Simple Ways to Use Jojoba Oil for Hair, Face, and Body

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Benefits and uses of Jojoba Oil
Wellness Mama » Blog » Natural Remedies » Simple Ways to Use Jojoba Oil for Hair, Face, and Body

I’ve used jojoba oil for years in my homemade lotion recipes among other personal care products, so I’m well aware of the amazing moisturizing benefits of jojoba oil. But there are many more benefits than as a simple (but amazing!) moisturizer.

What Is Jojoba Oil?

Jojoba (pronounced hoh-hoh-bah) is a liquid wax that closely resembles the natural oils of the skin (sebum). That’s right, jojoba oil isn’t an oil at all but is actually a liquid plant wax.

This amazing oil comes from the seed of the jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis) plant. This plant is native to hot arid areas of the U.S. including southern California and Arizona, as well as some parts of Northern Mexico.

Jojoba is best known for its moisturizing properties. It draws moisture to the skin and adds moisture without feeling greasy. It also helps the production of the acid mantle, balancing the pH that protects skin from harmful bacteria.

Incredibly stable compared to other vegetable oils, jojoba won’t go rancid easily. It’s also odorless. That means jojoba oil is a smart choice for cosmetics and health and beauty products.

Jojoba Oil: History of This Super Oil

Though Native Americans used it to treat skin sores and wounds and probably much more, modern societies have only been using this jojoba since the 1970s.

For roughly 100 years, sperm whales were hunted for the semi-waxy oil found in their head. This oil was used for everything from cosmetics to oil lamps to industrial lubricants. When these whales became endangered in the 1970s, whaling was outlawed and jojoba oil became more popular.

Jojoba oil is a similar waxy oil with similar composition, making it an excellent substitute for whale oil. It can be harvested without killing an endangered animal, so there’s that too.

Today, 40,000 acres of desert land in the southwestern U.S. is used to cultivate jojoba plants for their oil. Because few other in-demand crops can be grown in the same climate, jojoba cultivation is good for the land (if done sustainably) and the communities in those areas.

Proven Benefits of Jojoba Oil

Jojoba oil is an excellent moisturizer which is why it’s an ingredient in so many cosmetic products, but there are other benefits to this desert wax.

In addition to being a great moisturizer, jojoba oil is:

  • similar to skin’s natural sebum (it moisturizes without causing greasiness)
  • anti-fungal
  • high in vitamins and minerals that support healthy skin (vitamins E & B-complex, zinc, copper, selenium, chromium, and high levels of iodine)
  • antioxidant
  • healing
  • antibacterial
  • anti-inflammatory
  • long-lasting (shelf stable for a year or more)
  • safe for topical use for most or all people (including kids and babies)

Jojoba Oil Uses: The Many Ways to Reap the Benefits

Jojoba oil has many (sometimes surprising) uses making it a great oil to keep on hand.

Moisturizer

As mentioned, jojoba oil is an amazing moisturizer and absorbs into the skin much the way natural sebum does. Because it resembles natural sebum and helps regulate oil production, jojoba is great for oily, dry, and normal skin (or for those times when the skin is all three at once!).

Add it to homemade cosmetics or use it alone for dry skin patches or to balance the oil on the face. Jojoba can also be used on cuticles, wrinkles, and stretch marks!

Makeup Remover

Because jojoba is so close to sebum and doesn’t clog pores, it’s an excellent way to remove makeup without drying out the skin. Place a few drops of jojoba oil on a cotton ball and swipe on skin. Doing this before cleansing can help the cleansing method work better.

Oil Balancer

It may seem strange to put oil on oily skin but it works. Like oil cleansing, jojoba oil works in two ways. First it works by clinging to oils and sweeping them away. It also works by hydrating the skin so that the sebaceous glands (the glands that make natural sebum) don’t go into overdrive.

When skin is dried out from overwashing, the sebaceous glands compensate by producing more sebum. Obviously, this can cause a vicious cycle of oily skin. Jojoba oil helps regulate sebum production, reducing oil and balancing the skin.

