Jojoba Oil (aka Jojoba wax)
Simmondsia chinensis
If you could have only one carrier oil to use in your aromatherapy practice or personal care products, I would strongly suggest organic Jojoba wax. It is versatile, safe, non-toxic, and highly stable making it the most popular carrier oil used in aromatherapy today. We use it in every class at the Aromatic Wisdom Institute for everything from massage blends, to body butter to foaming hand soap. I even use it at home to polish my wood furniture!
Jojoba “oil” is produced from the beans of the Simmondsia chinensis plant. The Jojoba plant is a perennial woody shrub native to the desert regions of southern Arizona, southern California, and northwestern Mexico. Jojoba is (pronounced ho-HO-ba)
In truth, Jojoba isn’t an “oil” since oils contain triglycerides, which are fragile and oxidize (become rancid). This is great news because not only will it not become rancid, but it will extend the shelf life of other oils! So if it’s not an oil, what is it? Jojoba is actually a liquid wax ester, much like the esters humans produce in their skin. This also means it is temperature sensitive and hardens when cold. You might want to take that into consideration when making products for different climates.
Because of its high compatibility with the skin, Jojoba is considered to be an excellent addition to skincare products for every skin type. Commercially, it’s used in hair shampoos and conditioners, soaps, face and body creams, lotions, and lipsticks. Interestingly, though Jojoba oil is traditionally thought of for dry skin, it’s also great for oily skin because it mimics our natural sebum. Both my sons use Jojoba as a moisturizer in their faces in the winter, though both are prone to oily skin.
It is considered to have anti-inflammation components, though I’ve yet to see evidence-based research on this. In the meantime, it still makes a great base for blends designed to help with inflammation conditions like arthritis or joint pain.
Below is an education video by The Jojoba Company showing how Jojoba beans are
expeller pressed to produce this amazing golden carrier.
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I’m so glad I stumbled on your blog in the long list of those participating in the Ultimate Blog Challenge!
I’m a doTERRA IPC (doTERRA officially became the biggest Essential Oil company in the world yesterday!) and we tend to recommend our Fractionated Coconut Oil as a carrier. Now, knowing what I just learned from your post, I’ll definitely be adding Jojoba oil to my presentations. I have some, it has just taken a back seat since I discovered the coconut oil!
I’ll be exploring more of your site today, thanks for participating in the challenge so I could find you!
Hi Vikki! I, too, am so glad we’ve met! When I joined the challenge, I didn’t even consider the new friends I’d be making in the process. What a nice bonus! I like Fractionated Coconut Oil, too, but still prefer organic Jojoba for it’s skin healing properties. So glad you’ve learned something new today! I’m off to check out your blog now 🙂 Liz