JOJOBA

noun (Lifestyle and Leisure) A desert shrub belonging to the box family, whose seeds contain an oil which is used as a lubricant and in cosmetics. Also, the oil which comes from these seeds. Etymology: The Mexican Spanish common name of the shrub Simmondsia chinensis. History and Usage: The word is not new to American English, but only became current among British English speakers as a result of a flurry of interest in jojoba oil from the mid seventies onwards, first as a substitute for sperm whale oil and later as an ingredient of soaps and cosmetics. The first cosmetics containing jojoba were marketed in the early eighties. The Renewer Lotion contains collagen, jojoba oil and a special firming ingredient to smooth and soften the skin and increase cell renewal. Look Now Oct. 1986, p. 68