Jojoba is a friend to the skin and to natural fiber fabrics! In this article, we’ll cover:
Harvesting our jojoba directly from a single source of our farms, we’re the best producer of the highest quality jojoba extract in the world with our HobaCare products: HobaCare, HobaCare Organic, HobaCare Baby, and HobaCare Baby Organic. We’re also passionate about bringing jojoba into every home.
If you have any questions on jojoba, including ‘How long does jojoba oil keep or last?’ and ‘Can and does jojoba oil go bad?’, our products, or more about these topics we’re happy to help!
In the meantime, enjoy this quick informative laundering and storage guide!
Laundering
When used properly, our jojoba will absorb into the skin. If it is coming out on linens and clothing, you are very likely using too much.
Our jojoba launders out of natural fabrics with the use of hot water and a good detergent. For synthetic and dyed fabrics we sometimes use a pre-wash. If you have combined oils, lotions, creams, or essential oils with our jojoba, they–not the jojoba–could cause stains. Also, and especially for massage therapists, if you applied lotion or cream to the skin prior to the massage, those substances could cause staining.
If you or your laundry use cold water and dry the fabric, a mark may be visible. Relax. Don’t be alarmed. The mark will not be permanent. Likewise, the mark will not turn rancid. Off-putting odors will not be a problem. The next time you launder the item, cover the mark with a pre-wash (we use “Shout”) and use hot water and your regular detergent. The mark will launder out. Or, if very hot water is not available, learn from this tip one of our customers gave us. She had found a jojoba mark on her dark 100% cotton turtleneck, which had not come out in a cold wash. She re-washed the garment after putting soda water and baking soda on the mark and letting it soak for a bit in her machine. Even though the garment had already been through her dryer, the mark came out.
Storing jojoba
Does jojoba oil go rancid and expire? Our jojoba is stable. It does not oxidize or turn rancid. Jojoba oil has an indefinite shelf life. Heat does not affect it. Unlike oils, it can stand up to heating and re-heating. Likewise, our jojoba does not require refrigeration. It will congeal at temperatures below 45 degrees Fahrenheit. If congealing does occur, simply restore the product to room temperature. It will re-liquefy and can be used immediately. Congealing does not affect jojoba’s quality, however, it may affect the separation of the phospholipids, a white whispy substance that can settle to the bottom of the container. Phospholipids are good for the skin. Shake the container well to reintegrate them. Store jojoba away from direct sunlight. Prolonged exposure to direct sunlight could result in bleaching.
Air and moisture contamination
We have one last point about storage. You must tighten the cap on the container securely to prevent moisture and odor contamination.
Moisture in and of itself is not the problem. The problem is the bacteria, which grow in moisture. If this happens, you’ll notice dark dry specs in the jojoba, which ultimately settle to the bottom. Don’t throw the jojoba away!. Filter the contents of the container using a paper towel or a coffee filter and then place the filtered jojoba into a clean and dry stainless steel container. Pasteurize the jojoba for 20 minutes at 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Let the jojoba cool down and pour it into a clean dry container for storage. Do not reuse the bottle it was in. It’s not a good idea to store jojoba in a shower. Avoid moisture contamination by storing the jojoba in a dry area and ensuring the cap is always securely fastened.
As for contamination from the air, just remember that jojoba is a fixative. That’s what makes it the ideal carrier for essential oils. And that’s why jojoba will pick up odors from the ambient air. If you minimize “air time” and always keep the cap securely fastened, you will avoid air contamination.
A Common Sense Warning
Jojoba seeds are edible and non-toxic. Deer and other animals enter the jojoba fields to consume them. They were a source of food to Native Americans for centuries. Accidental or casual ingestion of small amounts of jojoba does not cause harm. If you have some on your hands and are in proximity of a dog, it will lick your hand unmercifully!
However, we do not prepare our jojoba as food. Do not ingest it. Keep it out of children’s reach. The product is intended for topical application to the skin, only. If you’re applying it to the skin of a premature baby, or small infant use amounts that absorb into the skin. Excess amounts should be wiped away.
Our containers’ safety
The Jojoba Company puts its jojoba into PET (1-oz, 125ml, and 250ml) and into HDPE (32oz, half-gallon, and gallon) containers. These containers are entirely safe.
People are becoming increasingly concerned about Bisphenol A (BPA) and Phthalates. BPA is a building block for polycarbonate (PC), a rigid clear plastic commonly used for baby bottles, reusable water bottles, and other applications. You will not find BPA in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or in high-density polyethylene (HDPE). Companies commonly use PET containers–which have the #1 in the recycling symbol–for single-use water and soda bottles. Companies often use HDPE containers–which have the #2 in the recycling symbol–to hold milk
The Jojoba Company does not use any bottles made from polycarbonate, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), or polystyrene (PS), which have all been identified as having the potential for leaching BPA into the products they hold.
We know that many of our customers are very knowledgeable about the chemical composition of plastic packaging, but sometimes their customers are not.
Compounding the problem, incomplete coverage by the media has caused a great deal of confusion among consumers. For example, recent reports have identified “water bottles” as a primary source of BPA, and video footage accompanying the reports has shown single-use PET bottles instead of multi-use water bottles that retailers such as Wal-Mart in Canada have pulled from the shelves.
The second example of incomplete reporting: U.S. News and World Reports identified recycle codes 3,6 and 7 as those indicating plastics that contain BPA. While PVC (recycle code #3), PS (recycle code #6) and PC (recycle code #7) do contain BPA, the media consistently fails to mention that recycle code #7 simply means “other plastics” that do not fall into categories 1 through 6. “Other” plastics include polylactide (PLA), a corn-based clear resin also used for single-use beverage bottles that do not contain BPA.
Fears about the safety of plastics are raised frequently, but PET and HDPE, the two plastics The Jojoba Company uses, have consistently been proven safe to use in rigid packaging applications.
It’s important to us that the packaging materials we use can be recycled. This is especially true of our PET and HDPE bottles and jugs. Please recycle those containers after you’ve emptied them.
Finally, if you locate a glass that is lightweight, will not break if dropped onto a bathroom floor, and is relatively affordable, please contact us! We’re interested.
If you have questions about our packaging, please do not hesitate to contact us.