Whether you’re looking for new self-care rituals or opting for a minimalist skincare and haircare approach, then jojoba oil is for you. This versatile oil is not only full of nourishing nutrients, but is incredibly versatile, meaning you can de-clutter your beauty drawer without compromising the results you’re after. From your cuticles to your scalp and face, you can enjoy a range of jojoba oil benefits from regular use simply by including jojoba oil into your self-care routine.
Read on to deep dive into the benefits of jojoba oil alongside its properties, and how to best make use of it in your self-care routine. But first, let’s start with the basics.
What is jojoba oil?
Jojoba (pronounced ho-ho-ba) oil is a pure ingredient harvested from the seed of the jojoba shrub. While this plant has its origins in Mexico, nowadays you can find jojoba oil made in varying locations, like Israel and here in Australia.
The jojoba plant is as impressive as the benefits it brings to your hair and skin. This plant has the ability to thrive in desert climates and harsh conditions that other plants just could not tolerate, let alone flourish in and produce such a potent elixir.
Jojoba oil has been known for its gentle properties and healing nature. But what makes this product so powerful is its ability to penetrate your skin and hair follicles, allowing deep hydration.
How jojoba oil works
The jojoba plant is one of the only plants to have the same molecular structure as a secretion produced by our skin. Our skin produces an oily, waxy layer known as ‘sebum’, which keeps our skin moisturised, plump and waterproof.
As time passes and our body ages, our sebum production begins to slow down, causing our skin to wrinkle, sag and dehydrate.
Our sebum consists of 30% wax esters. Wax esters play a crucial role in the health and look of our skin. They keep our skin healthy, and elastic, and keep our pores open. And it’s these wax esters that share the same molecular structure as jojoba oil.
Because the structures are almost identical, our skin registers jojoba oil as our very own wax esters, allowing it regenerate our cells at a greater capacity than other topicals, making jojoba oil beneficial for our skin, whether it be our body or face.
While it won’t restore your skin or hair health over night, it does replenish, rehydrate and nourish your skin and hair with consistent use more effectively than other oils available.
What nutrients are found in jojoba oil?
What makes jojoba oil so potent is the extensive nutrients it contains:
Omega 6 and Omega 9
Jojoba oil is packed with fatty acids 6 and 9. While Omega 6 helps maintain your skin’s barrier, keeping it smooth, plump and moisturised, Omega 9 keeps your skin soft, elastic and free from inflammation.
Vitamin E
Especially useful during the sunnier months, Vitamin E reduces damage caused by the sun (UV) and keeps your skin soft while helping to retain moisture.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A increases collagen production, keeps your skin elastic, and helps reduce those fine lines.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D plays a huge role in your skin’s line of defence. It protects and rejuvinates your skin by enhancing your skin’s natural immune system. This helps prevent premature ageing by destroying free radicals before they can do any damage to your skin’s health.
But that’s not all jojoba oil contains. Other nutrients you’ll find in jojoba oil include:
- Chromium
- Copper
- Zinc.
How to use Jojoba oil
When it comes to jojoba oil, there isn’t a right or wrong way to use it.
Unlike other oils that require dilution before use, jojoba oil can be applied straight to your face, body and hair. And you’ll still feel the benefits of jojoba oil whether you apply it directly or dilute it with other ingredients to create a serum, mask or scrub, so the choice is yours.
Ultimately, it all depends on what results you’re looking to achieve and what self-care means to you.
If you’d like to feel silky smooth and moisurised all over, then you can apply jojoba oil directly onto your body.
If you’re looking to add more shine to your hair, then a hair mask is the way to go. Or, if it’s the anti-ageing properties you’re after, then we’d recommend adding jojoba oil as a step to your skincare routine.
Whichever way you choose to use jojoba oil, it’s important to make sure it’s agreeable for your skin. One way you can do this is through a patch test.
Patch tests are straightforward and can be completed using household items.
- Simply apply several drops of jojoba oil to a small area of your body, preferably your forearm or thigh, and cover with a bandaid.
- Remove your bandaid after 24 hours to see if any redness, rashes or hives or other signs of irritation have appeared.
- If your skin is still clear after you’ve removed the bandaid, then you’re all set to use jojoba oil.
Jojoba oil benefits for skin
While jojoba oil benefits the skin, face and hair in different ways, there are five main benefits that make this oil deserving of a place in your self-care routine, however you choose to use it.
It’s noncomedogenic
That means it won’t clog your pores and potentially cause skin breakouts like other botanicals such as shea butter or coconut oil.
This means if you’re prone to acne, you can freely use jojoba oil without fear of how your skin will react.
What makes jojoba oil noncomedogenic is that molecular structure we covered before. Because jojoba oil is so close to the makeup of our natural sebum, it doesn’t build up along our skin.
It’s antibacterial
Studies have found that jojoba oil contains antimicrobial and antifungal properties. While it doens’t kill any and all bacteria, it does have an effect on E. coli infections such as salmonella, and candida. While there are still more studies to be done on jojoba oil’s antibacterial properties, the results so far are considered promising.
