Jojoba Oil--The Answer to All of Your Beauty Woes

Don't you just love it when you can use one product for more than one thing? Olive oil: Good for your hair, skin, and stir fry... Well..in this blog we'll be talking about JOJOBA OIL. You're probably saying "WTF is a jojoba?". Don't worry. I got you boo. Read on.

Firstly,

WTF is a jojoba?
Jojoba (pronounced ho-HO-ba) is a botanical extract of the seed of the jojoba tree (Simmondsia chinenis). What’s interesting about it is that it isn’t actually an oil, but rather what they call a wax ester.

Why do we care about this "oil"?
Because out of all of the compounds in nature, this wax ester is the most similar to human skin oil (sebum). It is theorized that applying jojoba to the skin can “trick” the skin into thinking it is producing enough oil, thus balancing oil production. The bottom line for us is that jojoba oil is non-comedogenic so we can use it without fear.

• Provides all day moisturization – jojoba oil doesn’t evaporate like water based moisturizers can.
• Very stable – jojoba oil does not become rancid or lose antioxidants even after long periods of storage.

What can we use it for?

• Moisturizer – After dispensing any facial moisturizer onto your palm, try adding a few drops of jojoba oil to make it into a super moisturizer. Flakiness will subside and the moisturizer will have an improved feel on your skin. During the summer, I used Jojoba as my body moisturizer, as opposed to lotion, because it was less heavy and absorbed very quickly into my skin, leaving it soft and moisturized. Also, due to the anti-oxidants in it, jojoba can greatly help to prevent wrinkles or other effects of aging.

• Acne Treatment- It can help to treat and prevent acne symptoms of pimples, blackheads and whiteheads. This oil helps to dissolve the oil production of pimples or blackheads and also helps to break the acne, thus, you can have a smooth acne free complexion. I can attest to this. I have used this on my face for the past 4 months or so and my face is just about perfect and has a wonderful glow.
  
• Make-up remover – Since jojoba oil is not an eye irritant, nor allergenic, you can use it to remove eye makeup. It also easily removes foundation, blush, and lipstick.
• Lip balm – I use jojoba oil from time to time. I just put a few drops on my finger and apply to my lips. Lots of lip balms tend to contain comedogenic (clogs pores) ingredients, so jojoba oil is a nice alternative. As a side note, if you need major help with dry lips, pure petroleum jelly is non-comedogenic and works as well.
• Hair conditioner – You can mix a few drops of jojoba oil into your current conditioner or use it on its own. You can also add it to damp hair before drying. Also, you can add it to dry hair to promote shine. Jojoba oil also moisturizes the scalp, helping prevent dandruff.
• Shave prep - Put jojoba oil on your beard area beneath your shaving cream for a more comfortable shave. This helps prevent razor burn and leaves your skin feeling nice and soft.
• Massage oil – I use this for massages and my skin is very soft and moisturized afterward, without a heavy or "greasy" feeling.
• Before Swimming- Run several drops through your hair before diving in the pool or ocean. The oil will help close your hair cuticle and prevent harmful chemicals from drying your hair.
• Carrier Oil- Although jojoba is great on its own, it can be used as a carrier for essential oils such as peppermint oil, or other beauty treatments as it can "carry" their active ingredients into your pores and skin.
• Cuticle Oil - Rub a drop or two on your hands and cuticles at least once per day to keep them moisturized. If you add a bit of tea tree oil to your jojoba, you have a quick all natural anti-fungal treatment.
  

Final Word

There's so many oils out there, it's easy to get lost in it all. Take your time and research each of them; see what they do for you. After all, everyone's hair and skin needs are different. As for me, I haven't one negative thing to say about my beloved Jojoba. I hope you feel the same. :)