What is HobaCare Jojoba?
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HobaCare Jojoba is the pure extract of the jojoba seed, which has been grown and then pressed and filtered to The Jojoba Company's exacting specifications. HobaCare Jojoba is exceptional due to the high quality of its seed source and the manner in which we have the seed pressed. "HobaCare" is the brand name we give our jojoba to distinguish it from so-called generic "jojoba oil" obtainable elsewhere. Our HobaCare Jojoba is available as "pesticide-free" (as close to organic as you'll find available) and as "Certified 100% Organic". Please refer to the end of this section for a thorough discussion of pesticide-free and certified 100% organic HobaCare Jojoba.

The Pressing. Excellent seed quality is essential to producing consistently high quality jojoba. Responsible pressing is equally important. Our jojoba seed is pressed only once, in accordance with organic processing standards. We press to optimize quality, not to maximize yield. We insist on a light pressing, and we do not permit the press cake remaining after the first pressing to be recycled through the presses for a second pressing.

HobaCare (L) & refined jojoba (R)

We do not refine our jojoba. Refined jojoba (See photograph) is clear or "water-like" in appearance. It has been de-colored, deodorized, stabilized, neutralized, and de-gummed. Synthetic vitamin E may have be added to refined jojoba to replace natural tocopherols destroyed during refining. Refined jojoba is obtained from one of three sources: (a) poor quality jojoba seed, (b) presscake remaining after the first pressing, and (c) jojoba which has been solvent extracted from meal remaining after the second pressing. The refining process essentially strips unrefined jojoba of its natural goodness. Refined jojoba is a byproduct, which manufacturers most often use in formulations of nationally marketed personal care products.

The Odor. HobaCare Jojoba has a typical earthy odor, which many people do not notice. Indeed, HobaCare's odor is ephemeral. When you rub HobaCare Jojoba into your skin, after a short period of time, you smell only your skin, not the jojoba. Perfumers call jojoba a "fixative" because it locks in or "fixes" the scents of the essential oils added to it. Aromatherapists use HobaCare as their carrier or base of preference. It is far superior to oils.

Stable. Not oil. HobaCare jojoba is stable. It does not turn rancid, even if left in the trunk of a car on a hot summer day in Florida, Arizona or California. Most members of the jojoba industry overlook this important characteristic of jojoba. They insist on calling jojoba "oil" when, in fact, jojoba is not oil. Any chemist worth his or her salt will tell you that jojoba is a "liquid wax ester".

What's the difference between jojoba and "oils"? All seed or vegetable oils are characterized by the presence of triglycerides, a type of fat. Triglycerides break down and oils, such as sweet almond, grape seed, macadamia and safflower, turn rancid. HobaCare Jojoba, which is pure, does not contain triglycerides. If you detect triglycerides in jojoba, someone has contaminated it with oil or another additive. Oils will ultimately turn rancid and have to be thrown away. HobaCare Jojoba has an indefinite shelf life. And, unlike oils, repeated heating to high temperatures does not damage it.

HobaCare Jojoba is also non-allergenic and non-comedogenic (non-clogging). Likewise, the product does not stain. The first two characteristics are related to the fact that jojoba is a liquid ester molecularly comparable to the esters we produce in our skin. (Our sebaceous glands produce sebum, which is composed primarily of esters like jojoba.) Because it is non-allergenic, HobaCare Jojoba is especially useful to people with sensitive skin. HobaCare does not clog the pores. To the contrary, HobaCare actually cleanses the pores. Finally, the product does not stain. It washes out of natural fabrics with hot water and detergent. Dyed and synthetic fabrics may require the use of a pre-wash (We use "Shout"). Please refer to our laundering instructions.

About the Safety of The Jojoba Company's Containers.The Jojoba Company puts its HobaCare Jojoba into PET (1-oz, 125ml and 250ml) and into HDPE (litre 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. It is NOT found in polyethylene terepthalate (PET), commonly used for single-use water and soda bottles among other bottles, nor is it found in high-density polyethlene (HDPE).

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 pirmary 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.

A second example of incomplete reporting: U.S. News and World Reports identifed 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 also does not contain bisphenol A.

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.

If you have questions about our packaging, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Pesticide-free and Certified 100% Organic HobaCare Jojoba. As indicated at the beginning of this section, The Jojoba Company provides first-press unrefined golden pesticide-free HobaCare Jojoba and first-press unrefined golden certified 100% organic HobaCare Jojoba. Both products are first-press quality and both have been processed in accordance with organic standards. You cannot tell the difference between the two when you have them on your skin. However, we cannot certify the pesticide-free HobaCare Jojoba as organic because commercial fertilizers (NOT certified organic fertilizers) were used in the growing of the plants that produce the jojoba seeds pressed for our pesticide-free jojoba. Our Certified 100% Organic HobaCare Jojoba has been produced and processed in accordance with the United States Department of Agriculture's National Organic Program (USDA NOP). Our certifier is the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA), who are authorized as certifiers under the USDA NOP. Our organic certification is available at this link.