forlanis.jpgThere are some natural ingredients that are so wonderfully and simply effective they are worthy of a little exploration. One of those ingredients is Jojoba Oil. Nope - it’s not pronounced “joe-joe-bah” - it’s “ho-HO-bah”. Jojoba oil has many uses and a rich, wonderful history. Plus - it’s relatively inexpensive and easy to find. So really - does it get much better than that?

Jojoba oil comes from the crushed seed of the Simmondsia Chinenis shrub that is found mainly in the deserts of the southwestern region of the United States and northern Mexico. Used for centuries by Native Americans, the oil has many uses including cosmetic, medicinal and nutritional purposes.

One of the special qualities about Jojoba Oil is that it not really “oil” but it is comprised of liquid wax esters. Sebum, a liquid wax ester found naturally in human skin, acts to waterproof and protect both hair and skin, keeping skin from becoming dry and brittle. It also can control the growth of microorganisms on the skin. Because Jojoba is so similar to sebum, it easily can emulate the same functions.

Jojoba has many benefits:

* It is easily absorbed in the skin.

* It is hypo-allergenic.

* It does not clog pores.

* It contains many key nutrients and minerals including: Vitamin E, Vitamin B complex, plus silicon, chromium, copper and zinc.

* It also contains a high level of iodine - which could contribute to its antibacterial/antifungal properties.

Some of our favorite uses of Jojoba are:

* Skin moisturizer. Especially good for face. Look for it as a main ingredient in skin products. It is found in almost all Garden Girl moisturizing products - body butters, body lotions, face creams, face masques and scrubs, hand cream, foot cream, body scrub and baby lotion. It truly is a wonderful emollient.

* Hair repair. Jojoba is fantastic for hair. Tame flyaway hair or even repair dry or damaged hair with just a couple of drops. It takes only a little to add a little shine and smooth hair. I say this from experience - after having used more than a couple drops. Not good. So stick with 2 or 3 drops.

* Eye make-up remover. Jojoba is the best eye make-up remover that I have found. You can pay big bucks for some fancy products, but nothing works as well as Jojoba, in my opinion. And it is much less expensive. Soak a cotton ball with Jojoba, and gently wipe off make-up. The bonus is that once your make-up is gone, you can gently pat the excess oil back into your skin around your eyes for added moisturizing. PLUS it is a great conditioner for your eyelashes.

* Cuticles. Excellent cuticle oil. You’ll be amazed at how quickly ragged, dry cuticles can be revived with a few drops of Jojoba oil.

* Dry lip revitalizer. Tired of globbing on thick, greasy lip balm that never does the trick? Try a few drops of Jojoba. You’ll be amazed!

With its long list of uses and its reasonable price, Jojoba oil is something you should keep in your medicine chest (or wherever you keep your ’stuff’). Look for it at health food stores, or other stores selling natural products.

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