Jojoba alcohol is the
alcohol fraction obtained by the
saponification
Saponification is a process of converting esters into soaps and alcohols by the action of aqueous alkali (for example, aqueous sodium hydroxide solutions). Soaps are salts of fatty acids, which in turn are carboxylic acids with long carbon chains. ...
of
jojoba oil
Jojoba oil is the liquid produced in the seed of the ''Simmondsia chinensis'' ( jojoba) plant, a shrub, which is native to southern Arizona, southern California, and northwestern Mexico. The oil makes up approximately 50% of the jojoba seed by w ...
from the seeds of ''
Simmondsia chinensis
Jojoba (; botanical name: ''Simmondsia chinensis'')also commonly called goat nut, deer nut, pignut, wild hazel, quinine nut, coffeeberry, and gray box bushis native to the Southwestern United States. ''Simmondsia chinensis'' is the sole specie ...
''.
Jojoba alcohol is commonly used in
cosmetic formulations.
[
]
Chemical constituents
Jojoba alcohol is a mixture of both saturated and unsaturated long chain alcohols of between 16 and 26 carbons in chain length, including:[
*C16:0 ]Hexadecanol
Cetyl alcohol , also known as hexadecan-1-ol and palmityl alcohol, is a C-16 fatty alcohol with the formula CH3(CH2)15OH. At room temperature, cetyl alcohol takes the form of a waxy white solid or flakes. The name cetyl derives from the whale oi ...
*C17:1 ''cis''-8-Heptadecenol
*C18:0 Octadecanol
*C18:1 ''cis''-9-Octadecenol
*C18:1 ''cis''-11-Octadecenol
*C20:0 Eicosanol
*C20:1 ''cis''-11-Eicosenol
*C21:1 ''cis''-12-Heneicosenol
*C22:0 Docosanol
1-Docosanol, also known as behenyl alcohol, is a saturated fatty alcohol containing 22 carbon atoms, used traditionally as an emollient, emulsifier, and thickener in cosmetics.
In July 2000, docosanol was approved for medical use in the Unite ...
*C22:1 ''cis''-13-Docosenol
*C24:1 ''cis''-15-Tetracosenol
*C26:0 Hexacosanol
Physical properties
Jojoba alcohol is a clear, colorless liquid at room temperature.
See also
* Jojoba ester
* Jojoba wax esters
References
{{reflist
Cosmetics chemicals
Fatty alcohols