Over the last few years, natural oils have become increasingly popular beauty alternatives when it comes to skin and haircare. In the past, we’ve covered other impressive oils such as argan and tea tree but today, the spotlight is being shone on jojoba oil. From fighting cold sores to treating scalp conditions, this oil truly is a versatile miracle worker and needs a spot in every person’s bathroom cabinet. To learn more beauty benefits of jojoba oil, keep reading!
What is Jojoba Oil?
There’s more to this skin and hair elixir than just its fun name. But before we delve into the benefits of jojoba oil and why we can’t get enough of it, let’s cover what it exactly is, first.
When the liquid from the seeds of a Simmondsia chinensis plant, a native North American shrub, is extracted, jojoba oil is the result. Like many oils, jojoba oil is rich in vitamins and antioxidants like vitamin B, copper, and zinc. But what sets it apart from other oils is its composition, which is more wax-like. Because of this, jojoba oil mimics sebum production, providing natural moisture to skin and hair where needed.
Another notable feature of jojoba oil is that it has a longer shelf life than other oils on the market, so you don’t have to worry about it spoiling too fast. Do, however, keep in mind that the quality of your jojoba oil plays a part in its effectiveness and prolonged usability. When looking to purchase jojoba oil, ensuring that it’s 100% pure, organic, cold-pressed, and unrefined is key, as any other ingredients such as preservatives can generate unwanted side effects and reactions such as redness or dryness.
Now, onto jojoba oil’s beauty benefits!
Benefits of Jojoba Oil for Skin
Treats Acne
As mentioned, when jojoba oil is applied to skin, its chemical composition mimics that of sebum. It not only helps provide moisture where needed but also balances out the amount of oil your skin produces. This ensures that your skin isn’t starving for sebum but isn’t swimming in it either. Another notable feature of jojoba oil is its anti-microbial properties, which make it effective at treating those with acne-prone skin.
These microbes work to repel bacterial growth on the skin, helping to minimize acne formation. Jojoba oil is also an anti-inflammatory, which serves not only as a treatment for common skin conditions like rosacea and eczema, but also the redness that’s often associated with breakouts. Thank you, antioxidants, for targeting inflammation, working your magic, and helping neutralize free radicals. You the real MVP.
Soothes Dry + Irritated Skin
If dryness is your concern, jojoba oil may just become your newest holy grail product. We already covered this oil’s anti-inflammatory properties, which work to soothe irritated skin, but what we haven’t touched on is its ability to prevent moisture loss. Because jojoba oil is a natural humectant (a hygroscopic substance used to keep things moist), it works to form a protective barrier over the skin to lock in hydration. And again, this is made possible because of jojoba’s fatty acids and waxy structure.
Another impressive feature of this oil is that it can also soothe contact dermatitis (AKA red, itchy rashes that form when our skin has reacted with something). This is great for those who often find their body’s shaven areas covered with razor burns. Again, shoutout to the anti-inflammatory properties of jojoba oil, which have also been found to speed up the healing process of wounds.
Fights Cold Sores
No one likes any type of bodily sores, especially ones on the mouth.
Oils such as tea tree, peppermint, and lavender are great at treating these pesky lesions, but they can easily irritate the skin if they aren’t diluted. But the good news is that jojoba oil can be directly applied to cold sores. Jojoba oil contains docosanol, which is a common ingredient in many over-the-counter creams and ointments for treating these kinds of sores. It works by preventing the virus from spreading and entering healthy skin cells and multiplying in number. It also helps to lessen the severity of symptoms such as tingling, burning, and itching.
But do ensure that you apply this oil with a cotton swab or pad and not your bare fingers, as this can spread bacteria and worsen the infection. And don’t pick at either!
Improves Signs of Aging
Youthful skin? Sign us up!
Jojoba oil is rich in vitamin E, a fat-soluble antioxidant that helps shield your skin from harmful rays and neutralize other environmental stressors like air pollution. It also works to close any cracks in the skin, which in turn helps restore and strengthen the outermost layer of your skin (AKA your skin barrier). The amino acids present in jojoba oil work wonders too, as they help to not only hydrate skin but also stimulate the production of collagen. And since our skin loses the ability to naturally produce collagen as we age, you can say that jojoba oil is a favorite among those who are concerned with elasticity, fine lines, and wrinkles. Work in a few drops of this oil to freshly cleansed skin or add it to your go-to daytime sunscreen or evening moisturizer and you’re good to go!
That covers some of the most notable skin benefits of jojoba oil. Now onto what it can do for hair!
Benefits of Jojoba Oil for Hair
Conditions Hair
Not only can jojoba oil’s hydrating sebum-like molecules moisturize skin, but they can help condition hair, too. When hair is brittle and damaged, it’s prone to breakage and developing pesky split ends. Taking a bit of this oil and applying it either directly to your hair and scalp or adding a few drops into your favorite conditioner or hair mask will work wonders for locks that lack life and even luster. It’s also an oil that’s ideal for those with thin or fine hair, as it’s extremely lightweight.
Promotes Hair Growth
If length is what you desire, you’re in luck! Jojoba oil works wonders for those itching to get a few extra inches on their manes.
With jojoba oil’s ability to strengthen every individual strand of hair, attaining longer locks is surely possible thanks to its vitamin and mineral content. The presence of vitamin B, copper, and zinc, for example, work to nourish the hair, strengthen its follicles, and keep the hair’s surrounding oil glands in check to ensure they’re doing their thang. The result? Thicker, longer, and stronger hair. And if hair loss (which can be linked to many factors such as hormonal changes, medical conditions, stressful events, and more) is the concern, applying a few drops to your scalp at night as a leave-in treatment can help prevent future fallout.
Protects Against Damage
Aside from providing hydration, jojoba oil can help protect and preserve hair thanks to its potent antioxidant content, which works to deter free radicals. So, if you’re the type to continuously change up your hair color or use hot tools to style your locks, using a bit of this oil can help preserve the longevity of colored hair and protect it against the damage styling tools often create. Premature color fading? Nuh-uh, honey. Fried and frizzy hair? We don’t want her!
Treats Common Scalp Conditions
No one enjoys scratching their scalp and having what appears as snowflakes fall from it.
But jojoba oil can help break you out of your persistent head rubbing. This oil contains palmitic acid and stearic acid, which are known for providing moisture and protection. Whether used before shampooing or after conditioning, jojoba oil can help relieve irritated scalps and with continual use, lessen the likelihood of pesky flakes from returning.
And that’s all for today, folks! We hope you enjoyed learning all the benefits of jojoba oil and will join us next time when we cover yet another nourishing and nutrient-rich ingredient: shea butter! Until then, you can check out our star shea butter skincare product, our Dead Sea Mud Mask, here. You can also follow us on socials and let us know if you’ve used jojoba oil for any of your beauty needs. Bye for now and…