Jojoba wax: the Gold of the Aztecs

Posted on 15/02/2024

Jojoba and its wax: The gold of the Aztecs
Discovered in the fifteenth century in the Sonoran Desert, during the conquest of Mexico by the Conquistadores, Jojoba, a shrub whose botanical name is 'Simmondsis Chinensis (Link) Schneider', produces a fruit giving a seed from which a liquid wax is extracted, incorrectly called 'oil'.
The Sonoran Indians (desert area located on the border of Mexico and California) have used liquid Jojoba wax for centuries to protect the skin and hair from the burning sun and extreme climatic conditions specific to the region. They also use it as a raw material for therapeutic purposes, to relieve many skin ailments and inflammations, and to accelerate the healing of wounds. In difficult times in terms of food, Jojoba seeds were also part of their food program. For all these extraordinary characteristics, the Indians of Sonora consider Jojoba to be a 'Gift of the Great Spirit'. As early as 1576, the Jesuit Father Clavejo reported the use of Jojoba seeds by the Indian populations of Sonora.
He described the Jojoba seed as follows: “This seed is especially renowned for its regenerating function in the treatment of wounds, urinary tract conditions and for facilitating childbirth. The oil from the seed is also used to treat skin diseases.”
In the 19th century, the Faculty of Medicine of Mexico recognized the many qualities of liquid Jojoba wax, thus giving it its letters of nobility. It was in 1933 that researchers at the University of Arizona discovered that the oil hazelnuts or Jojoba beans do not consist of fat but of liquid wax, confirming its unlimited applications in many areas. Another of the particularities of Jojoba is that it has contributed to saving an endangered animal species: the sperm whale. In 1970, the American Congress, followed since by many other countries, promulgated a law to protect endangered species, one of the consequences of which was the ban on the importation of any sperm whale product, more particularly the white of the sperm whale. whale called spermaceti.

A little botany
Jojoba is a generally thick and bushy shrub.
Its slender leaves are relatively frost-resistant, blue-green in color and equipped with a thick, waxy cuticle.
They are renewed every 2 to 3 years, however the plant remains green throughout its existence. The prolonged growth of jojoba allows it extreme longevity. In the Sonoran Desert, there are plants over 100 years old.
After a period of time varying between 5 and 10 years, the female plant produces, per season, up to 2 kilos of hard, striated seeds, similar to hazelnuts.
Indeed, jojoba is a so-called dioecious plant, meaning that there are male and female plants.
Jojoba is a resistant plant that grows in extreme conditions and fortunately experiences few epidemics. Jojoba is found in hot, arid regions with annual rainfall of 20 to 400 mm and temperatures reaching 54°C in the shade at midday and can drop by 0 to 5°C during short periods of winter when the snow may be present.

Despite the plant's unusual hardiness, frosts can be fatal when flowering ends in February, in early spring, and seeds begin to germinate. In winter 1990, for example, half of the harvest was devastated due to disastrous weather conditions.
The soil in which the plant is rooted is poor in nutrients and as a result, water drains very quickly. To overcome this drawback, the plant has long roots allowing it to capture moisture in the lower layers of the soil at varying depths.
The plant's biotope extends in the United States between 23° and 34° north latitude.
Currently, numerous plantation trials in similar biotopes are being carried out in Latin America, North Africa and South Africa, as well as in the Middle East and Australia.

Liquid Jojoba wax, 1st cold pressing
One of the many ‘Gifts’ of Jojoba
Liquid Jojoba wax is extracted by pressing from the seeds of the plant.
These contain between 45 to 60% oil.
After harvesting, still often manual, the seeds are cleaned, ground and cold pressed.
Cold pressing under low pressure and slow pressure allows liquid jojoba wax to retain its natural antioxidants which effectively combat skin aging, giving it incomparable stability over time.
This natural method consists of strongly compressing the seeds in presses using worm screw systems.

Features and use
- Liquid jojoba wax has some particularly effective characteristics for its use on the skin: first of all, liquid jojoba wax penetrates the skin deeply, allowing it to act from the inside. In fact, it constitutes a barrier against dehydration. Then, it supports and stimulates renewal. It fights skin aging;
- Not only is the skin cared for from the inside, but it is also protected from the outside;
- All these qualities make the skin smoother, softer and above all more supple;
- In addition, liquid jojoba wax has a non-greasy and non-occlusive texture for the skin, even with frequent use. It is applied with the greatest ease;
- Liquid jojoba wax is a natural product, of such purity and complexity (provided it is perfectly respected during extraction) that it is free from any harmful influence and capable of offering a multitude of beneficial effects;
- No additives are added to pure liquid Jojoba wax; this is, among other things, the guarantee offered by the Sonora label with the 100% jojoba designation!
- Thanks to its exceptional resistance to external influences and its purity, liquid Jojoba wax is ideal as a base for several hundred cosmetic products, such as hair oils, shampoos, soaps, creams and moisturizing milks as well as sunscreens;
- The use of liquid Jojoba wax is not limited to cosmetic products;
- In dermatology, liquid jojoba wax acts as a 'carrier' in preparations that fight dermatoses, such as acne and/or eczema

Availability
Joboba wax is available at Darwin Pharmacy.
Both pure in bottles and present in many medicinal preparations:
- Darwin Pharmacy Bodymilk with Jojoba,
- Jojoba shower oil,
- Gentle shampoo with Jojoba,
- Firming Milk with Jojoba,
- Self-tanning milk,
- Moisturizing and repairing hand cream…
Do not hesitate to contact us !