Conditioning waxSebum-like esterIn two skin-type blends

Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil

Simmondsia chinensis · INCI Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil

Jojoba is the golden liquid pressed from the seed of Simmondsia chinensis, a desert shrub. It is close in make-up to the skin's own sebum, which may help explain why it sits so comfortably on the skin.

A light, stable liquid wax, close in make-up to the skin's own sebum, that softens without weight.

Jojoba, the golden liquid wax pressed from the seed of Simmondsia chinensis.
Jojoba, the golden liquid wax pressed from the seed of Simmondsia chinensis.

What it is

Strictly, jojoba is a liquid wax rather than an oil. It is made almost entirely of wax esters, and wax esters are one of the main building blocks of your own sebum, the film the skin makes to keep itself supple. That likeness may help explain why it absorbs cleanly, sits lightly even on oilier skin, and softens without the heaviness of a richer oil.

Its wax-ester make-up has a second benefit. Where most plant oils slowly oxidise and turn, jojoba is very stable and keeps for a long time, which is part of why it is in the Dry and Balanced blends.

What it does in our formulas

Jojoba softens the skin and stays stable in the formula.

01

It softens, and sits close to the skin's own sebum

Jojoba is made of wax esters, and wax esters are one of the main things human sebum is made of. That likeness may help explain why it absorbs cleanly, sits comfortably even on oilier skin, and softens without feeling heavy.

Well characterised
02

It stays stable

Almost entirely wax esters, jojoba is one of the most oxidation-resistant materials in the range, so it keeps well and helps steady the blend it sits in.

Well characterised

What the research does not show

Most of what is said about jojoba is fair. Two claims are not.

Marketed as It balances how much oil your skin makes
The idea that jojoba signals the skin to produce less of its own oil is a long-standing theory that the evidence has not shown. We use it for how well it sits and softens.
Marketed as Identical to your skin's own oil
Jojoba is a close relative of sebum, sharing the wax-ester chemistry that makes up much of it, but it is not the same thing.

On the label and in the range

Jojoba appears in the Dry and Balanced blends, high on the ingredient list since it is one of the main oils. On the label it reads by its INCI name, shown with its common name, and marked as cold-pressed and organic. The exact percentage is published on each product page.

Is it suitable for me?

Jojoba has an excellent safety record, is well tolerated even on sensitive and oilier skin, and suits a vegan routine, with no restrictions under UK or EU cosmetic law. Allergy to it is rare but documented, so as with anything, a patch test first is sensible if your skin reacts easily.

Vegan-friendlySensitive-skin suitableWell tolerated

As with anything new, if your skin reacts easily it is worth patch testing first.

Naturally derived
Naturally derived
Made to be gentle on skin
Made to be gentle on skin
Science led
Science led

The research behind this page

We review the published literature. We do not conduct the studies below.

  1. Gad HA, Roberts A, Hamzi SH, et al. Jojoba Oil: An Updated Comprehensive Review on Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Uses, and Toxicity. Polymers 2021;13(11):1711. →
  2. Pazyar N, Yaghoobi R, Ghassemi MR, Kazerouni A, Rafeie E, Jamshydian N. Jojoba in dermatology: a succinct review. G Ital Dermatol Venereol 2013;148(6):687-691. →
Found in the Dry and Balanced blends Shop the range