What the hell are you putting on your body? The case for: Jojoba Oil

Posted by Scott Murray-Burrows on

BY CLAYTON DOUDS (from https://odouds.us/blogs/whiskyandbadjokes/jojoba-oil)

Seriously... what the hell are you applying, lathering and rubbing all over yourself? 

Do you ever wonder what the products you apply to your hair and skin are actually made of? Or better yet, have you considered how they are acquired? If not, you probably should. Our skin and hair are sensitive but vital parts of our anatomy. We tend to put things on our body that we'd never put in our body. But believe it or not, what you apply to your hair and skin can affect your well-being in more ways than you might know.


O'Douds is passionate about creating products that are good for you and good for the Earth. This value is why we have no shame at all when it comes to talking about the ingredients we use in our products. As a matter of fact, we love talking about what we put in our products. One of our absolute favorites is jojoba oil! Let's talk about why we love it so much (and why you probably should too).

About

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Jojoba oil comes from the seeds of the mature jojoba plant, simmondsia chinensis. The jojoba plant grows in desert climates and is native to the deserts of Arizona, California, and Mexico. 

Sourcing / Manufacturing

Sourcing oils can be tricky.

The most common natural ingredient used in cosmetics is palm oil, which plays a large part in deforestation. The rainforest is vital to the health of our planet, and unfortunately, the cosmetic industry shares much of the blame for its destruction. Whether you buy from O'Douds or someone else, it's important to make sure your cosmetics are palm oil free. If a company doesn't mention something, there's probably a reason why.


Jojoba oil, on the other hand, is sourced through farming. This distinction is important because it means the oil is not acquired by destroying a natural habitat. Even better news, jojoba farms are located in desert climates. Deserts certainly aren't the perceived as the most ideal farmland, but for jojoba, it's perfect. Because jojoba plants are drought-resistant, farms can go through periods of drought without losing their entire crop.

Hair & Skin Benefits

Interestingly enough, jojoba oil is not actually an oil. It looks like an oil, and in many ways, it acts as an oil. In reality, though, it's a liquid wax ester. Here's why that matters:

Natural oils, while conditioning to the skin, are somewhat volatile. They have a tendency to break down if not properly controlled. They are also vulnerable to attack by "free radicals," which are simply compounds that can damage cells in the skin. When this happens it's not dangerous, but it does lessen the benefits of the oil. However, the beauty of jojoba oil is that it is a much stronger compound, and it's nearly impossible for these "free radicals" to break it down.

Jojoba oil is heavy but easily absorbed into the skin, and it’s not nearly as greasy as many other oils with similar properties. When used in products, jojoba oil provides rich and deep moisturizing without leaving your skin oily.

Styling Benefits

The styling benefits of jojoba oil are incredibly unique. As a liquid wax, jojoba oil is able to bind oils and waxes together in a way that not many oils can. This is important because generally, we rely on thick and heavy oils, such as castor oil, to bind our waxes together. Castor oil is great - we still use it often - but alone it can be far too heavy, causing your hair to become greasy and weighed down. On the other hand, most oils that are as low-shine as jojoba are very lightweight and struggle to properly incorporate with the potent and brittle waxes in our products. Ultimately, this places jojoba oil as the perfect middle-of-the-road oil. It is thick and binding but neutral and easily absorbed into the hair. It provides weight but not excessive shine, and, when it comes to natural hair products, that's important

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Jojoba oil has been a staple in our hair products since day one, and you can expect to see it in more products in the future. But we're not (necessarily) trying to get you to buy our products. Professional marketers would kill us for saying this, by the way. We are far more passionate about giving you the information you need to make the best choice possible when it comes to what you apply to your hair and skin. We hope we've given you a little more data for your next trip to the supermarket.

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