Review: Desert Essence 100% Pure Jojoba Oil

Over the years, several of you have mentioned that you like to use pure jojoba oil to remove your eye makeup. I've always loved jojoba as an ingredient in skincare and body care (it works so well to hydrate my skin) but I'm ashamed to say that, until I purchased this bottle of Desert Essence 100% Pure Jojoba Oil from iherb a while back, I actually had never used this oil in its purest form.

 Desert Essence 100% Pure Jojoba Oil

(retail: around $10, 4.0 oz)

The four ounce bottle retails for $9.41 at iherb, but you can also purchase it directly from Desert Essence for $13.99 and they offer a 30 Day Satisfaction Guarantee. They also have a store locator here, in case you want to try to find it locally.

And let me tell you, this is a serious multi-tasker that I now find myself reaching for constantly. In fact, check out the Desert Essence website here to view all of the ways you can use this product (scroll to the bottom of the page). You can remove makeup, hydrate your lips, moisturizer your cuticles, massage your scalp and so many other things with this one little oil. 

Keep reading for my full review...

First let me start with what this oil feels like, smells like and tastes like. To me, it's like a thinned out olive oil, but it absorbs much quicker than olive oil. When you pour it out of the opening, it comes out quickly because it's not thick--I would say the closet comparison would be baby oil in terms how of how thin it feels. But unlike baby oil, jojoba oil does not leave my skin feeling greasy after it soaks in, and there is no shiny, oily-looking residue on the skin (as long as you just use a few drops--if you overdue it, it WILL look shiny/greasy). 

Of all the pure oils I've used on my skin, jojoba oil definitely absorbs the quickest. I can pour a few drops on the back of my hand and within less than a minute, it's completely absorbed and my skin feels so soft and hydrated. As for the fragrance, to me there is just teeny, tiny hint of a nutty aroma. It kind of smells like sesame seeds, but it's very, very subtle. The flavor (because duh, I've tried it on my lips!) is a tiny bit bitter, but the flavor is quite subtle and dissipates quickly.

This bottle does come with a safety seal which you must remove before any product will pour out of the spout (I accidentally removed the seal before I took these photos--sorry!)

As eye makeup remover: I have used this quite a few times to remove my eye makeup and I am seriously impressed. I pour about a dime-sized amount into my palm, work it between my hands a bit and then massage it onto my (closed) eyes. Within seconds, I can feel my eye makeup literally start to melt off my skin, and even stubborn mascara melts away with a few gentle motions. After working it in, I then rinse my face with water, but that's not really enough for me, so I do follow up with a gentle facial cleanser (right now I'm using this and it works wonderfully) and afterwards my skin is like a baby's bottom. No greasy residue, just lovely, soft, CLEAN skin. No trace of eye makeup is left behind. Seriously, it's like magic, this stuff. Also, it doesn't sting my eyes or leave me with foggy vision.

As face makeup remover: After such success with eye makeup, I started to feel bolder and decided to use this to remove my long-wear foundation, etc. Now, if you've used an oil cleanser before, you know that water instantly breaks the cleanser down, allowing for an easy rinse. Well remember that this is pure oil, so it's not going to break down much with water. It DOES break down my face makeup (with ease) and removes every last trace of makeup on my face, but I do need to follow with a regular facial cleanser.

As facial moisturizer: I recently had a mishap with my skin where I tried to test too many facial masks back to back, and certain areas of my face were left feeling very dry and bumpy. All of my regular facial moisturizers weren't really helping return my skin to normal, so I figured I'd try using a few drops of jojoba oil at night (after cleansing) to see if that might help. The first night I did this, I washed my face as usual, and I skipped my nighttime moisturizer altogether. I simply poured a few drops of jojoba oil into my palm, rubbed my hands together a bit and then started working the oil into my face. The results were amazing. I obviously can only speak for myself here, but my skin LOVES this stuff. It's like my face takes on a natural glow the minute this oil starts to sink in. My face just looks more rosy, and it feels so soft and hydrated, without looking greasy or feeling slick. The next morning, I was delighted to see that I still had a rosy glow, and the dry patches and bumps were GONE. I mean, gone gone. I couldn't feel the bumpiness or dryness at all. I can't believe how quickly it returned my skin to normal. I have used this as nighttime facial moisturizer several times in the past few weeks and I have not encountered any breakouts whatsoever. But since I have very oily skin, I cannot use this as daytime moisturizer--it's too heavy for me in the daytime.

As moisturizer for hands and feet: Since I only bought the 4-oz bottle, I have been trying to ration it out and not slather it over my entire body night and day (though I kind of wish I could). I have only used this oil on my hands and feet a few times, and I do think that it really depends on how much (or how little) you use. Too much and it's going to feel way too oily (like, slip on the kitchen floor oily). If you use too little, you might not feel much in terms of hydration. Overall, this oil makes my skin--wherever I use it--feel incredibly soft and hydrated, but I do think I prefer it for my face at this point, just because the results are so wonderful in that way, for me personally.

For cuticles: This oil is very nice for cuticles, especially if you prefer a cuticle oil that doesn't leave your fingers greasy for a while after application. A drop on each cuticle is all I need. I spend a little time working it in and my cuticles look and feel so much better when I'm done. If you were to buy a bottle just for your cuticles, it could easily last you a year (and probably much longer). 

For lips: If you've seen any of my recent lip color reviews lately, you know that my lips have been chapped due to the weird weather we've been having in San Diego lately (super hot in the day, chilly at night). So lately I've been taking a drop of jojoba oil at night, right before bed, and rubbing it across my lips. In the morning, my lips feel much softer, to the point of even feeling a little bit more plump. I've also noticed that it has helped to make the fine lines around my mouth look a little bit more plump as well. Also, I haven't experienced any breakouts around my lips (which sometimes happens with oily products).

FINAL VERDICT: The ways in which I have used Desert Essence 100% Pure Jojoba Oil as outlined above have truly changed the way I feel about jojoba in general. In the past, I always viewed jojoba as a nice ingredient to see in my skincare and body care, but now I feel like I've become kind of snob about it all. I want pure, uncut joboba oil and nothing less. This oil is a game-changer for me, and I feel like I need a vat of it on hand at all times. Stubborn eye makeup? Try jojoba. Tough-to-remove long-wear foundation? Try jojoba. Dry, bumpy patches on your face? Try jojoba. Parched hands, feet, cuticles or lips? Try jojoba. It's not magic, but it is magical, in my humble opinion. I highly recommend it.

For more information about where to buy Desert Essences 100% Pure Jojoba Oil online or in your area, scroll back up to the top of this post for links.

Have you tried pure jojoba oil for any of your skincare needs? If so, I would absolutely love to hear from you!