Jojoba, the plant oil that ‘mimics’ your skin

Move over avocado oil – the skin-care ingredient that’s all the rage is jojoba oil. A review of beauty magazines and websites in 2019 picks up over 1 000 articles, raving about the benefits of jojoba (pronounced ho-ho-ba).

You can find it in African Extracts Rooibos anti-ageing super treatments, Advantage Serum and Daily Repair Facial Oil. It’s also in our new Hydrating Cleansing Facial Wipes, spot-control Purifying 3-in-1 Wash, Scrub and Mask, and even our Refreshing Rooibos Bath Shower Gel. Look for Simmondsia Chinensis in the ingredient listing.

As a recent article on Shape website says, “not all oils are created equal”.

Esters are a main component of sebum, or oil, that your skin naturally produces, and jojoba oil the closest thing out there to your skin’s own oil. The technical term for this is ‘biomimetic’, meaning it acts and functions like the sebum already in your skin.

“The wonderful thing about jojoba oil is that it balances the oil in the skin, rather than adding oil to it,” says Dr Jennifer Haley, a dermatologist in the United States. “This makes it beneficial for all skin types, since it won’t clog pores or cause acne. It adds moisture where it’s needed, but can also help reduce excess oil production.”

Jojoba oil comes from the nut-like seeds of the jojoba plant, native to Arizona, and Native Americans have been using it as far back as the 1400s for its wound healing properties. “It’s loaded with antioxidants and vitamin E, which can help reduce inflammation and enhance wound healing,” she says.

This makes jojoba oil the perfect partner for our own antioxidant-rich Bio-Active Rooibos, which is why our product development team are also fans.