Jojoba Oil

I recently added a new component to my skin care regimen. I’m almost 50, and I still have blemish-prone skin. I’ve tried pretty much everything on the market, and I’m able to manage the issue, but I still get blemishes every day; sometimes more than a few at a time, and sometimes they aren’t small, and I sometimes have blemishes on my upper chest, back, and neck.

About Until 5 weeks ago….when I started using jojoba oil at night. I've only had a few new blemishes since I started using jojoba oil. And the ones I had when I started cleared in a few days.

The company I work for launched an organic jojoba oil. We’re supposed to try new products, so I researched jojoba oil and found out that it is great for acne and blemish prone skin. I was a skeptic – an oil, on oily skin…hmmm. .

I discovered that jojoba oil is actually a wax ester, not an oil. This means that jojoba oil is very similar to your skin’s own sebum. Creating too much sebum which then blocks pores is one of the issues with blemish prone skin. Using a tiny bit of jojoba oil added to your regular night time cleanser helps clear out the excess sebum. You have to use warm water and you have to use a washcloth to GENTLY wipe the skin.

Think of hand washing dishes. Have you ever tried to wash oily substances with cold water and just your fingers? Doesn’t work. You need a cleansing agent to “grab” the oil, warm water, and a sponge or washcloth.

Then, use a tiny bit of jojoba oil added to your night time moisturizer. This gives the skin the “wax –ester” that it needs, and your skin won’t overproduce sebum.

From my research, I learned not to use the jojoba in the morning..your skin will feel oily all day…and those of us with blemish prone skin don’t like that feeling.

So here is my regimen: I use a cleansing cream, to which I add 2-3 drops (no more) of jojoba. I thoroughly massage/rub/”clean” my skin with the cream. Every nook and cranny and inch of my face, neck, upper chest, ]and upper back. I then wet a wash cloth with warm water and GENTLY wipe away the cleanser. I do not scrub with the washcloth – this exacerbates skin. Just use the washcloth as the last step to thoroughly wipe off the cleanser.

Next I put 2-3 drops of jojoba oil in a little bit of my night time moisturizer (to which I still add a few drops of tea tree oil like I’ve been doing for 25 years). Apply that to my face, neck, upper chest and upper back/shoulders.

My skin feels amazing!

NOTE: The jojoba I’m using is organic, and it has a little vitamin E added to it to preserve it. I don’t want a chemical based product on my skin. I don’t know if other brands are organic/have the vitamin E to preserve. The one I’m using is Life-Flo’s Organic Jojoba Oil, Item # 82557. You can ask your local independent vitamin retailer to order it for you if they don’t have it. Most national chains like Whole Foods don’t carry it yet. But you can ask if they will order it for you – if not, find an independent store.