What Is the Chemical Formula for Jojoba Oil?
Jojoba oil is commonly used to moisturize skin and hair and is found in many skincare and beauty products. Jojoba oil is pressed from the jojoba seed. The jojoba plant, (Simmondsia chinensis) grows in the desert as a shrub so jojoba oil is technically a plant wax. It has a light sun protection factor but should not be used as a primary sunscreen.
It is available as pure jojoba oil or in many skincare and hair products. It is not ingested internally. The chemical profile of jojoba oil has not been established as even the National Institutes of Health do not have any published clinical studies on this plant on its profile.
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Identification
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Jojoba oil is used widely in cosmetics, skin care and hair care products as a replacement for very expensive spermaceti, made from sperm whale oil. Manufacturers who market organic or natural cosmetics use jojoba in many of their products.
Jojoba oil is what is known as a monoester oil, with long chain fatty acids and fatty alcohols. Most plant oils are either trimesters or monesters.
Features
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Jojoba oil is very similar to sebum, the oils secreted on human skin that keeps it moist. Overproduction of sebum can be problematic but jojoba oil is suitable even for sensitive skin. It can be used as a light sunscreen, combed through dry hair as a leave-in conditioner and hair sunscreen, too. Jojoba oil is a wax but has a light texture. It can be used to clean the face of makeup, for example, as it won't irritate the skin.
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History
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Jojoba oil has been used for centuries by Native Americans in the U.S. to soothe cuts and burns on the skin. In 1822, the jojoba plant was named by H.F. Link, a botanist, who named the plant after another botanist, T.W. Simmonds. While many cosmetics and skin care products were made from spermaceti from sperm whale oil, once the U.S. banned whale hunting, the use of jojoba oil increased. Today, jojoba is easily available at health food stores and also online.
Considerations
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Although jojoba oil is appropriate for most people, always do a skin patch test before using a new product on your skin.
Apply a small amount on your inner elbow and cover with a small bandage. Leave for 24 hours. If you develop any skin irritation, discontinue use and clean the oil from the skin. Organic jojoba oil is available in most health food stores and online and is very reasonably priced at about $9 to $10 for a 4-ounce bottle.
Warning
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Do not use jojoba oil as a sunscreen; it does not provide enough sun protection factor for most people. It can be used on the skin as a moisturizer, but it is still wise to apply a stronger sunscreen of at least SPF 15. As with any plant-based oil, it is possible to be allergic to jojoba oil. Do the skin patch test described above before using the oil on a large area of your skin or hair.
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