Ingredient Library
Jojoba Oil
Simmondsia chinensis
Jojoba is a liquid wax that closely mirrors skin's own sebum, so it absorbs cleanly and helps balance oil. Lightweight and calming, it suits every skin type.
A natural history
Jojoba is a hardy shrub of the Sonoran Desert, across Arizona, California, and northern Mexico, and its seeds were treasured by the Native peoples of the region. The Tohono O'odham and their neighbors ground the seeds into a buttery paste to condition skin and hair and to soothe sores and burns, an ancient desert beauty remedy.
Jojoba holds a curious distinction in modern history too. Its seed oil is chemically a liquid wax that closely resembles the oil of the sperm whale, and after whaling was banned in the early 1970s, jojoba was embraced as the renewable, plant-based replacement, which sparked its cultivation around the world. The same likeness to skin's own oil is what makes it so kind to the complexion.
What it does for your skin
Jojoba's wax-ester makeup lets it soften and condition skin while feeling weightless. In an ex-vivo human skin study, jojoba wax lowered markers of inflammation and supported the skin's own building of collagen and hyaluronic acid, pointing to calmer, more resilient-looking skin.[1] A small controlled study found that jojoba esters helped skin hold onto moisture, reducing water loss through the day.[2] Because it mirrors sebum, it tends to balance rather than burden the skin.
References
[1] Tietel Z, Melamed S, Ogen-Shtern N, et al. Topical application of jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis L.) wax enhances the synthesis of pro-collagen III and hyaluronic acid and reduces inflammation in the ex-vivo human skin organ culture model. Front Pharmacol. 2024;15:1333085. doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2024.1333085
[2] Meyer J, Marshall B, Gacula M Jr, Rheins L. Evaluation of additive effects of hydrolyzed jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis) esters and glycerol. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2008;7(4):268-274. doi.org/10.1111/j.1473-2165.2008.00405.x
Found in these formulas
Questions, answered
Yes. Because it closely mirrors skin's own oil, jojoba tends to balance rather than burden, which suits oily and combination skin.
Not quite. It is a liquid wax, which is part of why it absorbs so comfortably and resembles skin's own sebum.
No. It is light and balancing, conditioning skin without a heavy feel.
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