Jojoba Oil

Jojoba Oil: Uses, Benefits, & Blends

Jojoba Oil virtually transformed the beauty industry, saving thousands of sperm whales. In 1971, the United States banned the importation of whale products forcing scientists to identify products that could replace the spermaceti wax they had formerly used. Research eventually uncovered that Jojoba, already beloved for its effects on sunburn and chapped skin, by many of the indigenous tribes of the Americas, was not only equal but superior to any of the animal products they had formerly used. Jojoba Oil has almost entirely replaced animal ingredients.

Jojoba Oil is cold-pressed from seeds that grow on a woody, evergreen, desert shrub that grows in the Sonoran Desert in Southwestern America. Jojoba grows as either male or female trees. Only the female bears seeds, and not until its fifth year. It will take 12 years to reach maturity when it will have grown to an approximate maximum height of 7ft.

The seeds, which are produced in the summer, resemble coffee beans and are about 1.5cm long. 

Early Spanish explorers recorded how they had seen the indigenous peoples of the desert using Jojoba Oil as hair and body oils and for skin salves. 

They, too, became advocates and converts to using Jojoba Oil, with one missionary, Father Valardes, referring to it as “The wonderful gift of the desert” in 1716. Mystical properties were ascribed to Jojoba Oil and its ability to heal sores, scratches, and open wounds. 

Jojoba Oil Benefits: Hair, Face, Skin, and Acne

The science of this ingredient helps us to understand much more about Jojoba Oil benefits, especially for skin, hair, and acne treatments. 

Fundamentally, we should know that chemically it is closer to a wax than an oil. Containing no triglycerides, it now becomes an incredibly stable product. Whilst we cite a shelf life of 1-2 years, according to Len Price, in Carrier Oils for Aromatherapy and Massage (4th Edition), when kept carefully, Jojoba Oil can remain good for use for as long as 25 years.

It has strong thermal stability, so if placed into a refrigerator, it will solidify but will reliquefy when returned to temperatures above 10 degrees c.

For ease then, even though Jojoba (pronounced Ho-ho-ba) is technically a vegetable wax, from this point on we will continue to refer to it, as everyone else does, as an oil.

Jojoba Oil is predominantly composed of polyunsaturated fats as well as vitamins B and the skin superfood, E. In addition, it is rich in zinc, copper, iodine, and chromium. Its fats include oleic, gadoleic, and erucic acids, all of which have benefits for the skin.

Jojoba Oil for skin

The astonishing thing about Jojoba Oil is its waxy composition is almost identical in texture to human sebum. Our skin secretes sebum to moisturize the skin and create a barrier against infection from the outside world. Many of our skin issues happen because of some kind of disruption to this barrier. 

Jojoba Oil for Face

Dry skin is naturally attributed, in part to inadequate levels of sebum, so Jojoba can replicate it, forming a wax barrier over the skin, trapping moisture below and thus hydrating it.

Conversely, oily skin and seborrhoea are a result of the body’s internal sensors going a bit haywire (usually because of hormone imbalance) and continuously instructing the sebaceous glands to secrete. Incredibly, when the sensors detect Jojoba’s barrier, it tricks them into turning the volume down on their production, thus reducing greasiness on the skin. 

Similarly, the wax has a similar pH. to the sebum, so again balances out acidity on the skin.

The waxy barrier protects the skin and so lends itself well to salves, lip balms, and cuticle creams, for example. 

Whilst Jojoba’s appeal for the face is obvious, savvy therapists mostly create products for evening use. Its anti-grease effects are one of its most attractive selling features, but they are not immediate. For the first few minutes after application, it does leave a high sheen residue on the skin. Thus, if used for an Aromatherapy facial, routines are best constructed with essential oils placed into Jojoba Oils at the beginning of a treatment, rather than at the end.  

A top tip for this is to use Jojoba Oil as a cleanser. It is a fabulously efficient makeup remover, able to cut through even eye make-up. 

Jojoba Oil for Acne

As noted, Jojoba Oil would make a great cleanser for acne. It is hydrating, and balancing and because it is so close to sebum, does not clog the pores. Use Jojoba to extend your acne home treatments, in cleansing lotions, detoxifying and/or moisturizing face masques, and, of course, in nourishing night creams. Most carriers would be way too heavy to create such a full range of products for someone with acne, however Jojoba Oil would be lovely.

Jojoba Oil for Hair

In the same way, if the scalp has too little sebum, we get itchy and flaky skin, so it’s easy to see why Jojoba Oil is a common component in shampoos and conditioners too. 

A 1985 study included a photograph proving that Jojoba Oil not only coats the skin but absorbs into it. The picture showed how the oil had collected in a pool within the hair follicle and penetrated down into the corneal layer.

