Healthy Obsession: Beauty Oil That Makes Skin and Hair Less Oily

It may sound odd, but the best way to fight oily skin and hair is with—wait for it—oil! This is especially the case with one of our all-time favorite beauty essentials: jojoba.

The reason boils down to simple science: Jojoba (pronounced huh-hoe-ba) has a molecular structure similar molecular to sebum—an oily substance naturally produced by the human body. When you apply jojoba to your skin or scalp, you’re tricking the body into thinking it’s already producing a ton of sebum. As a result, the body secretes less oil, which could mean fewer breakouts and greasy hair days. Pretty sneaky (and game-changing!), eh?

Jojoba not only slows down oil secretion, but it also restores and balances moisture naturally thanks to an impressive supply of hydrating vitamins A, B, and E. Between nourishing hair and skin and fighting excess oil, it’s no wonder jojoba is an MVP ingredient in so many DIY beauty routines. Here, we’ve rounded up our favorite ways to use our go-to, Desert Essence 100 Percent Pure Jojoba Oil, from head to toe.

Face wash

Ingredients
1 tbsp Desert Essence jojoba oil
½ cup raw honey
3 drops tea tree oil
Instructions
Mix together the raw honey and jojoba oil, and sprinkle a few drops of your favorite essential oil depending on your skin’s needs (if you need some help, here’s a guide). Since tea tree oil has antibacterial and antifungal properties, it works especially well to help fight breakouts. Smooth onto dry face, then rub a little water using your fingertips and massage, then rinse.

Shampoo

Ingredients
½ teaspoon jojoba oil
¼ cup organic coconut milk
¼ cup peppermint liquid soap
20 drops rosemary essential oil
Instructions
Works for all hair types: Combine ingredients into a squeeze bottle or jar and shake it up before every use. Lather from roots to ends for at least 30 seconds, then rinse.

Leave-in conditioner

Ingredients
½ ounce teaspoon jojoba oil
¼ ounce vegetable glycerin
10 drops rosemary oil
2 ounces distilled water
Instructions
Combine ingredients into a spray bottle. Use a little more water if your hair is fine, and less if it’s thick. Shake well, and spritz on ends, avoiding the roots (which can get greasy). Comb through.

Foot scrub

Ingredients
¼ cup jojoba oil
¾ cup Epsom salts
1 tablespoon chopped dried or fresh rosemary

Instructions
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl or a jar. The recipe can be easily doubled or tripled and then stored in an airtight container for future at-home spa sessions. Feel free to tweak the ratio of oil to salt if you want a smoother or more abrasive scrub.

Photo credit: Alicia Cho