The jojoba plant, with the botanical name Simmondsia chinensis, is a perennial evergreen desert shrub indigenous to southern Arizona, southern California, and northwestern Mexico. Jojoba is grown commercially to produce jojoba oil, a liquid wax ester extracted from its seed. The oil is mostly comprised of long-chain fatty acid esters (97%), but also contains small amounts of vitamins, minerals, triglycerides, phospholipids, and tocopherols.

Jojoba oil is widely used in skin care products because of its ability to moisturize the skin, reduce acne, and combat signs of aging. After topical application, jojoba oil has the ability to “trick” the skin into thinking it’s producing enough oil, which helps balance oil production. This is because jojoba oil mimics the skin’s natural sebum more closely than any other oil. Balancing oil production can help to reduce the signs of aging since the body naturally produces less sebum over time. Additionally, balancing oil production is helpful for those on the other end of the spectrum that produce too much oil, which can cause breakouts. Lastly, jojoba oil is an emollient, which means it moisturizes the skin and prevents dry, scaly and rough patches.