Last year, we started our Jojoba 101 series in which we chronicle all the variety of things jojoba can be used for besides skin care. This week, it was time to season all the wooden utensils in the kitchen, so we thought it was fitting to share this particular use. If you’ve been wondering if jojoba oil is good as a sealant for preserving wood, yes, it is one of the best oils for conditioning and protecting unsealed wood. For those wondering, “Is jojoba oil food safe?” — yes, it is. Food grade jojoba oil is safe for skin contact and won’t contaminate food, making it a great choice for sealing kitchen utensils, cutting boards, and other wooden items (though we don’t recommend actually ingesting it).

Using jojoba oil as a wood finish is a great alternative to mineral oil, which is a petroleum-based product. Our tips for using jojoba for preserving and conditioning your wooden items: sand lightly with fine-grit sandpaper, apply jojoba liberally, and wipe off any excess jojoba after allowing it to soak in for an hour or two.

We love jojoba oil as a wood finish so much that the beams in our timber frame facility are protected with jojoba. We also use it on all of our wooden handles for garden tools and pretty much any wooden item that we want to protect with a breathable finish.