Natural Ingredients: The Benefit of Jojoba Oil

Jojoba oil is native to the Sonora Desert of northwestern Mexico, Arizona, and Southern California. The oil is gathered from the crushed bean of a jojoba shrub, a woody evergreen that can grow as tall as 15 feet and live from one hundred to two hundred years.

It takes some time to produce the precious jojoba oil. The jojoba shrub begins to flower in the Spring. By August, the green fruit begins to appear and as it dries in the desert heat, its outer skin shrivels and pulls back to expose a wrinkled brown soft-skin seed. This seed is what we know as a jojoba nut or jojoba bean.

The jojoba nuts are about the size of an olive. They contain odorless vegetable-like oil with fantastic properties. For hundreds of years, Native Americans have used jojoba oil to treat sores, cuts, and burns. They also use this oil as skin and scalp conditioner.

Jojoba oil is stable oil. It does not go rancid, as it is not really an oil but a polyunsaturated wax, similar to sperm whale oil but minus the scent. It takes 17 pounds of jojoba seeds (there are about 1,700 seeds in a pound) to produce a gallon of jojoba oil, making this product quite expensive in the market.

Jojoba oil is hypoallergenic, does not clog pores, and be used directly on the face, body, and scalp and hair to soften skin. It reduces stretch marks and wrinkles, and makes a good healing agent. Those with sensitive skin and troubled complexions may apply a few drops of jojoba oil onto the ace after a shave. Keep in mind that when using this oil, a little goes a long way. Just a few drops can be enough to care for your skin throughout the day.

Jojoba oil is available at most health stores and online. Most popular are pure, cold-pressed and unrefined jojoba oil with prices that range from seven dollars to twenty-five dollars, depending on the amount of oil you may need. Look for USDA certified organic jojoba oil that can be used for both hair and face.