Top 10 Jojoba Oils for Face, Hair, and Everything In Between

How We Found the Best Jojoba Oils

Every product on this list earned its place through the Rank & Style algorithm. It scores products across user reviews, bestseller status, industry recognition, and social buzz. We then filtered for extraction method (cold-pressed rather than heat-extracted), certification (USDA organic where it applies), and purity, since a single-ingredient oil and an intentional blend serve pretty different purposes.

Our editorial team then did a deep dive into each pick to match it against real use cases across skin and hair types so that we could find the right type for different applications or needs.

Jojoba Oil Benefits for Face and Body

Jojoba oil has so many benefits as a face and body oil. Here’s the breakdown.

Regulates Oil Production

The reason why jojoba oil is so good for the skin and works so well really comes down to its liquid wax ester structure. Because it's so similar to your own sebum, it can help regulate oil production rather than just adding more oil on top, which also explains why it works for both dry and oily skin types.

Dr. Eleonora Fedonenko, Dermatologist and Medical Director at Your Laser Skin Care, says that she’s had lots of patients ask her about jojoba oil and over the years, she’s observed that it “helps to let the skin know that it's already got enough oil to work with and therefore reduces any excess oil produced by the skin over time.”

Calming Properties and Antioxidants

Jojoba oil also has anti-inflammatory properties that calm redness and support eczema-prone or reactive skin, and studies have shown that it improves skin hydration and reduces water loss, which means less tightness and flaking day to day.

Jojoba's natural vitamin E content also provides antioxidant protection against environmental stressors.

Hydration and Skin Barrier Support

A study published in Frontiers in Pharmacology found that topically applied jojoba wax increased the skin's own production of pro-collagen III and hyaluronic acid—components that naturally decline with age.

That means it can help skin appear firmer and more hydrated over time.

Dr. Fedonenko says that more research is needed here, though, and tells patients that jojoba is more of a barrier-strengthening ingredient than an anti-aging one.

You Can Use It All Over

I personally love jojoba oil because it has so many different uses and is such a flexible product to have in your skincare routine. You can use it to remove makeup before you cleanse, apply it directly on clean skin after washing, or mix it in with your moisturiser.

It also works great as a gua sha oil or as a carrier oil for actives like retinol, AHAs, or BHA. It even moonlights as a lip oil if your lips are feeling dry and you don't have a balm on hand.

Moving past the face, jojoba oil can be used for your body, too. Apply it to damp skin right after a shower to lock in moisture or swap it in as a shaving oil (a tip I picked up while researching this list and have not stopped using since).

You can also use it as a cuticle and nail treatment.

Where Does Jojoba Fit in Your Skincare Routine?

One of the most common questions I get about jojoba oil is where exactly it slots into a routine, and the good news is it's pretty intuitive once you understand what it does.

Dr. Fedonenko explains it well: "Since it seals in the moisture below without interfering with the absorption above, jojoba is used after water-based serums and before a heavier moisturizer.

“I recommend using jojoba after retinol in the moisturizing phase, as it is great for patients that are new to retinol. Jojoba does not block retinol, and actually studies have found that it enhances retinol absorption making it an ideal combination to use on top of the retinol and let it do its job. The same goes for AHAs, which can be too harsh on skin if used alone."

So to lay it out step by step: cleanse, tone, water-based serum, then a few drops of jojoba, then moisturizer.

In the evening, if you're using retinol or an AHA, apply those first and layer jojoba on top. It works in a morning routine too under your SPF.

Is Jojoba Oil Good for Hair? Here's What It Can Do

Short answer: yes. Jojoba's lightweight, wax-like structure seals the hair cuticle without weighing strands down the way oils like coconut or argan tend to.

The benefits of jojoba oil for hair include:

• Smooths frizz by sealing open cuticles
• Adds shine through its fatty acid and antioxidant content
• Soothes a dry, flaky scalp thanks to its sebum-regulating and anti-inflammatory properties
• Works well as a carrier oil if you're mixing in something like rosemary oil for a scalp treatment
• Good for curly hair to define curls and add moisture without buildup or greasiness

Jojoba oil is also great for low porosity hair because its small molecular structure can actually get through a tightly bound cuticle rather than just sitting on top of the strand and coating it, which is the exact problem heavier oils run into.