It’s moisturising
By this point, it’s no surprise that jojoba oil is moisturising for the hair, face and skin. Jojoba oil is considered a humectant ingredient, which means it attracts water to the surface of our skin and hair which promotes hydration and prevents things like dandruff, acne or bacterial infections from occuring.
It’s hypoallergenic
If you aren’t familiar with this term, ‘hypoallergenic’ means jojoba oil is unlikely to cause an allergic reaction. Because jojoba oil is a wax-based substance, it’s unlikely to irritate your skin, which makes this self-care staple safe to use for a range of skin types.
It’s an antioxidant
Remember those nutrients we touched on before, especially that Vitamin E? Well, the Vitamin E that naturally occurs in jojoba oil gives this versatile oil antioxidant properties. It helps skin recover and replenish from day to day damage that occurs from pollutants and other microscopic toxins in our environment.
Jojoba oil for your body
When applied to your body, jojoba oil can garner some powerful benefits.
It can help heal wounds
That’s right. Preliminary studies have shown that jojoba oil has the power to stimulate skin cells to repair and bind together after being cut or scratched. It’s this same ability that makes jojoba oil so beneficial for acne too, and it’s all thanks to the potent Vitamin E found in jojoba oil.
This vitamin E content not only helps heal wounds but also minimise the appearance of scarring.
It can help soothe skin conditions
From psoriasis to eczema and dandruff, jojoba oil has anti-inflammatory properties that soothe irritated and dry skin.
It also works well on sunburn too, and can often be found as the champion ingredient for natural sunscreens. Not only will it rehydrate your skin, but it will also provide some relief to the pain and discomfort that often accompanies sunburns.
How to use jojoba oil for your body
While the possibilities are endless, there are a few options you may choose to consider:
- Use jojoba oil as your cuticle oil to promote nail health
- Apply as after-sun relief to affected areas
- Apply to your full body before moisturising to lock in the moisture and nutrients
- Apply directly to new scars to help the healing process.
Jojoba oil for your face
Jojoba oil has found its way into many skincare routines over the years, and because the results speak for themselves, it’s likely to survive the ebbs and flows of beauty trends. Here are just some of the reasons people are choosing to use jojoba oil for their face.
It promotes collagen synthesis
Collagen is a protein we produce that keeps our skin and joints healthy. As we age, our ability to produce collagen depreciates and our facial structures begin to change. Our skin droops and wrinkles and has difficulty bouncing back.
While the jojoba oil benefits won’t reverse the clock, it can certainly help delay these signs of ageing and improve collagen production.
It may help treat acne
For those suffering from acne, it can be hard to find skin products you can trust. Oftentimes, it can feel daunting to try something new for fear of causing yet another breakout cycle.
But jojoba oil is proving to be beneficial for your face, including if you suffer from acne. Because it’s noncomedogenic and it has anti-inflammatory properties, it has been found to soothe breakouts while moisturising your skin.
How to use jojoba oil for your face
There are many steps in your skincare routine that you could slip jojoba oil in, namely:
- Use jojoba oil as a makeup remover
- Apply jojoba oil to a clean face before adding your serum and moisturiser
- Use jojoba oil as a moisturiser for your lips
- Create a jojoba oil face scrub by mixing it with sugar
- Create a jojoba oil facial by adding it to a clay mask.
Read more about the benefits of the Oil Cleansing Method
Jojoba oil for you hair
Lastly, jojoba oil is beneficial for hair. Whether you’re looking for shinier hair or a little less frizz, even just a little jojoba oil can go a long way.
It can reduce frizz
Because of the fatty acids in jojoba oil, like Omega 6 and Omega 9, jojoba oil has the power to infuse into your hair strand and minimise the appearance of split ends or dryness. This not only promotes volume but also reduces frizz.
It can cleanse and stimulate your scalp
Using jojoba oil to cleanse your scalp comes with a range of benefits. Not only will it promote blood circulation, which will stimulate hair growth, but because of its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, it can also help with scalp irritation and dandruff. It will do this by lifting off any build-up of sebum or grit from your scalp, preventing bacteria from forming.
How to use jojoba oil for your hair
From nourishing your hair to preventing razor rashes, jojoba oil can be used in a myriad of ways:
- Apply to damp hair to prevent frizz
- Apply to freshly shaven areas to soothe irritation
- Apply directly to your scalp to cleanse, stimulate, and soothe dandruff and irritation
- Create your own detangler by adding jojoba oil and your essential oil of choice to one cup of water.
The takeaway
In short, jojoba oil is something of a miracle oil. Not only does it offer versatility of use, but its potent nutrients can tackle a range of issues.
From promoting hair growth to boosting collagen production, all the way to healing acne and minimising the appearance of scars, the benefits of jojoba oil make this oil deserving of finding its way into your self-care routine.
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This post is part of Biome's 'Love You For You' month of celebrating self-love and care.
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