All About Jojoba Carrier Oil

Derived from the seeds of the Simmondsia chinensis botanical, the liquid commonly known as Jojoba Oil is not really an oil but rather a liquid wax ester. The name Jojoba originates from the word Hohowi, a name given to the seeds – or the “beans/nuts” – by the O’odham, a Native American tribe that discovered the versatility of Jojoba seeds. The tribe created and used an anti-oxidant paste made from the nuts for skin and hair care purposes. For medicinal purposes, they used the nut paste or the oil to treat sores, wounds, and burns. Jojoba seeds were sometimes ground to make hot beverages, and in emergency situations or during hunts and raids, the Jojoba nut was eaten for survival. Pregnant women believed that consuming the seeds would ease childbirth. The nut is comprised of 50% wax, which is generally not easily digested, thus it would pass through the intestinal tract of humans unaffected, functioning as a laxative.

In the 18^th century, the indigenous peoples softened the Jojoba seeds by heating them and then, using a mortar and pestle, they ground the seeds into a buttery salve that was meant to be applied as a cosmetic ingredient to the skin and hair as an ointment and a conditioning agent. This salve also functioned as a softener and preservative for animal hides.

Before the widespread use of Jojoba Oil, sperm whale oil products were more pronounced in cosmetic applications; however, when whale hunting became illegal in the 1970s, sperm whale products and the other animal waxes that were used were being banned from being imported. They were replaced with Jojoba Oil products, as it was discovered that Jojoba Oil was similar to its predecessor in terms of providing moisture for all skin types, and in many other ways Jojoba Oil was superior.

Today, Jojoba Oil is largely known and used for its hypoallergenic cosmetic benefits. Comprised of nearly all the vitamins and minerals required to facilitate the growth of healthy skin and hair, it continues to prove its effectiveness on the most sensitive of skin. Jojoba Oil has demonstrated countless advantages such as its ability to hydrate while cleansing and controlling oil production, its ability to improve the look and feel of skin and hair, and its ability to reduce the look and feel of irritation and unwanted marks.

Key Components of Jojoba Carrier Oil

Jojoba carrier oil is rich in beneficial compounds, including fatty acids and vitamins that support healthy skin and hair. Its main components include Gadoleic Acid, Erucic Acid, Oleic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Palmitoleic Acid, Stearic Acid, Behenic Acid, Vitamin E, and Vitamin B Complex.

Gadoleic Acid (Eicosenoic Acid)

• Acts as a lightweight emollient
• Non-comedogenic (won’t clog pores)
• Easily absorbed by the skin
• Helps balance natural oil production

Erucic Acid

• Works as a natural lubricant for skin and hair
• Provides a smooth, non-greasy feel
• Offers oxidative stability
• Creates a silky texture
• A natural alternative to silicone in skincare

Oleic Acid

• Maintains softness and radiance of skin and hair
• Supports stronger, longer hair growth
• Helps reduce fine lines and signs of aging
• Assists in reducing dandruff
• Contains antioxidant properties

Palmitic Acid

• Softens skin and hair
• Leaves no greasy residue
• A common saturated fatty acid
• Provides antioxidant benefits

Palmitoleic Acid

• Helps delay visible signs of aging
• Moisturizes and firms the skin
• Promotes shiny, healthy hair
• Enhances skin brightness
• Improves elasticity

Stearic Acid

• Cleanses dirt, sweat, and excess oil
• Acts as an emulsifier (binds oil and water)
• Helps extend product shelf life
• Conditions and protects hair
• Softens skin

Behenic Acid

• Soothes and hydrates the skin
• Restores natural moisture levels
• Smooths and conditions hair
• Acts as a thickening agent
• Improves overall hydration

Vitamin E

• Powerful antioxidant
• Helps reduce signs of aging
• Supports skin repair
• Prevents moisture loss
• Soothes irritated or damaged skin

Vitamin B Complex

• Helps reduce wrinkles and fine lines
• Improves moisture retention
• Supports healthy hair strength and color
• Helps regulate skin tone
• Promotes faster healing

Benefits for Skin

Jojoba oil is a fast-absorbing, non-greasy moisturizer that nourishes and softens the skin. Its similarity to natural sebum allows it to balance oil production, making it especially helpful for acne-prone skin. It also forms a protective barrier against environmental stressors while keeping skin hydrated, calm, and clear.

Benefits for Hair

In hair care, jojoba oil helps regulate scalp oil production while conditioning dry, frizzy strands. It locks in moisture, reduces dandruff, and supports stronger, healthier hair growth. Regular use can leave hair smoother, shinier, and more manageable.

Medicinal Properties

Jojoba oil offers natural antiseptic and anti-inflammatory benefits. It can help soothe conditions like dryness, irritation, eczema, and minor wounds, while also supporting clearer skin by reducing bacteria and inflammation.

Summary of Benefits

Cosmetic Benefits:
Non-comedogenic, moisturizing, soothing, antioxidant, softening, strengthening, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial

Medicinal Benefits:
Antiseptic, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, soothing, and healing

The Jojoba shrub is a wild, woody botanical that is endemic to the hot, arid regions of southern Arizona, southern California, and northwestern Mexico. It can be found in the Sonoran Desert, the Colorado Desert, and the Baja California Desert; however, Jojoba plantations can be found in other desert and semi-desert areas, such as Argentina, Australia, Israel, Mexico, Peru and the United States. Due to their ability to endure high heat, Jojoba plants can be damaged or can even die if exposed to frost. The Jojoba plant can withstand poor-nutrient soils as well as those with salinity. It can tolerate droughts and requires light, coarse, well-drained, sandy soil with a pH between 5 and 8, thriving on exceptionally small amounts of water per year as well as minimal cultivation. If Jojoba plants are established on heavy soil, their growth is slower, causing them to bloom later and to potentially acquire fungal diseases.