Its predominant chemistry of monosaturated acids means it has a comparatively low saponification level, so it does not lather well. Perhaps the most effective application of using Jojoba Oil for hair, then, is in masques.

Jojoba Oil Uses: For Wholesale Purposes

Jojoba Oil for Aromatherapists

Jojoba Oil benefits for face creams have probably been exhaustively covered here, but consider as well, how easily it absorbs in massage. Perfect for facial and body massage treatment as well as home care preparations. 

If you have men’s ranges, Jojoba Oil makes a fabulous prepper for shaving, conditioning the complexion, and allowing for a closer shave followed by nourished skin. 

Incidentally, Jojoba Oil is a great neutral base for diluting absolutes. 5% dilutions of Jasmine absolutes make gorgeous handmade perfumes, for example. 

Jojoba Oil Benefits for Soap Makers

Jojoba Oil has a sap value of 00.693. It makes an interesting,  although probably quite expensive, addition to handmade soaps. It is best used in small amounts, and if it is added, the temperature of your mix needs to be reduced. 

Fundamental to a good soap mix is “the trace”, which is the point when the carrier oils are blended enough with the lye to make a stable emulsion. In effect, this is the point of no return, as it starts to thicken, and it means that the oils and lye are no longer in danger of separating. 

The chemical structure of Jojoba Oil means the trace happens much faster. Too fast, so the temperature of the concoction needs to be brought right down so the blend comes together slowly and more cohesively. 

The waxiness means your soap will not dry as hard. It only lathers slightly and has a mild cleansing action. 

If you do want to exploit Jojoba Oil’s moisturizing and conditioning properties, you can go to dilutions as low as a tablespoon of jojoba in blends of as much as 3 lbs of other carriers. 

Incidentally, there are four different extractions of Jojoba Oil. At VINEVIDA, we stock the most luxurious rich golden oil that adds a little luxury to the appearance of your soap.

Jojoba Oil Blends: DIY Recipes

Lemon Balm Lip Balm 

(Makes about 10 tubes, alternatively use small pots)

• 1 cup of grated Beeswax
• 1 tbs Jojoba Oil (Simmondsia Chinensis)
• 2 drops Lemon Balm Essential Oil (Melissa Officinalis)
• 4 drops Roman Chamomile (Anthemis Nobilis)

Method of preparation

Melt wax in a double boiler, then add the jojoba, and stir thoroughly until mixed

Remove from the heat and add the Melissa

Pour into containers including new or used lip balm tubes. 

Wait about 20 minutes for the balm to cool and solidify, clean off any residue, and put on the tops.

Safety: Not suitable for use on babies under 2, or during the first 16 weeks of pregnancy. 

Nourishing Cream for Acne 

• 1 cup Emulsifying Wax
• 1 tbs Jojoba Oil (Simmondsia Chinensis)
• 1 tbs Almond Oil (Prunus Amygdala)
• 1 drop Jasmine Absolute Oil (Jasminum Grandiflorum)
• 2 drops Tea Tree Essential Oil (Melaleuca Alternifolia)
• 1 drop Helichrysum Essential Oil (Helichrysum Splendida)

Melt the wax in a double boiler then add the oils when it has turned fluid. 

When all ingredients are completely melted remove from the heat and add essential oils. 

Decant into sterilized jars, and leave to cool with the lids off. 

Clean off any residue, and put tops on when the cream has set. 

Precautions

No specific contraindications with Jojoba Oil.

Why Choose VINEVIDA?

At VINEVIDA, we love botanicals and the planet they come from. We believe in stocking the best at affordable prices and supplying to the discerning, which is why we are also members of both the Alliance of International Aromatherapists and the National Association of Holistic Aromatherapy.

Our joy at seeing people make beautiful things means we stock from the smallest amounts to the largest. Our wholesale carrier oil prices begin with our smallest carrier oil of 120ml to our largest of 396lb, meaning any manufacturing company can afford to stock as many or as few oils as their business can accommodate without running the risk of spoilage of some of nature’s most precious commodities. Why not see if you can save money by buying your jojoba oil in bulk? Remember how stable it is proven to be, so as long as you store it carefully, it should last and last.

Don’t forget too, we like to look after our customers with reasonable prices and excellent customer service and reward the loyal ones with money-off discounts over the year. 

Flash Point

230°C

Conclusion

Why not check out if you qualify for our loyalty scheme and start saving today with an environmentally friendly choice of oil for skin, hair, massage oils, and soap making.

Add VINEVIDA Jojoba Oil to your cart today. 

References:

Dunn, Cari. Carrier Oils: A beginner's guide to using over 40 carrier oils in bath and beauty recipes. (p. 27). Cari Dunn. Kindle Edition.

Safety Data Sheet
Certificate of Analysis
GCMS Analysis