Jojoba is a drought-adapted shrub native to the deserts of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. Its seeds contain a golden liquid commonly sold as jojoba oil. Chemically, however, jojoba is unusual: it consists mainly of liquid wax esters rather than the triglycerides that make up most plant seed oils. [1,2]
What makes jojoba different?
A wax ester joins a long-chain fatty acid to a fatty alcohol. These structures give jojoba a smooth, lubricating character while keeping it fluid at ordinary temperatures. They also contribute to its relative resistance to oxidation, making jojoba a particularly stable material in oil-based formulations. [2]
Jojoba and beeswax both belong to the broad family of waxy materials, yet behave very differently: jojoba flows and spreads as a liquid, while beeswax lends firmness to a balm.
Jojoba in skincare
Jojoba acts as an emollient, helping soften and smooth the skin's surface. The wax-ester composition is of particular interest because wax esters are also one component of human sebum, the skin's natural surface oil.
Skincare and dermatological research has explored jojoba's skin-conditioning properties, including its effects in topical preparations on the outer skin barrier. Its combination of an easy-spreading feel and a chemically distinct, relatively stable lipid composition explains why it is widely used in facial oils, balms and other leave-on products. [3,4]
At Deschampsia
Jojoba is a foundation ingredient in Glow Serum, Harmony Serum, and several of our balms. It contributes its characteristic wax-ester composition to blends of botanical oils.
