Gold of desert for your benefits – Jojoba oil

Jojoba oil, also known as the gold of desert is the jack of all skin trades. It is one of the favorite natural beauty products of many of us.  Although referred to as an oil, it is actually the liquid wax obtained from the seeds of the jojoba plant. It is packed with a plethora of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients, making it beneficial for your skin, hair and overall health. Jojoba oil is the only oil that shows a close resemblance to human sebum, an oily substance secreted by the oil glands below the skin surface. It is therefore highly useful for the skin and hair and for this reason, jojoba oil is a main ingredient in many skin care products.

Jojoba oil is a powerful anti-inflammatory agent

Jojoba has potent anti-inflammatory effects, which makes it a remedy for many inflammatory conditions. Because of this property, it is used in folk medicine to treat skin problems, speed up wound healing and even inhibit the aging of skin. According to a study published in the 2005 issue of “Pharmacology Research”, jojoba oil is effective in reducing inflammation in rats. Studies conducted on laboratory animals found that jojoba oil helped in reducing swelling and proliferation of white blood cells and nitric oxide levels, a marker of inflammatory and allergic conditions. Topical application of jojoba oil provides relief from skin disorders like eczema and psoriasis.

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Jojoba oil has antioxidant properties

The leaves of the jojoba plant is a rich source of alpha-tocopherol, or vitamin E, which is a strong antioxidant that help prevent or inhibit the oxidation damage caused by the free radicals on your body. By neutralizing harmful effects of free radicals, antioxidants help in preventing serious diseases like cancer. The antioxidant qualities of this oil also prevent any damage to the skin due to the process of aging. It reduces the appearance of aging signs like wrinkles and fine lines.

Benefits of jojoba oil for the skin

Jojoba oil is packed with vitamins and minerals essential for giving you healthy and beautiful skin. It can be either used as it is or combined with other essential oils to increase its effectiveness. In addition to moisturizing and emollient properties, jojoba oil also has antioxidant, anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory effects. It is very commonly used in several skin products, like creams, moisturizer and lotions. Here are some of the skin benefits of jojoba oil:

Jojoba oil as a moisturizer

Jojoba oil can be used as a face or body moisturizer. It is high in ceramides that cover skin cells and regulate hydration. Although it produces a sheen at first, it quickly gets absorbed into the skin without leaving behind any oil residue. Jojoba oil, when applied on the skin forms a protective barrier, helping to retain moisture and maintain the correct pH balance. This prevents the skin from drying and keeps it soft and supple. Skin problems like eczema are sometimes caused by the lack of moisture in the skin. The moisturizing properties of jojoba oil makes it an excellent remedy for eczema and other such skin problems. Jojoba oil can also be used by people having oily skin. It inhibits the excess secretion of oil by the sebaceous glands and balances oil production. You can use jojoba oil as a daytime and overnight moisturizer. Even 2 or 3 drops goes a long way.

[Read more about benefits of Argan oil]

Jojoba oil for treating acne

Acne is a skin condition mostly common among teenagers. Many of the skin products that claim to treat acne contain animal fat which only helps in making the condition even worse. It is often caused by excess production of oil that may combine with dirt and dead cells and clog the pores of the skin. This causes the growth of bacteria, leading to infection.  Jojoba oil has anti-microbial properties, which can prevent the growth of bacteria that causes pimples and acne breakouts. Jojoba oil is a non-greasy substance and has the ability to destroy bacteria, which is why it is an effective remedy for acne. Research indicates that acne treatments using jojoba oil may inhibit the breakouts of acne. This may be because of the striking similarity of jojoba oil with sebum. According to studies, this jojoba oil dissolves the excess oil that clogs your pores, thus preventing acne. It also clears up the affected areas and helps reduce blemishes and scar marks.

Jojoba oil for treating infections

In addition to treating acne, jojoba oil is also beneficial for treating various other skin infections because of its anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. According to experts, jojoba oil may help in improving and curing a wide range of skin disorders, including psoriasis, eczema, sunburn and chapped skin. It may also be used as a natural remedy for diaper rash.  The anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties of jojoba oil also helps in treating skin conditions such as warts, cankers, athlete’s foot and sores.  Just clean the affected area and apply jojoba oil to get relief from these conditions.

