Jojoba Oil

• Facial Moisturizer - apply a few drops over face and neck; if your skin appears too shiny for you, use at night.


• After-shower Body Moisturizer - apply liberally all over your body before or after drying off.


• Lip Balm - apply to treat your dried, chapped lips.


• Shaving Oli - applying jojoba oil on your skin (legs or face) will give you a smoother shave and leave super-soft skin when you are done.


• Cuticle Oil - rub a drop on your hands and cuticles at least once per day.


• Makeup Remover - apply a few drops of jojoba oil to a cotton pad and gently wipe make-up and mascara off your eye area and face.


• Carrier Oil - Jojoba Oil is probably the longest lasting all natural oil. It resists oxidation and does not become unstable. It even seems to survive the least appropriate storage conditions without being damaged. It will solidify if refrigerated, but will re liquify when returned to room temperature.


• Hair Treatment - rub about 1 teaspoon of warmed oil through your hair when you first get into the shower. Let it sit while you shower. Rinse at the end of your shower, shampoo and condition as usual.


• Diaper Rash Prevention and Treatment - apply liberally to baby's clean bottom before each diapering.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup jojoba oil
• 1 cup fine sea salt (You can also substitute sugar, which may be gentler)
• 5 drops essential oils (The oil you choose for your body scrub depends on the result you want. Lavender is relaxing, lemongrass is refreshing and rosemary is stimulating.)

Directions:

1. Combine the oil and salt in a bowl and mix well. Add essential oil and combine well.
2. To use, apply to dry skin using circular strokes to exfoliate the skin. Sit on the side of the tub to keep the scrub from making a mess. Don't use a salt scrub if you have any cuts in your skin.
3. Shower off or follow with a warm bath. Make sure you use a non-slip surface as the oil makes the tub slippery.

Super secret shaving tip - this stuff used as a shaving oil (just water rinse the salt off after you exfoliate; the oil will stay put) will make your legs the smoothest you've ever felt. It does clog the razor, so rinse often while shaving.

If you want natural products, you have to be willing to search them out. Learn to read labels, and refuse to settle for half-natural hair and skin care. Below I've listed and described the "ten most wanted"-the ten chemicals I most want to see off the labels of so-called natural hair and skin care products.

1. Methyl, Propyl, Butyl and Ethyl Paraben - Used as inhibitors of microbial growth and to extend shelf life of products. Have caused many allergic reactions and skin rashes. Studies have shown that they are weakly estrogenic and can be absorbed by the body through the skin. Widely used even though they are known to be toxic.

2. Diethanolamine (DEA), Triethanolamine (TEA) - Often used in cosmetics as emulsifiers and/or foaming agents. They can cause allergic reactions, eye irritation and dryness of hair and skin. DEA and TEA are "amines" (ammonia compounds) and can form cancer-causing nitrosamines when they come in contact with nitrates. Toxic if absorbed into the body over a long period of time.

3. Diazolidinyl Urea, Imidazolidinyl Urea - These are widely used preservatives. The American Academy of Dermatology has found them to be a primary cause of contact dermatitis. Two trade names for these chemicals are Germall II and Germall 115. Neither of the Germall chemicals contains a good antifungal agent, and they must be combined with other preservatives. Both these chemicals release formaldehyde, which can be toxic.

4. Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulfate - A cheap, harsh detergent used in shampoos for its cleansing and foam-building properties. Often derived from petroleum, it is frequently disguised in pseudo-natural cosmetics with the phrase "comes from coconuts." It causes eye irritation, scalp scurf similar to dandruff, skin rashes and other allergic reactions.

5. Petrolatum - Also known as petroleum jelly, this mineral oil derivative is used for its emollient properties in cosmetics. It has no nutrient value for the skin and can interfere with the body's own natural moisturizing mechanism, leading to dryness and chapping. It often creates the very conditions it claims to alleviate. Manufacturers use petrolatum because it is unbelievably cheap.

6. Propylene Glycol - Ideally this is a vegetable glycerin mixed with grain alcohol, both of which are natural. Usually it is a synthetic petrochemical mix used as a humectant. It has been known to cause allergic reactions, hives and eczema. When you see PEG (polyethylene glycol) or PPG (polypropylene glycol) on labels, beware-these are related synthetics.

7. PVP/VA Copolymer - A petroleum-derived chemical used in hairsprays, styling aids and other cosmetics. It can be considered toxic, since inhaled particles can damage the lungs of sensitive persons.

8. Stearalkonium Chloride - A quaternary ammonium compound used in hair conditioners and creams. Developed by the fabric industry as a fabric softener, it is a lot cheaper and easier to use in hair conditioning formulas than proteins or herbals, which are beneficial to the hair. Causes allergic reactions. Toxic.

9. Synthetic Colors - Used to make cosmetics "pretty," synthetic colors, along with synthetic hair dyes, should be avoided at all costs. They will be labeled as FD&C or D&C, followed by a color and a number. Example: FD&C Red No. 6 / D&C Green No. 6. Many synthetic colors can be carcinogenic. If a cosmetic contains them, don't use it.

10. Synthetic Fragrances - The synthetic fragrances used in cosmetics can have as many as 200 ingredients. There is no way to know what the chemicals are, since on the label it will simply read "fragrance." Some problems caused by these chemicals include headaches, dizziness, rash, hyperpigmentation, violent coughing, vomiting, skin irritation-the list goes on. Advice: Don't buy a cosmetic that has the word "fragrance" on the ingredients label.

[via organicconsumers.org]

In reality jojoba oil is not an oil but a liquid wax, and is pronounced "ho-ho-ba" and became important in the 1970s when whaling was banned, since it has almost the same properties as the oil obtained from the sperm whale.

Since it is composed of wax esters, it is an extremely stable substance and does not easily deteriorate and the structure closely resembles that of your own skin sebum, making it an excellent moisturizer and ideal for all skin types.

When used as a massage medium, it acts as an emulsifier with the skin's natural sebum and gently unclogs the pores and lifts grime and imbedded impurities.

It contains myristic acid which also has anti-inflammatory actions and since it has a similar in composition to that of the skin's own oils, it is quickly absorbed and is excellent for dry and mature skins as well as inflamed conditions.

If a good nourishing ingredient is needed for hair care, jojoba oil is also sometimes added to commercial hair care products, but due to the cost of jojoba oil, the quantities so included are low.

It can in most cases be used on acne skin without any problems as it helps to control acne, it is also an antioxidant - so the oil does not become rancid and can prevent rancidity in other oils. It can be used pure in massage, or can be mixed with other carrier oils.

Read more at Jojoba oil the liquid wax that is great for skincare and massage therapy to moisturize a dry and mature skin.

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