Jojoba oil and its uses

Jojoba oil is the liquid produced from the seeds of the Simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) plant, a shrub native to southern Arizona, southern California, and northwestern Mexico.This oil makes up approximately 50% of the weight of jojoba seeds.The terms "jojoba oil" and "jojoba wax" are often used interchangeably because the wax visually appears to be a fluid oil, but as a wax it is almost entirely (~97%) composed of long chains Composed of fatty acid monoesters (wax esters) and alcohols (isopropyl jojoba ester), with only a small fraction of triglycerides.This ingredient has extremely high shelf-life stability and extraordinary resistance to high temperatures compared to real vegetable oils.

Appearance 

Unrefined jojoba oil is a clear, golden liquid at room temperature with a slightly nutty flavor.Refined jojoba oil is colorless and odorless. Jojoba oil has a melting point of approximately 10°C and an iodine value of approximately 80.Compared to other vegetable oils, jojoba oil is relatively shelf-stable mainly because it contains very few triglycerides, unlike most other vegetable oils such as grapeseed and coconut oils.It has an Oxidative Stability Index of around 60,which means it is more shelf-stable than safflower, canola, almond, or squalene, but less than castor and coconut oils.

Uses

Derived from a slow-growing and difficult-to-cultivate plant, jojoba oil is mainly used in small-scale applications such as pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.In general, it is used as a substitute for whale oil and its derivatives such as cetyl alcohol.The 1971 ban on whale oil imports into the United States led to the discovery that jojoba oil was "superior in many respects to sperm whale oil for use in cosmetics and other industries."Jojoba oil is present as an additive in many cosmetic products,especially those advertised as being made from natural ingredients.In particular, such products that often contain jojoba oil are lotions and body creams, shampoos, and conditioners.The pure oil itself can also be used on the skin, hair, or cuticles.Like olestra, jojoba oil is edible but caloric and nondigestible, which means the oil exits the intestines intact and may mimic steatorrhea a condition that begins with indigestion or absorption Health conditions characterized by dietary fat.Therefore, the presence of this indigestible oil in the stool does not indicate intestinal disease.If healthy people stop consuming jojoba oil, the indigestible oil disappears in the stool.Jojoba oil also contains approximately 12.1% erucic fatty acid, which, if digestible,appears to be cardiotoxic in high enough doses.Although impractical, jojoba biodiesel has been explored as a sustainable fuel that can replace petroleum diesel.