Question: One of my friends swears that Jojoba Oil is the best natural skin moisturizer and also claims that it is great for treating acne. Is she right?
I will start out by pointing out something that, while it may seem like splitting hairs, is actually quite important. Jojoba oil, which is extracted from the seeds of the Jojoba plant; is not technically an oil. It is actually a wax ester produced by the combination of the natural fatty acids and fatty alcohols that occur in the seeds of the Jojoba plant. Although it is not a triglyceride itself, Jojoba Oil has attributes similar to many triglycerides which, along with other wax esters, form a major component of the sebum produced by our skin.
Existing as a liquid at room temperature, pure Jojoba oil may vary from being golden in color with a nutty smell to clear and completely odorless, depending on the degree to which it is refined. Additionally, its moisturizing qualities combined with its non-comedogenic properties have made Jojoba oil a popular moisturizing agent in many face and body creams – especially those that are “natural” and/or “organic”. It is also both lighter and more stable than most seed and vegetable oils and is very easily absorbed by the skin. These properties, combined with its mild natural antibacterial and antifungal attributes, allows Jojoba oil to act as a stabilizer and mild preservative when used in cosmetic preparations. Used straight, it is a decent makeup remover and an effective massage oil.
As to its efficacy as a skin care product ingredient: Jojoba oil is, when formulated properly, a safe and reasonably effective skin moisturizing agent/booster. Moreover, while it is not per-se a treatment for acne; its non-comedogenic and antibacterial/antifungal properties at the very least insure that it neither contributes to nor worsens acne. Just don’t take it internally as it is non-digestible and can have the same undesired effect as olestra: a condition known as steatorrhea – which has a similar spelling to diarrhea for good reason.
Please submit your questions by email to Ms. Zaborski at [email protected]
In 1978 Ms. Zaborski founded the Corrective Skin Care Institute Inc, a pioneering medical spa, and for the past fifteen years has worked with an international team of cosmetic chemists and medical professionals to develop the System for Optimal Skin™ (SOS™) skin correction system.