Jojoba Oil For Hair: The Best Kept Hair Growth Secret?

There are so many essential oils out there which friends, family and people on the Internet recommend as just perfect for making your hair and scalp strong and healthy.


It can be really confusing to find the perfect product of your hair anyway, but when you are looking to use your own all natural essential oils, or mixes of ingredients, that sometimes it is easy to just give up.

So in this article I’m going to tell you about one of the best kept secrets out there, how you can use jojoba oil for total hair happiness!

What Is Jojoba Oil & Where Does It Come From?

jojoba plant

Jojoba oil is extracted from the seeds of the jojoba tree, which grows mostly in Mexico and the South of the United States of America. One interesting fact is that it’s not actually a true oil.

It is actually what is known as a Wax Ester. These are slightly closer in construction to human skin oil (sebum). This makes jojoba oil perfect for the human skin because applying it makes the skin think it is producing enough sebum, so unlike other essential oils you will not feel that your skin is greasy or overloaded.

Apart from a very slight and pleasant nutty aroma, another great reason to use jojoba oil on your hair is because it has virtually no odor. For example, some people don’t like coconut oil because it smells of coconuts, which many people don’t like, so this is another reason it’s ideal for use on hair.

 

The 8 Surprising Features Of Using Jojoba Oil On Hair

Because jojoba oil is so nutrient rich, it has several amazing benefits when you use it on your hair and scalp:

  1. It has natural antibacterial properties, which means that there is less chance of your scalp getting inflamed and damaging the hair follicles.
  2. It is easily absorbed into the scalp and because it has a similar structure to human sebum in terms of its molecular structure, it doesn’t upset the natural balance of your skin.
  3. Its construction from 98% monounsaturated fats means that it is healthy and can penetrate and strengthen both the hair and the scalp.
  4. It can help to combat hygral fatigue. This is where the hair swells or shrinks as it wets and dries, which can weaken it over time. Because it is readily absorbed by the hair, it can help to strengthen it and condition it from the inside.
  5. Jojoba oil makes an amazing natural conditioner because of its ability to lock nutrients in an soften the hair.
  6. Thin hair will get increased volume and body from using jojoba oil on it. This doesn’t mean thin hair will suddenly get sick, and it doesn’t mean that thick hair will get unmanageable, it just means that you will feel a richness.
  7. Jojoba oil makes the perfect base for a hair mask, that will allow you to combine various ingredients to create a luxuriously rich and nourishing mix that will benefit the hair and scalp.
  8. Jojoba oil is a natural emollient. This means that it will help to soften, soothe and repair cracks in the surface of the scalp and the follicles. These often occur because of brushing, heat treatment and exposure to the elements.

Why Jojoba Oil Can Lessen Hair Loss

In general, hair loss is accelerated when the scalp and hair follicles are in poor condition. When the skin is damaged, inflamed and unhealthy, it can lead to the hair follicles becoming unhealthy, slowly closing up over time and basically eventually choking off hair growth.

As these conditions develop hair begins to grow more slowly and is more brittle on the head.

So combating hair loss is in part about maintaining a healthy scalp and strong hair. Jojoba oil helps by delivering the following benefits:

  • It is a natural anti-inflammatory
  • It is a natural antioxidant
  • It is packed with nutrients, notably vitamin A, B1, B2 and B6
  • Jojoba oil is tuned to human sebum
  • It moisturizes the skin
  • It is rapidly and easily absorbed into both the hair and scalp
  • It is an emollient

In fact, because jojoba oil is so good at repairing the damage to the scalp, it can actually help to increase hair growth when it is dying off. So although it cannot recover baldness, it can help to reverse thinning hair.

Science Backs Up The Claims About Jojoba Oil

The great news here is that there are plenty of high quality scientific studies out there which back up the anecdotal evidence about how great jojoba oil is for your hair and skin.

 

For example, a 2008 study found that Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters could provide moisturizing properties to the skin for up to 24 hours.

And in terms of jojoba oil being able to provide and anti-inflammatory mechanism to the skin, numerous studies, including this one in 2012, found that to be the case.

It’s the anti-inflammatory property which can really set jojoba oil apart. Other oils do have anti-inflammatory properties, but they are not as close to human sebum so are not quite as effective.

Studies have found that jojoba oil is great for helping to heal a cracked scalp, and also importantly to help keep hair follicles healthy, and the more healthy at the hair follicles are, the stronger your long-term hair growth will be.

Should You Worry About Side Effects Using Jojoba Oil On Hair?

In general, jojoba oil is very kind to the skin and hair and in most people will not provoke any side effects or reactions at all.

However, before using it it’s important to note that some people could get mild skin irritation or a rash when applying it.

It is also safe to apply to the skin when you are pregnant. The only risk with jojoba oil is that it contains erucic acid, which if consumed orally can cause heart problems. But in terms of application to the skin or hair, there is no risk at all.

How To Apply Jojoba Oil To Your Hair And Scalp

There are several ways you can receive the benefits jojoba oil can bring to your scalp and hair.

The simplest way is to place a small pool of oil in the bottom of the bowl and microwave it until it is warm. Then simply apply it sparingly to your hands and run your fingers through your hair and scalp. Be careful not to overload your hair or scalp with oil.

After about 15 minutes, simply washed out with a mild shampoo.

Another way that many people apply jojoba oil to the head is by mixing it in with their shampoo or conditioner. Some shampoos and conditioners can be purchased with jojoba already in them, but it’s far cheaper and easier to just make your own by putting a few drops into the bottle and shaking it up.

Jojoba Oil Hair Mask Recipes To Try

As well as directly applying neat jojoba oil to your hair and scalp, you can also make up more luxurious hair masks from different natural ingredients.

There are hundreds of combinations you can try, but as an example this is a simple DIY hair mask you can use to help nourish dry or damaged hair.

  • 3 tablespoons of coldpressed organic coconut oil
  • 2 tablespoons of raw natural honey.
  • 1 tablespoon of jojoba oil

Instructions:

  1. Place the ingredients in a bowl and warm them gently in the microwave for a few seconds.
  2. Use a water spray to gently dampen your hair and run your fingers through it to ensure your head and scalp are moist. The hair mask will be absorbed better if your hair and scalp are slightly damp.
  3. Apply a small amount of the hair mask your hands and gently run your fingers through your hair working it into the hair and scalp.
  4. Put on a plastic shower cap and leave for 20 minutes to be absorbed.
  5. Wash out with a mild shampoo ensuring all the oil has been removed.

Tips For Buying Jojoba Oil

Although jojoba oil is widely available, you have to be careful that you get the best oil you can.

When you are shopping for jojoba oil to use on your hair needs to be looking for 100% pure organic oil.

You also need to make sure that the method it has been extracted by is by 100% cold press. It will be advertised as coldpressed oil. This method of extraction retains the highest number of nutrients.

You should also make sure that it’s unrefined. If it’s been refined it will have lost some of its benefits and also may have artificial ingredients added, for example fragrances. So you are looking for an all natural, unrefined jojoba oil.


In terms of where to buy jojoba oil, the most obvious marketplace is Amazon. Because there are such a high number of sellers on there, prices are competitive and most questions about the products are answered.

Right now on Amazon for example, you can get high quality coldpressed, unrefined jojoba oil for around $10. So it’s really not expensive to invest in the benefits that jojoba oil can bring to your hair and scalp.

 

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