What You Don’t Know About This Multi-Purpose Beauty Essential
You’ve probably seen it in beauty products like lotions or shampoos. However, do you know what it is? Jojoba oil (pronounced ho-ho-ba) is an odorless, colorless oil that’s similar to your body’s natural sebum.
What Jojoba Oil?
Jojoba oil is actually a liquid wax. It can be extracted of the jojoba seed coming from the Simmondsia chinensis jojoba plant. The shrub is native to the southwestern part of the United States and northern Mexico.
According to Purdue University, jojoba oil is more stable than most other plant oils. Research shows that jojoba oil comes with a long shelf life and never goes rancid. Its stability and affordability make it a popular ingredient in cosmetics and beauty products.
Jojoba Oil Is Full Of Nutrients For Hair Care And Skin Care
Jojoba oil contains the following nutrients:
- Vitamin E – According to Life Extension Magazine, vitamin E easily penetrates the skin to protect it from free radical damage. It helps defend against premature aging and slows down the production of melanin, which causes age spots. Vitamin E’s waterproof barrier keeps moisture in the skin and prevents it from drying out.
- B vitamins – Biotin, a B vitamin, can help improve hair growth and reduce inflammation, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
- Copper – The Copper Development Association Inc. calls copper a “facelift in a bottle.” Copper encourages skin to heal, hair to grow, blood to circulate and the skin’s protective barrier to become stronger.
- Zinc – The Mayo Clinic explains that zinc may be beneficial for treating acne, eczema, dandruff and hair loss.
- Selenium – According to the National Health Research Institute, selenium can improve skin health. One study linked high blood levels of selenium with a decreased risk of cancer.
- Iodine – Iodine has antibacterial properties, according to the Mayo Clinic. The iodine in jojoba oil can help combat the bacteria that cause acne.
Jojoba Oil Keeps Your Oily Skin From Getting Too Oily
Because jojoba oil is similar to the oil that your skin produces, it keeps excess oil at bay. If you apply a light layer of jojoba oil to your face every morning, your oil glands won’t have to do extra work to produce its own oil.
This seems counterintuitive. However, applying jojoba oil to your skin will ultimately control oiliness, especially on the areas of skin that tend to get greasy.
In other words, using jojoba oil topically can fool your skin into thinking that it has already secreted its own oil. This will slow down oil production.
One drop goes a long way. Rub a drop into your forehead and nose to combat shine.
Jojoba Oil Moisturizes
Jojoba oil makes a convenient moisturizer. A few drops applied to clean skin in the morning can keep your face supple all day. Use more at night for more intensive moisturizing benefits.
Don’t limit the oil’s moisturizing prowess to the skin on your face, though. Use jojoba oil as lip balm to soothe dry lips or conditioner for moisturizing dry scalp and fixing your frizzy hair. It also works as an effective moisturizer for the entire body.
The skin on your hands and feet can take a beating. After a shower, smooth jojoba oil onto cracked heels. Pull on socks to hold in the warmth and moisture.
Work a drop or two into your hands several times a day. As long as you don’t use too much, the oil will absorb rapidly without leaving a greasy residue.
Jojoba Oil Helps Fight Acne
Jojoba oil has anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory properties. Many experimental models have showed that topical application of jojoba oil reduces swelling and inflammation. This helps to explain why the oil can reduce the redness and puffiness that often occurs with acne.
According to BeautyHealthPlus.org, the iodine in jojoba oil combats the bacteria that can cause acne. You can treat acne using jojoba oil as a cleanser, a moisturizer, a mask or a spot treatment.
The Oil Cleansing Method
On hot, humid days, you might be tempted to use a harsh cleanser to remove oil. The tight, clean feeling on your skin won’t last long if you’ve stripped it of all of its natural oils.
If you use detergents or soap to cleanse your skin, your oil glands will respond by going into overdrive. The excess oil production will ultimately make your skin feel oilier than it did before you cleaned it.
One of the best things to combat oil is oil. Using jojoba oil to wash your face will help break up the oil that’s already on it.
The jojoba oil mixes with your skin’s sebum. It unclogs pores and removes dirt, oil and dead skin cells. Keeping your pores clean can help prevent and treat acne.
You’ll leave a layer of moisturizing oil on your face when you’re done the cleansing. This will hold in your skin’s moisture and prevent your body from producing extra oil to make up for the cleansing.
To wash your face with oil, follow the instructions below:
- Wet your face with warm water.
- Rub a few drops of oil into your skin using circular motions with your fingers or a cotton ball.
