Jojoba oil comes from the seed of the jojoba shrub, a plant native to North American desserts, particularly around Arizona. Jojoba oil is considered to be a liquid wax more than a true oil because it is a mixture of wax esters that are 36 to 46 carbon atoms in length (but is fluid at room temperature). A molecule of jojoba oil is composed of a fatty acid and a fatty alcohol joined together by an ester bond (almost all of the molecules in the oil are unsaturated omega-9 essential fatty acids).

Interestingly, the fact that jojoba oil is essentially a wax ester makes it structurally the most similar to human sebum lipids out of all known plant oils. It is this similarity that makes it so useful for not only moisturizing the skin but also in the treatment of acne. Unlike many oils which can clog pores, when applied topically jojoba oil works on the skin’s feedback mechanism to balance out the epidermal sebum; that is to say the skin detects it as if jojoba oil is its own sebum and slows down its own production thinking there is already enough. This balances out skin oil production and helps prevent acne comedones from forming. Conversely, for those with dry skin that don’t produce enough oil, topically applied joboba oil will act as a replacement to increase moisture content.