Introduction

Jojoba is a widely used medicinal plant that is cultivated worldwide. Its seeds and oil have a long history of use in folklore to treat various ailments, such as skin and scalp disorders, superficial wounds, sore throat, obesity, and cancer; for improvement of liver functions, enhancement of immunity, and promotion of hair growth. Extensive studies on Jojoba oil showed a wide range of pharmacological applications, including antioxidant, anti-acne and anti-psoriasis, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, antipyretic, analgesic, antimicrobial, and anti-hyperglycemia properties. In addition, Jojoba oil is widely used in the pharmaceutical industry especially for topical, transdermal, and parenteral preparations. (Gad et al, 2021)

Jojoba, pronounced "ho-ho-ba," is a distorted version of the native Papago Indian word "howhowi." Jojoba goes by several other names, including bucknut, coffee nut, goatnut, pignut, nutpush, goatberry, sheepnut, and lemon leaf. The seeds of the jojoba plant are dark brown, resembling giant coffee beans (ibid).

Physical and Chemical Characteristics

Jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis) is the only plant species known for synthesizing liquid wax, which constitutes approximately 40–60% of the dry weight of mature jojoba seeds. In general, plant-derived oils are rich in triglycerides, in contrast Jojoba oil contains about 98% pure waxes (primarily wax esters, few free fatty acids, alcohols, and hydrocarbons), sterols, and vitamins, with few triglyceride esters, hence it is popularly recognized as liquid wax rather than oil or fat (Gad et al, 2021)

Health Benefits (Internal Use)

Simmondsia chinensis is native to the North and Central American deserts, although it is grown globally, including Chile, Egypt, and Argentina. Native Americans in the Sonora desert (California) used jojoba as a food in the form of cooked fruits and oil as a therapeutic for a variety of ailments, including cancer therapy, liver and kidney disorders, obesity, parturition, sore throat, superficial wound healing, warts, psoriasis, acne, sunburn, and poison ivy treatment. Jojoba oil is widely utilized in the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries, to improve the overall health of hair and skin. The leaf extract, when coupled with other plant extracts, functions as an anti-inflammatory agent in the treatment of reactive and sensitive skin [Gad et al, 2022).

Skin and Hair Benefits

Jojoba oil is commonly found in cosmetic formulations such as sunscreens and moisturisers. It has been shown to improve the absorption of topical drugs. Because of its high wax ester content, jojoba oil is an excellent repair option for dermatoses with compromised skin barriers, such as seborrheic dermatitis, eczematous dermatitis, AD, and acne. Jojoba oil has also been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties, with potential applications in a variety of skin conditions such as skin infections, skin ageing, and wound healing (Lin and Santiago, 2017).

Jojoba oil is commonly classified as a "oil" due to its pale yellow, transparent, liquid appearance, but it is actually a liquid wax ester. Jojoba wax esters are very similar to sebum, which is naturally produced by the human skin. Triglycerides account for approximately 33% of human sebum, 28% of free fatty acids, 25% of wax esters, 10% of squalene, 2% cholesterol esters, and 4% of cholesterol [18]. Furthermore, wax esters have moisturising and softening properties (Matsumoto et al 2019).

Interesting Facts

Jojoba oil has a high thermal stability up to a certain temperature. In general, cosmetic formulations containing jojoba oil are more resistant to oxidation than other lipids used in cosmetics. This means that the product will go rancid/off less quickly than other oils. Furthermore, crude jojoba oil contains natural antioxidants that counted for the high oxidative stability of the natural oil. The removal of these antioxidants through bleaching or stripping of the oil leads to a sharp decline of its oxidative stability. (Gad, 2021)

References

Gad HA, Roberts A, Hamzi SH, Gad HA, Touiss I, Altyar AE, Kensara OA, Ashour ML. Jojoba Oil: An Updated Comprehensive Review on Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Uses, and Toxicity. Polymers (Basel). 2021 May 24;13(11):1711. doi: 10.3390/polym13111711. PMID: 34073772; PMCID: PMC8197201.

Lin TK, Zhong L, Santiago JL. Anti-Inflammatory and Skin Barrier Repair Effects of Topical Application of Some Plant Oils. Int J Mol Sci. 2017 Dec 27;19(1):70. doi: 10.3390/ijms19010070. PMID: 29280987; PMCID: PMC5796020.

Matsumoto Y, Ma S, Tominaga T, Yokoyama K, Kitatani K, Horikawa K, Suzuki K. Acute Effects of Transdermal Administration of Jojoba Oil on Lipid Metabolism in Mice. Medicina (Kaunas). 2019 Sep 15;55(9):594. doi: 10.3390/medicina55090594. PMID: 31540183; PMCID: PMC6780807.