Wait... what is jojoba oil?
Jojoba (pronounced ho-HO-ba) oil (aka jojoba wax ester) is known for it's long shelf life and high amount of vitamins and fatty acids which makes for a perfect ingredient for skin care and nail care products. Jojoba oil comes from the jojoba seed of the simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) plant, native to Southern Arizona, California and Northwestern Mexico.
There are multiple ways to extract the wax from a jojoba seed: cold pressing, expeller pressing or solvent extraction. The cold-pressing process is the best way to retain all the benefits of the oil due to the controlled temperature, and doesn't introduce any harsh chemicals. The jojoba seeds are crushed until the oil begins to drip out. At the same time, the remnants of the seeds are grinded into a paste which is then stirred to separate the solids from the remaining oil. Once all the oil has been extracted, it is filtered to remove any additional sediment. The result is a beautiful, golden oil!
History of Jojoba
Jojoba was first used centuries ago by the Tohono O'Odham people, an indigenous group from modern day Southern Arizona and Northwestern Mexico. First, they were heated a bit to soften them, and then crushed with a mortar and pestle to make a salve. The salve was used as a wound healer, skin and hair conditioner and to preserve animal hide.
In World War 2, the United States military turned to natural resources in the country to use for the war. Jojoba oil was used as an additive to motor oil and as a gun lubricant. It wasn't until 1971 when sperm whale oil, a popular ingredient for cosmetics, was banned that jojoba oil came to be used commercially for cosmetic purposes. Jojoba oil was an excellent replacement for sperm whale oil as they are very similar chemically and have many of the same benefits, without needing to harm any animals.
Why is it so good for nail care?
Jojoba oil is highly regarded as being the best oil for nail health because it is most similar to our skin's naturally produced oil.
Because of this, jojoba oil really penetrates through your nail to deliver the ultimate amount of moisture. This is why your nails become clear after soaking in oil overnight. It's high Vitamin E, Vitamin A and fatty acid content is an added bonus to promote stronger and healthier nails. It's great when used on it's own, but when combined with other skin happy oils like the ones in Cuticle Buddy
®, the benefits of both are enhanced.
As you can tell by now, jojoba oil really is the main ingredient in Cuticle Buddy
® for good reason! We only use the finest, pure, organic and cold-pressed jojoba oil to make sure that your nails are getting the best, not any added preservatives or harsh chemicals. Check out our other blog post to see our founder Meech's own nail health journey, from being a nail biter to long and strong nails!
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2 comments
Hi Eileen! An unscented, nut-free and gluten-free version is in the works for the future 😉 but it will likely not have jojoba in it as it can be an irritant for people with nut allergies!
Would you consider making this unscented?