Oil it up - Argan & Jojoba Oil

Since it's Halloween, my treat to you is an "Oil it up" post with not one but two oils being put under the microscope ;-) I've decided to double up this post to include both argan and jojoba oil as these oils have been interchangeable in my hair journey. It also serves as a good opportunity for me to evaluate whether or not these oils are indeed similar and to find out why I felt that they did pretty much the same thing for my hair. Let's take a look.

Argan Oil

Argan oil, also termed "the Miracle Oil" or "liquid gold" (hmmm interesting) is a plant oil derived by pressing the pits of argan kernels. The argan tree grows in only a part of Morocco and is little known outside of that area. This oil can be used for nutritive as well as cosmetic purposes as it contains vitamin E, phenols, carotenes, squalene, and fatty acids. It is said that depending on the extraction method, argan oil may be more resistant to oxidation than olive oil.

You can use Argan oil:

•As a conditioning agent - as it is able to help hydrate the hair in a natural way.

•As a hair styling product - It is famous for treating damaged hair by helping to control unmanageable hair. It is able to restore the natural luster and shine of your hair. If you have chemically processed hair, applying this product will help you remove the brittleness of the hair and restore its natural smoothness. Argan oil is also rich in omega 3 and 9 fatty acids that will help in the prevention of split ends

•As a heat protector - This oil is also able to repair strands that have been damaged due to the effects of environmental factors such as the sun’s rays and pollution.

•As a hair "deep" leave-in-treatment - argan oil is also able to penetrate the pores of the hair follicles and shaft and thus is able to enhance the elasticity of the hair. With this penetration, it is also able to help in the nourishing of the hair.

•As a hair hot-oil-treatment - argan oil is also a good natural source of Vitamin E thus it is chosen by many experts to treat damaged hair.

•As a hair growth/ length retention aid - as argan oil contains a lot of natural anti-oxidants, it will help strengthen the weakened hair strands.

•As a treatment for dry-scalp conditions due to it's moisturizing properties.

source 

Jojoba (pronounced "ho-ho-ba") oil

This is also a plant oil. It is extracted from the seed of the simmondsia chinensis (Jojoba) plant. Jojoba is a an evergreen desert shrub which comes from a different part of the world, and is native to southern Arizona, southern California, and northwestern Mexico. It is originally in a waxy form but has a melting point of 10°C.

Jojoba oil has palmitic, palmitoleic, stearic, oleic, linoleic, linolenic, and arachidic, eicosenoic, behenic, and erucic and lignoceric fatty acids. It contains myristic acid which also has an anti-inflammatory action.

Jojoba Oil contains vitamins E and B complex. It also has the minerals silicon, chromium, copper and zinc. It has a very high percentage of iodine, almost 81.7%. The iodine concentration gives the Jojoba oil a great power to heal.

The structure of jojoba oil closely resembles that of your own skin sebum, so it has a natural affinity to the skin, and is readily absorbed without making the skin (scalp) feel greasy or tacky nor does it clog the pores and it helps to balance the production of sebum. Jojoba oil is a fungicide as well as an anti-bacterial agent, and can be used for controlling mildew. Five of the most common skin bacteria plus certain skin fungi can’t survive in jojoba oil.

Uses

• Scalp massages
• Hot oil treatments 
• Pre-poo
• Add to deep as well as leave-in conditioners
• "Moisturizing" or preventing dryness when hair is out

Similarities

Well, it seems they are pretty similar after all. It even says so here. 

[Argan Oil] works similar to the properties of the also famous “Jojoba Oil” that is also known to be a product that deals well with damaged hair.

1. Both contain vitamin E and a plethora of fatty acids.
2. Able to penetrate the strands.
3. Both are termed as "moisturizing".
4. While argan oil is an antioxidant and jojoba oil is an antifungal and antibacterial agent, they both work to prevent cell damage.
5. Many of the purported uses are the same such as: scalp treatment or massage; dry hair/ conditioning treatment; leave-in, hot oil, and pre-poo treatments.

I suppose I was on to something using them interchangeably. So now you know that you don't have to shell out for both products because while there are some differences, they serve pretty much the same purposes.

Have you used either of the two oils? What were your results like?

XOXO,

Abbi