The Jojoba shrub can grow up to 19 feet tall and looks like a small tree with multiple stems. Thick, broad, waxy, and grey-green in color, the Jojoba plant’s oval leaves are aerodynamic, as they stand erect with only the tips visible to the sun, which draws wind-borne pollen from male flowers. Their waxy protective layers, or their “cuticles,” prevent the loss of water while the tree’s taproots tunnel deep into the earth for water.

The flowers of the Jojoba shrub are divided into male and female and grow on separate plants. The flowers grow on 5 or 6 sepals and do not have any petals. The small, pale green female flowers grow in clusters at the nodes. The male flowers also grow in clusters, but they are larger and yellow in color. The pollen of the male flowers is critical for the fertilization of the female flowers, which are pollinated through the wind or with the aid of insects. Once the female plant has been pollinated, its flowers bear the seeds that are rich in oil.

The Jojoba fruit, which grows from the flowers on the sepals of the female plant and is partly enclosed at the base by its sepal, is an ovoid green pod or “capsule” that can contain up to three nuts. A mature Jojoba nut is a dark brown and hard oval that contains the liquid wax or the “oil.” Generally, Jojoba plants begin to produce seeds after the third year of growth, at which time farmers use a drip irrigation method to deliver the ideal amount of water to the plants. After 3 to 6 months after they are fertilized, the ripe Jojoba capsule splits open, which reveals the wrinkled brown seed that is approximately the size of an olive. Typically, Jojoba seeds are harvested by hand, as they do not all mature at the same time, thus sometimes more than one harvest is required.

Jojoba Oil is derived from the cold pressing of its nuts/beans/seeds. After they are placed in an expeller, the nuts have their oil pressed out by the mechanism’s screw. In this method, the oil does not heat up, as heat can cause the loss of some of its beneficial properties, which would render the oil less effective. Unrefined Jojoba Carrier Oil is clear golden in color, liquid at room temperature, and its scent is slightly nutty. Refined Jojoba Oil is colorless and does not have an odor.

The uses of Jojoba Carrier Oil are abundant, ranging from medicinal to cosmetic. Its many forms include oils, gels, lotions, soaps, shampoos, sprays, and candle making.

Jojoba Oil can be used on skin, hair, and nails to cleanse, condition, moisturize, and eliminate or prevent fungal infections. To create a moisturizing face mask, a few drops of Jojoba Oil can be added to a facial clay and applied a few times a week. Applying Jojoba Oil to areas of skin affected by acne will help reduce the appearance and outbreak of pimples and blackheads by regulating sebum production and balancing skin’s natural moisture. For a moisturizer, Jojoba Oil can be mixed with a few drops of a soothing essential oil like Lavender then applied to the body after a bath or a shower for long-lasting hydration. This will leave skin looking and feeling clean, healthy, firm, and youthful without a greasy residue. For a soothing massage oil blend, Jojoba Oil can be used to dilute calming essential oils such as Frankincense or Bergamot. To make a natural makeup remover, a few drops of Jojoba Oil can be added to a cotton ball and wiped across the face with gentle pressure to remove foundation, blush, eye makeup, and lip color. To moisturize and refresh the appearance of dry cuticles and hangnails, Jojoba Oil can be rubbed into the skin around the nails as a cuticle cream.

To clean and moisturize dry hair, a few drops of gently heated Jojoba Oil can be massaged into damp hair to soak into and condition the hair for a few minutes before rinsing it out thoroughly with shampoo. To fix the problem of frizzy hair, a few drops of Jojoba Oil can be massaged into the affected areas of dry hair, avoiding the scalp. For an oil that prevents hair loss and increases hair’s sheen, Rosemary Oil can be added to Jojoba Oil before being applied to the scalp and hair.

For a moisturizing layer of protection on the skin when outdoors, Jojoba Oil can be applied to the face and any other exposed skin to guard it against any harshness from the elements. It can also be applied to the face as a serum and left on overnight for softer, smoother skin. Mixed with an equal quantity of beeswax and applied to the lips, Jojoba Oil can replace traditional lip balms that most likely have petroleum jelly bases. By locking in moisture with its waxy barrier, it protects lips against the drying and damaging effects of the cold and the wind, keeping them looking and feeling supple. For lasting moisture and to repair chapped and cracked areas of skin, Jojoba Oil can be applied after cleansing the affected areas with warm water and patting them dry. The oil will soften calloused areas while preventing bacterial infections from forming in any areas with split skin.

Used medicinally, Jojoba Oil can address fungal infections such as toenail fungus and Athlete’s Foot. When applied to wounds and sunburns, it can facilitate the healing process by effectively eliminating bacteria and reducing inflammation. Those with arthritis and joint pain can use Jojoba Oil blended with pain-relieving essential oils to ease discomfort, as it rapidly penetrates the skin to carry the analgesic properties of the essential oils to the affected areas.

As with all other New Directions Aromatics products, carrier oils are for external use only. Jojoba Oil is known to be safe for most people to use, when applied topically; however, in some instances, it can potentially cause side effects such as rashes. It is recommended that a small skin patch test is conducted on the inner arm to test for any allergic responses. In the event of an allergic reaction, discontinue use of the product. Side effects caused by the use of Jojoba Oil may alternatively be caused by other oils that might have been combined with it, such as in a massage blend.