Lip Balm

Because it’s so moisturizing, jojoba oil can be used as a lip moisturizer. It’s a common ingredient in homemade lip balms but can be used on its own as well (who hasn’t run out of lip balm in the middle of a dry winter). For a quick DIY lip balm, melt some cocoa or shea butter with jojoba oil and cool in lip balm tins or tubes.

Skin Condition Treatment

Skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis are often accompanied by dry skin and inflammation. Jojoba works well to hydrate the skin as well as reduce inflammation. It can also help fight the fungal infections that often arise from eczema and psoriasis rashes.

Hair Oil

Jojoba is versatile and healing. For frizzy hair (ever seen toddler bedhead?), jojoba oil can hydrate and smooth the hair shaft. It can also help treat dandruff when massaged into the scalp while shampooing. This moisturizing oil is great for keeping dry baby hair from getting too tangled (at least until the next haircut!). For the men in the family, jojoba can also work wonders as a beard oil.

Sunburn Treatment

It’s generally not a good idea to use oil on sunburns as it can trap heat inside, but jojoba is technically a wax so it doesn’t cause the same concern. Wax like jojoba or beeswax can actually protect the skin while it heals.

Jojoba contains vitamin E which can help heal the skin from sunburn while it protects it. It also helps reduce peeling. Cover the burn with a few drops of jojoba as needed.

Wart and Foot Fungus Treatment

Jojoba is an amazing anti-fungal oil that can help treat and prevent the blemishes and fungal infections that happen most often on the feet — Athlete’s foot, warts, and toenail fungus. Use a few drops 2 to 3 times a day.

Acne Treatment

Clogged pores are the most obvious cause of acne & blackheads and jojoba oil can help. Since it doesn’t clog pores but can help remove excess oil and dirt, jojoba is a gentle way of improving acne-prone skin. Since it helps speed up cell regeneration, it can also help heal scars associated with acne. (Goodbye high school acne scars!)

Baby (and Kid) Skin Healer

Since jojoba is healing and safe, it’s a great choice for the little ones in the family. Use a few drops on an infant’s cradle cap to fight the bacteria that causes it. Adding jojoba to the bath water is another easy (and complaint free) way to hydrate their skin.

Massage Oil

This moisturizing oil is also great for massaging. Sometimes babies and kids just need a bit of relaxing time with Mom or Dad to process the day. Mix a few drops of essential oils and use as a relaxing massage oil. Just be sure to only use safe essential oils for kids and babies (or leave them out all together).

How to Choose a Quality Jojoba Oil

Since jojoba oil is growing in popularity, it’s not uncommon to find it in a local health food store or even the organic section of your grocery store or pharmacy. I love this brand because it meets all of my requirements:

  • 100% organic – The skin is the biggest organ of the body and everything that goes in it is absorbed to some degree.
  • cold-pressed – Cold pressing ensures that the oil doesn’t lose any of its beneficial properties.
  • 100% pure – Don’t pay for an oil that is cut with other oils or low quality refined jojoba oil. Make sure the jojoba oil you buy is 100% (cold-pressed) jojoba oil.

What is your favorite way to use jojoba oil? Share with me below!

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Katie Wells Avatar

About Katie Wells

Katie Wells, CTNC, MCHC, Founder of Wellness Mama and Co-founder of Wellnesse, has a background in research, journalism, and nutrition. As a mom of six, she turned to research and took health into her own hands to find answers to her health problems. WellnessMama.com is the culmination of her thousands of hours of research and all posts are medically reviewed and verified by the Wellness Mama research team. Katie is also the author of the bestselling books The Wellness Mama Cookbook and The Wellness Mama 5-Step Lifestyle Detox.

Comments

19 responses to “Simple Ways to Use Jojoba Oil for Hair, Face, and Body”

  1. Madeleine Avatar
    Madeleine

    Is jojoba safe to use in oil pulling or other oral recipes such as tooth oils? Thanks!

