Jojoba pearls can be found in many beauty products.
Jojoba is a desert shrub found in the southern United States and northern Mexico. It produces large seeds from which a wax, often called jojoba oil, is extracted. This wax is a common ingredient in beauty products due to its stability and moisturizing properties. Jojoba pearls are a fully hydrogenated form of jojoba wax: they are tiny pearls that are used as an exfoliating agent and as a vehicle for other cosmetic ingredients.
The granules are used in soaps, scrubs, and cleansers intended to exfoliate the skin. Due to their shape, the granules are softer than other ingredients commonly used in these types of products, such as walnut shells, so they won’t irritate, damage the skin or leave it open to bacteria. People buy them off the shelf or in bulk to make their own.
Jojoba beads are a crystalline form of wax ester produced by the pressurized addition of hydrogen to oil. This results in a colorless, odorless product with a melting point of 154 to 158 degrees Fahrenheit (68 to 70 degrees Celsius). The beads are solid, firm spheres and can be subsequently suspended in various ways.
Available in many beauty products, manufacturers add the granules to solid media like soap and more fluid media like gels and creams. They are not often used in liquid products as they tend to float or sink instead of being evenly distributed throughout the product. Jojoba beads can also be purchased plain and are added by people to store-bought or home-prepared formulas.
The spheres are available in various sizes from 150 to 1200 microns. The smaller pearls are more effective as facial scrubs, while the medium-sized pearls are mostly added to body products. Larger sizes of jojoba beads are found in products intended for areas that need more intensive care, such as the feet, and can enhance the visual appeal of a product. Its wide range of colors increases the visual impact of each product. Colors and sizes can be mixed to create a more multifunctional and visually creative product.
Soft jojoba beads are also available. In addition to working as an exfoliant, these softer granules have a lower melting point and can be crushed against the skin. This allows the skin to absorb the granules and their moisturizing properties. These soft pearls are often used as carriers for other materials, such as vitamin E or fragrances.