Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Jojoba oil: the multi-tasking beauty staple you need

I'm never opposed to a Sephora product binge, like ever.

But you know, sometimes the most effective ingredients are right in front of your nose ... like in your kitchen or medicine cabinet (shout outs to tea tree oil, baking powder, calamine lotion, and honey for amazing spot treatments). 

There are so many natural remedies for your skin, it can be overwhelming to figure out where to begin. Most importantly, use a product that will address your particular skin concern (duh). Some products, though, can do wonders for any and all skin types. Enter the star of the show ... jojoba oil. This is one of my all-time favorite natural products that I always have in stock, and I use it for everything! With anti-inflammatory properties, it's amazing for my acne-prone skin.

So, where does jojoba oil come from? Well, Native Americans of the Southwest harvested this incredible multi-tasking oil from the jojoba shrub. According to Acne.org, it's actually not technically an oil, but rather a wax ester, and it's quite similar to your own skin's natural oil (one of the reasons that jojoba is non-comedogenic). 

Jojoba has so many uses, it's a beauty staple you absolutely must have within reach. I highly recommend it! Here are 5 uses for jojoba oil:

1. Facial moisturizer. Add a few drops to your moisturizer to give your skin a moisture boost. It's also said that since jojoba oil mimics your skin's oil, you can actually trick your skin into thinking it's already oily, and as a result it won't produce as much oil! I'm not sure if that's true. Oil does fight oil though! I like to use it straight; it moisturizes wonderfully by itself (I have oily skin -- doesn't make my skin oily. Just use moderately).

2. Makeup remover, face & eyes. Even the most stubborn mascara will melt away. Rub the oil into the skin, then rinse and buff away with warm water and a wash cloth. Use as a cleanser/makeup remover alone, or follow up with your usual cleanser if you like more of a squeaky clean feel. PS - extra virgin olive oil also works well for removing makeup!

3. Conditioner, leave-in conditioner. Apply oil to damp hair, but avoid roots. Concentrate the oil mostly on the ends. Rinse out, or leave in. If you're using it as a leave-in, only use a small amount of oil, just enough to coat your strands very lightly. If you suffer from a dry scalp, massage some jojoba oil into the scalp for relief.

4. Softening treatment for feet. Apply oil generously to feet, wrap in gauze, put on cozy fluffy socks. After an hour, remove socks and gauze and be amazed at how soft your feet are.

5. Massage oil. It's perfect for sensitive skin, or even those sensitive to the strong fragrances of other massage oils. 

You can order jojoba oil online or get some in store from your local Whole Foods. Presently, I'm using Desert Essence.

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