes from the flower of the female jojoba plant. It ripens in the sunshine before maturing and falling to the ground where it dries naturally. About 50 percent of the mass of the bean is the golden wax, which is released when the bean is cold pressed. The remaining solid material is called jojoba meal, which has a semi-dry, fine, granular texture, and contains two to three percent of residual liquid wax. The residual wax gives jojoba meal a pleasant feel on the skin, and is a much sought after skin scrub. It is used as a skin scrub or added as an ingredient in manufactured skin products such as soaps.
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