- Soak a washcloth in warm water. Wring it out. Lay the washcloth over your skin until it becomes cool again.
- Rinse the washcloth and repeat step 3 as many times as you desire.
- Use a warm, wet washcloth to gently remove the oil when you’re done cleansing.
Using Jojoba Oil As A Moisturizer For Acne
Keep a layer of jojoba oil on cleansed skin to fight bacteria and maintain a healthy moisture balance. To use it as a moisturizer alone, spread a few drops of jojoba oil on the skin. Blot any excess with tissue.
You can also add jojoba oil to the moisturizer that you already use. Simply add a drop or two to the product and mix it up before applying it to your skin.
Using Jojoba Oil As A Mask
A 2012 study found that adding jojoba oil to clay masks improves the appearance of scarred, acne-prone skin. Bentonite clay can be found in powdered form in health food stores.
To make it into a jojoba oil mask, follow the instructions below:
- Put one tablespoon of bentonite clay in a bowl.
- Add one tablespoon of jojoba oil.
- Stir with a spoon until the paste is smooth.
- Apply the paste to the skin using a circular motion. Add more jojoba oil if the mask is too dry to apply.
- Leave on for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Remove the mask using warm water and a washcloth.
- Apply a few drops of jojoba oil to the cleansed skin as a moisturizer.
Using Jojoba Oil As An Acne Spot Treatment
Applying a drop of jojoba oil directly to acne spots on cleansed skin can help encourage healing and discourage bacteria from growing there. You can use it as a carrier oil such as coconut oil and olive oil with an essential oil to boost its acne-fighting properties.
According to Organic Authority, some essential oils that s work auseful partner for jojoba carrier oil in acne treatment are:
- Tea tree oil (Melaleuca)
- Lavender oil
- Oregano oil
- Bergamot oil
- Rosemary oil
- Frankincense oil
- Castor oil
To use jojoba oil as a spot treatment with an essential oil, dilute a few drops of essential oil in a teaspoon of jojoba oil. Tea tree and oregano essential oils can be especially harsh if applied directly to the skin.
Start by diluting about three to five drops of essential oil per teaspoon of jojoba oil. As you continue to use the mixture, you can experiment with a stronger solution if necessary.
Jojoba Oil Helps The Skin Heal
The antioxidants and iodine in jojoba oil can facilitate healing. Perhaps your skin is visibly damaged. You can see acne scars and age spots.
Applying jojoba oil to the dry skin regularly has been found to improve scars and reduce the severity of age spots. Iodine has been used for centuries for its ability to improve wound healing.
It can also tackle the damage that occurs deep within the skin. This damage is not always visible right away.
Exposure to environmental toxins can damage DNA. The skin’s DNA is also compromised every time it is exposed to UV rays. Certain types of UVA rays can even penetrate glass to damage your skin.
The antioxidants in organic jojoba oil can neutralize free radicals, reversing skin damage. It can take years for your skin to show these signs of damage.
There are also some claims that jojoba oil can lighten stretch marks with continuous use. It helps the user to get rid of the unwanted marks away without the need for expensive treatments.
Using jojoba oil can heal your skin from the inside out. These healing properties prevent wrinkles, age spots and other signs of damage from ever appearing.
Jojoba Oil Can Be Used As A Hair Product
Jojoba oil is not just beneficial for the skin; it can be used to improve the hair’s appearance and health.
If you have dandruff or problems with hair growth, apply jojoba oil to the scalp all the way through hair follicles and tips and rub it in using circular motions. Leave it in for at least 30 minutes. You can also leave it in overnight.
To remove it, shampoo and condition as you normally would. You can also mix jojoba oil with your shampoo and conditioner. Everyone’s hair is different, so experiment with the ratios to reap the maximum health benefits of jojoba oil.
To add shine to your hair, rub one drop of jojoba oil in your palms. Apply to the ends of damp hair. Don’t apply too much, or your hair will look greasy.
How To Buy Jojoba Oil
If you don’t buy pure jojoba oil, you may not get the benefits of this nutrient-rich product. When purchasing jojoba oil for skin care, make sure that you use 100% pure, cold-pressed oil.
Applying a thick layer of oil to your skin could exacerbate skin problems at first. Start gradually with a jojoba oil skin regimen.
An ideal way to implement the oil into your skincare routine is to add it to your regular moisturizer. If that does not cause breakouts, begin cleansing your skin with the oil. Use it as a spot treatment or alone in a thin layer as a moisturizer if your skin responds well to the previous methods.