Fashion

8 Ways to Use Jojoba Oil In Your Daily Routine

by Vanesa Pacheco

I’ll be straightforward and admit that my original interest in jojoba oil was sparked by its quirky, yet fun pronunciation (ho-ho-ba)—but this silly curiosity led me to discover a love for the natural ingredient. Using jojoba oil in my beauty routine has improved my skin and hair drastically. You might think, she’s exaggerating, but I’m really not. I have always struggled with finding the right products for my skin and hair. To my dismay, I was born with sensitive, oily skin that is prone to breakouts and redness. Moreover, my curly hair tends to be frizzy, especially in the humidity, so it’s always in need of a good moisturizer.

Once I discovered how versatile jojoba oil is and the benefits it can have on my skin and hair, I immediately began to test out the different ways I could use it. I wanted to see if it was really as good as it sounded, and sure enough, it was! It kept my skin from drying out, but also my face from being super shiny. It also made my hair really soft and kept the fly-aways in place. I was sold.

If you’re looking to try a new, natural ingredient for your skin or hair, here are 8 ways you can experiment with jojoba oil that have helped me.

1. Nighttime Moisturizer

What better way to add jojoba oil than to your beauty sleep prep? The cool thing about jojoba oil is that it’s an emollient, which means it helps to soothe and smooth the skin. On top of that, its natural properties are a lot like human skin oil, so it absorbs quickly into our skin (and makes it great for all skin types!). Because of this, it can actually “trick” the skin into producing less oil, while still giving you the moisture you need.

I like to add a few drops to my nighttime moisturizer before applying it each night. It gives you just a little more boost, particularly when your body is sleeping and revitalizing.

2. Daytime Lotion

What I hate most about using lotion when it’s hot out is feeling super sticky and gross after applying it or when I begin to sweat. This is when I choose to use jojoba oil instead. Unlike lotion, the oil goes on smoothly and quickly gets absorbed into my skin, so when I do get sweaty, I don’t feel like I’m melting off my lotion!

I dilute some of the oil with water in a spray bottle and then spray it all over my body after showering. I then spread it around lightly to make sure I’ve covered all of myself.

3. Acne/Spot Treatment

No one ever wants to deal with acne or breakouts, but they always tend to come at the worst time. Thankfully, jojoba oil is a good way to help reduce this problem, as it actually has anti-inflammatory qualities.

When I have a spot develop, I add a few drops to a cotton ball, q-tip, or something equally as gentle and dab just a little to the area to reduce redness. You can also use it under your eyes to help the puffiness when you stay up too late.

4. Lip Balm

I always hate putting on lipstick when my lips are chapped. Not only does it feel weird, but the color also makes the cracks even more noticeable. Using a little jojoba oil on your lips can help avoid this problem!

You can dap a little oil to your lips right at the beginning of your makeup routine, so when you finally want to give your lips a beautiful color, they’ll be soft, smooth, and ready to go!

5. Eyelash or Eyebrow Enhancer

Want to join the “on fleek” eyebrow trend and need to grow them out? Or do you wish to thicken your eyelashes? Jojoba oil can help! Fortunately, it is gentle enough to use around your eye region and actually helps hair growth.

When I was growing out my eyebrows, I spread a little bit of oil on each eyebrow with my fingertips to help them grow. I now use it to maintain thickness. I also gently stroke a tiny amount on my eyelashes, making sure not to accidentally poke myself (it will hurt!) to keep them growing and staying healthy.

6. Makeup Remover

If you’ve run out of your favorite makeup remover or just want to try a new way to take off your makeup, using a few drops on a cotton ball can do the trick! Simply wipe off the makeup with the jojoba oil, rinse your face with water, and continue with your regular cleanser as I do.

7. Hair Treatment

Everyone’s always talking about how great coconut oil is for adding moisture to your hair. Jojoba oil is too! For those of you who deal with frizzy hair, curly hair, or hair that just doesn’t retain moisture, applying some jojoba oil to your roots or overall hair can help combat or tame your locks.

I actually only use jojoba oil as part of my everyday hair routine whenever I want to let my hair air-dry. Using the same spray bottle of diluted oil I use as lotion, I spray a small amount all over my hair and softly massage it into my roots or ends (depending on what needs it most). You can also mix it into your conditioner or other hair treatments as well.

8. Pre/Post-Shaving Moisturizer

The worst part about shaving is the horrible, annoying red bumps that you get after you’re done (razor burn). One of the ways to fight these ugly, hurtful suckers is by moisturizing. Shaving is harsh on your skin, so making sure you prep before and after can make a huge difference in how your skin reacts.

I rub some diluted jojoba oil onto the area I am going to shave before I shower to help soften the skin. Afterwards, I do the same, or along with my regular moisturizer, to soothe the skin.

Images: restlessglobetrotter/Flickr; Giphy; BreakingPic/Pexels; Getty; harrietalderson, suzettesuzette/Flickr