Uses and Benefits of Jojoba Oil

Jojoba oil (Simmondsia chinensis) is extracted from an evergreen shrub native to the Sonoran Desert. It grows in areas like Egypt, Peru, India, and the United States.1 Jojoba oil is golden yellow and has a pleasant scent. Although it looks and feels like an oil—and is usually categorized as one—it’s technically a liquid wax ester.2

Uses and Benefits

Jojoba oil has many potential uses and benefits. Hair and nail treatments are the most well-researched.

Treating Dry Skin

Jojoba oil is probably most known for its skin benefits. It’s a strong emollient agent, which means that it works well to soothe dryness and rehydrate skin. Jojoba oil is known to add suppleness back to rough or irritated skin. People often notice that it moisturizes without being excessively oily or greasy. Jojoba also can work to protect the surface of the skin, in much the same way as petroleum or lanolin does.3

The American Academy of Dermatology Association recommends using an ointment or cream with jojoba oil in it as a way to treat dry skin.4

Treating Acne

Some older research has found that jojoba oil may help treat acne vulgaris (i.e., pimples). Research found that the liquid wax that jojoba oil is made of can dissolve sebum in hair follicles, and thereby help resolve acne. This research found no negative side effects (such as burning or itching) when using jojoba oil for acne treatment.3

More current research is needed in this area.

Reducing Skin Inflammation

Skin inflammation can have various causes, from sunburns to dermatitis. Some research has found possible anti-inflammatory properties of jojoba oil when used topically on the skin. For example, research conducted on rats found that jojoba oil may help reduce edema (swelling).5

There’s also evidence that jojoba can help relieve diaper rash, which is characterized as dermatitis or inflammation in the diaper area of infants. The research found that jojoba oil was just as effective in treating diaper rash as medicated treatments containing ingredients like nystatin and triamcinolone acetonide.5

Again, more current research on humans is needed.

Restoring Damaged Hair

Jojoba has several known hair benefits. For instance, it’s often used as a hair-straightening product. Jojoba is effective at straightening hair and is less likely to cause hair damage—such as dryness or brittleness—than other products. Jojoba may be may lessen hair protein loss, offer protection, and decrease breakage.5

Jojoba oil is often touted as a cure for hair loss, but there’s no evidence as of now that it can do this. It can strengthen hair and decrease hair breakage, which may help prevent certain kinds of hair loss.3