[Read more about home remedies for sunburn]

Jojoba oil cleanses the skin

Jojoba oil has amazing cleansing properties and hence can be used as a facial cleanser and makeup remover. It can also be used in removing foundation, eye makeup, eye shadow, mascara, liquid liner etc. It does not cause irritation or any adverse effects on the eyes. Soak a cotton pad in jojoba oil and rub it all over your face. Remove the excess oil deposits from your skin with a damp cloth. This method helps in removing the dirt, impurities and all residues of makeup from the skin instantly.

Jojoba oil fights wrinkles

Jojoba oil is packed with antioxidants like linoleic acid and vitamin E, both of which are effective in fighting off free radicals that are responsible for the aging of skin. Antioxidants and other nutrients help in regenerating and rejuvenating the skin cells. This helps in maintaining good skin health and helps prevent the formation of wrinkles. Jojoba oil is rapidly absorbed by the skin and it promotes suppleness and elasticity of the skin. This helps in keeping your skin soft, firm and youthful without any wrinkles or fine lines. Jojoba oil is often recommended as a natural treatment for under-eye wrinkles.

[Read more about home remedies for under eye wrinkles]

Jojoba oil for getting rid of stretch marks

Stretch marks are very common in women after pregnancy. Jojoba oil has numerous skin healing properties, which include its application in the treatment of stretch marks. It has the ability to moisturize and restore the elasticity of the skin. It is recommended to massage the oil on to the skin right at the early stages of pregnancy. This helps to improve the moisturize content and elasticity of the skin, thereby preventing the appearance of stretch marks. However, it is not too late for people already having stretch marks to use this oil. Regular application of jojoba oil helps to gradually get rid of these marks.

Benefits of jojoba oil for the hair

The similarity of jojoba oil to sebum makes it the perfect oil for healthy and lustrous hair. Not only does this oil provide softness and shine to your hair, it is also capable of preventing many hair related problems such as hair fall, breakage and dandruff. In addition to protecting your hair from the damaging effects of sunlight, heat, and chemicals, it also repairs and rejuvenates damaged hair. Jojoba oil penetrates deep into the scalp and strengthens the hair follicles. The following are some of the benefits jojoba oil can offer your hair:

Jojoba oil promotes hair growth

Massaging the scalp with jojoba oil provides the necessary nourishment to the hair and helps to improve blood circulation, which in turn stimulates the growth of hair follicles. It has the ability to loosen and eliminate crusted build up on the scalp, which is known to block hair follicles and prevents hair growth.  An excellent treatment for stimulating hair growth is to warm jojoba oil and massage it gently on your scalp. Let it rest for about an hour and then wash your hair using a mild shampoo in order to remove the excess oil.

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Jojoba oil as a conditioner

Jojoba oil, as mentioned earlier is an excellent moisturizer and hence its application on the scalp replenishes the moisture content, giving your hair a healthy and lively appearance. It serves the purpose of both hair oil as well as hair conditioner. If you have dry and frizzy hair, simply massage the oil onto your scalp and hair and see the difference. Jojoba oil moisturizes the scalp as well as the hair follicle and protects it from any kind of damage. You can also apply a few drops of jojoba oil on your wet hair after taking bath. This will act as a leave in conditioner and make your hair less frizzy and more manageable.

Jojoba oil for dry scalp

Dryness of the scalp often leads to flaky skin and severe itching. Jojoba is a great moisturizer for the scalp. It penetrates deep down into the pores and moisturizes your scalp, leading to long lasting moisturizing effect. Jojoba oil also helps in balancing the pH level of the scalp. The antimicrobial properties of the oil promotes a healthy scalp and prevents scalp related problems like dandruff, dry scalp and psoriasis.

[Read more about 50 natural ways to treat dandruff]

Jojoba oil, as you can see, is packed with health benefiting properties, especially for your skin and hair. Our hair and skin are exposed to a lot of chemicals every single day, whether it’s shampooing, coloring, or just going out in the polluted air. Therefore it becomes extremely important to help your scalp and skin retain its natural moisture. Jojoba is anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory, and helps in maintaining the health of your hair and skin. Since jojoba oil is a natural product, it does not produce any harmful effects and hence can be safely used on even sensitive skin.

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