According to Dr. Naheed Ali, a Health Expert and Physician, the “chemical composition of jojoba oil is similar to that of human sebum. Therefore, when applied to the hair shaft, jojoba spreads in a very thin layer, unlike castor oil which will coat the hair shaft in a much thicker layer. Many patients with low-porosity hair experience a reduction in build-up and improvement in manageability when they utilize jojoba compared to utilizing larger amounts of heavier oils.”

He also says that a lesser known benefit of using jojoba is that it can have a “normalizing effect” on the scalp, as opposed to simply moisturizing it. “Laboratory research suggests that jojoba has anti-inflammatory effects along with mild antimicrobial effects. The structural makeup of jojoba (i.e., a sebum-like structure) may also provide a calming effect on the scalp by reducing the sensation of excess oil.”

How To Use Jojoba Oil for Hair

There's no single right way to fit it into your haircare routine. You can try it out as a pre-shampoo scalp treatment (a quarter-size amount massaged in and left for 5 to 10 minutes), mix it into your conditioner, or use it after you wash your hair by applying two to four drops on wet or dry ends.

You can also use just a drop or two to tame that annoying frizz on dry hair, nail down those pesky flyaways without looking greasy at all, or use it to break a gel cast in your curly routine to soften up those tresses. I mean, the versatility is incredible.

Lastly, one of the most underrated use cases: jojoba oil for beards. Those same frizz-smoothing, skin-soothing properties that work so well on our hair? They work just as well on facial hair and the skin underneath it, calming itchiness and keeping your beard on-point.

Jojoba Oil vs Argan Oil

I’ve known of argan oil as a hair product for years, so naturally I wondered what the difference between it and jojoba oil is when writing this. The short version is that they're not actually competing for the same job so they’re not interchangeable.

Jojoba oil is lighter and works across more hair types. Argan oil tends to be better for coarser, drier hair that can handle a heavier oil.

Does Jojoba Oil Clog Pores? What to Know Before You Apply

For most people, no. Jojoba oil sits at a 0 to 1, sometimes 2, on the comedogenic scale—which ranges from zero (does not clog pores) to five (highly likely to clog pores). That puts it firmly in the non-comedogenic (non-clogging) zone.

Since it's a wax ester rather than a triglyceride oil, it doesn't oxidize and clog the way heavier oils can, and it spreads in a thin, fast-absorbing layer instead of sitting as a thick film that traps debris in the pore. Jojoba oil supports the skin's natural water control without blocking the passage of gases and water vapor. Basically, your skin can still “breathe” underneath it.

Not all jojoba oils are the same though. Sulfated jojoba oil is usually higher on the comedogenic scale (closer to a 3 out of 5). So it's better to choose a pure, unrefined jojoba oil if you’re worried about clogged pores.

For acne-prone skin specifically, jojoba oil can actually help dissolve sebum deposits within hair follicles, which clears out the comedones that lead to breakouts. One pilot study tested a clay and jojoba oil facial mask on people with lesioned, acne-prone skin and found it reduced blackheads and whiteheads after six weeks of use.

But having said that, jojoba oil isn't a replacement for targeted acne treatments like salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, or anything your dermatologist has prescribed. But it can be used as a supporting layer.

The Bottom Line on the Best Jojoba Oil

Whether you're using it for lightweight hydration, gua sha, nourishing your skin, treating a dry scalp, taming frizz, prepping for shave day, or just wanting to replace five different products with an amazing multi-purpose one, there's a jojoba oil on this list that’s right for you.

My honest take on it: the purest, simplest formula that fits your actual use case and budget is always going to win out.

If you're shopping around, it's worth checking for iHerb promo codes or Ulta coupons before you check out so you can enjoy some savings.

Meet Our Jojoba Oil Experts

• Dr. Eleonora Fedonenko, Dermatologist and Medical Director at Your Laser Skin Care
• Dr. Naheed Ali, Health Expert and Physician