Jojoba oil virtually transformed the beauty industry, saving thousands of sperm whales. In 1971, the United States banned the importation of whale products forcing scientists to identify products that could replace the spermaceti wax they had formerly used. Research eventually uncovered that jojoba, already beloved for its effects in sunburn and chapped skin, by many of the indigenous tribes of the Americas, was not only equal but superior to any of the animal products they had formerly used. Jojoba oil has almost entirely replaced animal ingredients.
Jojoba Oil Benefits: Hair, Face, Skin, And Acne
The science of this ingredient helps us to understand much more about the jojoba oil benefits, especially for skin, hair, and acne treatments.
Fundamentally, we should know that chemically it is closer to a wax than an oil. Containing no triglycerides, it now becomes an incredibly stable product. Whilst we cite a shelf life of 1-2 years, according to Len Price, in Carrier Oils for Aromatherapy and Massage (4th Edition), when kept carefully, jojoba oil can remain good for use for as long as 25 years.
It has strong thermal stability, so if placed into a refrigerator, it will solidify but will reliquefy when returned to temperatures above 10 degrees c.
For ease then, even though jojoba (pronounced Ho-ho-ba) is technically a vegetable wax, from this point on we will continue to refer to it, as everyone else does, as an oil.
Jojoba oil is predominantly composed of polyunsaturated fats as well as vitamins B and the skin superfood, E. In addition, it is rich in zinc, copper, iodine, and chromium. Its fats include oleic, gadoleic, and erucic acids, all of which have benefits for the skin.