The Major Uses for Jojoba Oil:
Jojoba oil uses may be summed up in three main categories:
- Natural cosmetic uses by using it “as-is”, as if it is a liquid cream, a hair oil, or massage oil.
- Industrial cosmetic uses, by using it as an improver and constituent of shampoos, conditioners, body lotions, creams, soaps, lipstick, etc.
- As an industrial oil, as an improver of lubrication oils of cars, airplanes and various machines, and also as a surfactant improver of paints, varnishes, plastics, waxes, etc. In waxing, it can be used “as-is” or mixed with other waxes.
The uses of jojoba oil were initially limited for its use as-is for treatment and beautification of facial complexion and hair and then it was included in the various cosmetic industries.
The jojoba oil which is obtained as a second grade from the remaining by-products of jojoba seeds pressing using chemical extraction by hexane or cyclohexane solvents of jojoba cake residue (called jifit) is used only for industrial uses, mainly lubricants. These uses include waxing of materials, and the improvement of car oil as jojoba oil withstands high motor oil temperature. This is so because of the high boiling point of jojoba oil which is 389o C. It has a great capacity to prevent oil oxidation and it is effective in preserving car motor oil’s viscosity and that of other motors for a long period which in turn increases the motor life, and its efficiency under the high temperature and pressure uses. About 50 ml of jojoba oil per liter of the car’s motor oil or transmission oil is generally used to extend the use of car oil to 20,000 kilometers of driving before it has to be changed.Therefore, with the need for huge quantities of jojoba oil for the lubrication industry, especially for cars and airplanes, even if huge land areas in various parts of the world are planted with jojoba, the oil produced from it will not be sufficient to meet all the needs of various industrial uses.
All this in addition to the special and unique utilization of jojoba oil to treatment of skin diseases and the various industrial cosmetic uses as that of shampoos and the many creams for beautification of face and hair and the prevention of facial and neck wrinkles. Jojoba oil in all of these cosmetic uses is more superior and distinctive over seed plants oil and animal fats and the many synthetic chemical substances which are added to cosmetics for their marketing using costly advertisements.
Jojoba oil use as a cooking oil remains limited because of its high cost and it seems it will remain relatively expensive for some time because the quantities produced worldwide from jojoba trees are very limited. Its use in food will be elaborated on later in another section. |