The jojoba plant thrives in desert and semi-desert terrains, but hows this for irony: as dry as its native territory is, jojoba oil is a miracle worker when it comes to quenching the thirst of the driest and most sun-damaged skin.
A member of the genus, Simmondsia chinensis, the jojoba plant originated in the Sonoran Desert which covers southern Arizona, California, and northwestern Mexico.
Today it is also cultivated in Argentina, Australia, Israel, and Peru.
Jojoba is a delightfully alliterative name, but its also known by the equally whimsical monikers goat nut, deer nut, and pignut. The Oodham peoples of the Sonoran Desert call it hohowi.
Jojoba oil is a liquid wax extracted from the seed. Seeds plucked from the nut are heated and pulverized with a mortar and pestle to draw out the waxy, buttery oil. Indigenous peoples of North America, particularly the Oodhams, have used it for centuries to treat and heal sores, burns, and wounds. They also used it to groom and beautify their hair. The Oodhams even used this amazingly versatile oil to soften and preserve animal hides.
Jojoba oil is rich in vitamins A and E. It has both antibacterial and anti-inflammatory
properties that promote healing and healthy skin cell production. But its most remarkable property is the similarity to human sebum in its chemical and cellular composition.
Sebum is the waxy oil we produce in our skin glands. Jojoba oil mimics the effects of sebum so completely that it is a perfect skin conditioner. Although waxy, it is clear, odorless, and greaseless after processing.
And it has a longer shelf life than other vegetable oils like canola, grapeseed, almond, or safflower oils. So it is a popular ingredient in the manufacture of natural and organic cosmetic products, including lotions, shampoos and conditioners, moisturizers, and lipsticks. It works in tandem with your sebaceous glands to seal in moisture on your face, as well as cracked and dry skin on your feet, hands, and even your lips. I especially like how effective it is on my cracked, tender cuticles.
Ironically and miraculously, jojoba oil is as effective on oily skin as it is on parched, dehydrated skin. When your sebaceous glands go postal and pump out too much oil, pure jojoba can help reset and help to regulate sebum production. Sebaceous glands can detect the presence of the jojoba wax, and they respond by reducing the production of sebum. In this instance, were talking about pure jojoba oil, not a lotion or cream.
You can purchase jojoba oil online from several companies at amazon.com.