Description

Simmondsia chinensis, the jojoba plant, is a long-lived, dioecious, evergreen desert shrub of the family Simmondsiaceae — the sole member of its family — native to the Sonoran Desert spanning northwestern Mexico, Arizona, and southern California. Despite the misleading species epithet, the plant has no connection to China; the name is a taxonomic historical error. The seed contains approximately 50% liquid wax — commonly called jojoba oil — which is composed of C20–C22 straight-chain monounsaturated wax esters that closely mimic human sebum in molecular structure. This chemical uniqueness has driven its adoption in cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and industrial formulations worldwide. Traditionally used by Sonoran indigenous communities for hair and skin applications, jojoba is now cultivated in Israel, Argentina, India, and Australia as a desert crop.