Jojoba oil (pronounced "ho-HO-bah") is the liquid wax produced in the seed of the jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis) plant, a shrub native to southern Arizona, southern California and northwestern Mexico. The oil makes up approximately 50% of the jojoba seed by weight.^[1]

Contents 1 Composition 2 Appearance 3 Uses 4 See also 5 References 6 External links

[edit] Composition

Jojoba oil is a mixture of wax esters, 36 to 46 carbon atoms in length. Each molecule consists of a fatty acid and a fatty alcohol joined by an ester bond. 98% of the fatty acid molecules are unsaturated at the 9th carbon-carbon bond (omega-9) ^[2] The approximate percentages of fatty acids in jojoba oil are as follows:

Fatty acid	Min	Max
Eicosenoic	66%	71%
Docosenoic	14%	20%
Oleic	10%	13%

[edit] Appearance

Unrefined jojoba oil appears as a clear golden liquid at room temperature with a slightly fatty odor. Refined jojoba oil is colorless and odorless. The melting point of jojoba oil is approximately 10°C^[3] and the iodine value is approximately 80.^[4] Jojoba oil is relatively shelf-stable when compared with other vegetable oils. It has an Oxidative Stability Index of approximately 60,^[5] which means that it is more shelf-stable than oils of safflower oil, canola oil, almond oil or squalene but less than castor oil, macadamia oil and coconut oil.

[edit] Uses

Unlike common vegetable oils, jojoba oil is chemically very similar to human sebum^{[citation needed]}. Most jojoba oil is consumed as an ingredient in cosmetics and personal care products, especially skin care and hair care. Jojoba derivatives, including jojoba esters, isopropyl jojobate and jojoba alcohol, are particularly widely used in this context.

Jojoba oil can be used to remove kohl.^{[citation needed]}

Jojoba oil is also used to prevent and cure Fordyce Granules.^{[citation needed]}

Jojoba oil is popular with stretched lobes. It aids in the healing process.^{[citation needed]}

Jojoba oil is also used as a replacement for whale oil and its derivatives, such as cetyl alcohol. The ban on importing whale oil to the US in 1971 led to the discovery that jojoba oil is "in many regards superior to sperm oil for applications in the cosmetics and other industries."^[1]

Jojoba oil is a fungicide, and can be used for controlling mildew.^[6]

Like olestra, jojoba oil is edible but non-caloric and non-digestible, meaning the oil will pass through the intestines unchanged and can cause an unpleasant result called steatorrhea.^[7]

Jojoba oil is an exceptional hair moisturizer.^{[citation needed]}

Jojoba oil softens skin and can help cure acne.

Jojoba biodiesel has been explored as a cheap, sustainable fuel that can serve as a substitute for petroleum diesel.^[8]

[edit] See also

• Oleochemical

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• "Glossary". International Jojoba Export Council. http://www.ijec.net/ijec_glossary.html. 
• Naqvi, H.H. and I.P. Ting (1990). "Jojoba: A unique liquid wax producer from the American desert". Advances in new crops. Timber Press, Portland, OR. pp. 247–251.. http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/proceedings1990/v1-247.html. 
• Description and chemical structure of jojoba oil