  2. Diane Avatar

    I LOVE jojoba oil!!! I’m an integrative medicine physician assistant, and I have NO stretch marks from either of my pregnancies. I applied jojoba oil to my belly twice a day as soon as my pregnancy started to show (about 20 weeks with #1 and 14 weeks with #2). Another doctor friend had the same results during her pregnancy!

  3. Katrina Butcher Avatar
    Katrina Butcher

    I ordered the recommended Essential Living Jojoba oil in this article and excitedly opened it as soon as I got it. Ready to put it to use in the Herbal Facial Serum recipe Katie posted. To my surprise, it smelled like a sterile hospital or kind of like burnt wood!!! I thought it’s supposed to have a subtle nutty scent.(?) Has anyone else ordered from the provided link and had this issue? Katie, is this how your product you usually utilize smells? I checked the Amazon reviews after and a few others have had this issue. I normally, always check before I order anything, but I was in a hurry and trusted the research and usage behind the posted link. I’m curious if something has changed in their process to make it smell bad or if my understanding of what Jojoba smells like is all wrong. ? I’d be very appreciative to know everyone else’s experience with the linked oil before I start a return process and look for a different source. ???

    1. Katie Wells Avatar

      I’ve never had that issue before, but definitely contact the company about it, as they have always been very responsive about any issues and take feedback very seriously…

  4. Mimi Avatar

    Is the Essential Living brand USDA certified organic? I dont see the seal on the label from the picture on Amazon and I can’t seem to find a website for this company. It states that it is in the description but without the seal on the product it’s hard to trust.

  5. Tamara Avatar

    I used this oil in combination with Dr Bonner’d peppermint Castile soap to make shampoo

  6. Winona Avatar

    I just clicked on the link for your recommended jojoba oil, and Amazon said it is unavailable. Do you have any other suggestions for jojoba oil?

  7. Jeanne Cocolin Avatar
    Jeanne Cocolin

    I can’t seem to find a search button on this page. Is there one? I was reading about making a lip balm with shae butter and jojoba oil but don’t see a recipe.

  8. Sara Avatar

    Within the past couple of months, I switched to using jojoba oil in place of coconut oil for my face cleansing. I had used the coconut oil for years with good results, but I started getting breakouts constantly, even though I was wearing makeup way less frequently. The jojoba has really helped clear up my skin, with only a few hormonal spots around my period (or when I decide to experiment with wrinkle creams *sigh*).

  9. Andie Avatar

    What do you think is better for a skin moisturizer that will target aging skin? I’ve been using coconut oil with myrhh oil in it. But it looks like jojoba may be a better option?

  10. Kelly Avatar

    Would jojoba be a good carrier oil to use for reducing the appearance of a scar?

  11. Lolly Avatar

    I discovered the benefits of jojoba oil a bit by accident. I was looking for a massage oil but discovered that it drastically eased the itch and inflammation I had on my hands as a result of an undiagnosed allergy to methylisothiazolinone (a ubiquitous and nasty preservative found in cosmetics and household cleaners). This allergic reaction, which was called “eczema” for years and years by doctors.

    Anyway, I now avoid products with MI in them as much as possible and I’ve continued to use jojoba oil as a natural moisturizer and as a curl tamer. As a curly girl, I use leave-in conditioner as a “hair gel.” Sometimes I mix a few drops of jojo oil in there but not too much as you’ll look greasy.

  12. Ilene Avatar

    I have made my own “before bed skin tonic” that I love! I used an old lavender essential oil bottle and put a few drops of tea tree and lemon oil. The lemon helps to brighten my dark spots and the tea tree is for any acne that might pop up. I love it! Anybody know of a way to make a spray for hair with it; like a leave in conditioner?

    1. Joanne Avatar

      Ilene- in regards to your homemade tonic, approximately how much of each of the oils do you use? And how much of the jojoba? Do you massage it into your skin to apply?
      Thanks!

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