Jojoba oil

History

The O'odham Native American tribe extracted the oil from jojoba seeds to treat sores and wounds. The collection and processing of the seed from naturally occurring stands marked the beginning of jojoba domestication in the early 1970s.

In 1943, natural resources of the U.S, including the jojoba oil, were used during war as additives to motor oil, transmission oil, and differential gear oil. Machine guns were lubricated and maintained with jojoba.

Appearance

Unrefined jojoba oil appears as a clear golden liquid at room temperature with a slightly nutty odor. Refined jojoba oil is colorless and odorless. The melting point of jojoba oil is approximately 10 C and the iodine value is approximately 80. Jojoba oil is relatively shelf-stable when compared with other vegetable oils mainly because it contains few triglycerides, unlike most other vegetable oils such as grape seed oil and coconut oil. It has an oxidative stability index of approximately 60, which means that it is more shelf-stable than safflower oil, canola oil, almond oil, or squalene but less than castor oil and coconut oil.

Chemistry

The fatty acid content of jojoba oil can vary significantly depending on the soil and climate in which the plant is grown, as well as when it is harvested and how the oil is processed. In general, it contains a high proportion of monounsaturated fatty acids, primarily 11-eicosenoic acid (table).

Uses

Being derived from a plant that is slow-growing and difficult to cultivate, jojoba oil is mainly used for small-scale applications such as pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. Overall, it is used as a replacement for whale oil and its derivatives, such as cetyl alcohol. The ban on importing whale oil to the U.S. in 1971 led to the discovery that jojoba oil is "in many regards superior to sperm whale oil for applications in the cosmetics and other industries".

Jojoba oil is found as an additive in many cosmetic products, especially those marketed as being made from natural ingredients. In particular, such products commonly containing jojoba are lotions and moisturizers, hair shampoos and conditioners.

Photo gallery

File:Flickr - brewbooks - Simmondsia chinensis (Jojoba).jpg|Plant File:Jojoba-weibliche-blüte.JPG|Female flower File:Simmondsia chinensis male flower.jpg|Male flower File:Jojoba.jpg|Fruits File:Jojoba.seed.jpg|Seed

References

References

1. (13 March 2020). "The genome of jojoba (''Simmondsia chinensis''): A taxonomically isolated species that directs wax ester accumulation in its seeds". Science Advances.
2. (1990). "Jojoba". University of Wisconsin-Extension, Cooperative Extension..
3. Gentry, Howard Scott. (1958-01-01). "The Natural History of Jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis) and Its Cultural Aspects". Economic Botany.
4. "AOCS Method Cc 18-80". The American Oil Chemists' Society (AOCS).
5. "AOCS Method Cd 1-25". The American Oil Chemists' Society (AOCS).
6. (2019). "Acute Effects of Transdermal Administration of Jojoba Oil on Lipid Metabolism in Mice". Medicina.
7. "AOCS Method Cd 12b-92". The American Oil Chemists' Society (AOCS).
8. Wisniak, Jaime. (1987). "The chemistry and technology of jojoba oil". The American Oil Chemists Society.
9. El Bassam, Nasir. (1998). "Energy Plant Species: Their Use and Impact on Environment and Development". Earthscan.
10. (1988). "Review of Lubricant Properties of Jojoba Oil and its Derivatives". The American Oil Chemists Society.
11. (September 1994). "Jojoba wax: Its esters and some of its minor components". Journal of the American Oil Chemists' Society.
12. (February 2022). "An updated review on efficacy and benefits of sweet almond, evening primrose and jojoba oils in skin care applications". International Journal of Cosmetic Science.
13. {{cite encyclopedia. Wiley-VCH. (2002)