Jojoba in dermatology: a succinct review.

Phytomedicine has been successfully used in dermatology horizon for thousands of years. Jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis) is a long-lived, drought resistant, perennial plant with interesting economic value as it is processed for liquid wax production. The jojoba plant produces esters of long-chain alcohols and fatty acids (waxes) as a seed lipid energy reserve. The liquid wax is an important substrate for a variety of industrial applications and is used in skin treatment preparations. The oil from the jojoba plant is the main biological source of wax esters and has a multitude of potential applications. The review of literatures suggest that jojoba has anti-inflammatory effect and it can be used on a variety of skin conditions including skin infections, skin aging, as well as wound healing. Moreover, jojoba has been shown to play a role in cosmetics formulas such as sunscreens and moisturizers and also enhances the absorption of topical drugs. The intention of the review is to summarize the data regarding the uses of jojoba in dermatology for readers and researchers.