If you have ever wondered why so many moisturizers pair a light oil with a richer one, jojoba and coconut oil are a good place to start. Jojoba oil for skin is prized because it behaves remarkably like the oil our skin makes on its own: it sinks in quickly and leaves skin smooth rather than slick. Coconut oil brings a creamier, more cushioning softness. Together, they cover both ends of what dry skin needs.
Here is a plain-English look at jojoba oil benefits, coconut oil for skin, how the two compare, and why Loved01 blends them.
Jojoba and Coconut Oil: Key Benefits at a Glance
Skin-Like Moisture (Jojoba):
Jojoba is a liquid wax whose structure closely resembles the wax esters in human sebum, so it softens skin and absorbs without a greasy film.
Rich Softening (Coconut):
Coconut oil is roughly half lauric acid, a fatty acid that gives it a creamy, cushioning feel that smooths rough, dry patches.
Barrier Support (Both):
A 2018 review of plant oils grouped jojoba and coconut among the oils that support the skin barrier, unlike olive oil, which can weaken it.
A Less Ashy Look:
By slowing moisture loss and smoothing the surface, both oils help skin look even and healthy instead of dull, flaky or gray.
Why Use Jojoba Oil for Skin?
Jojoba oil is worth using because it closely mimics the natural oil our skin produces, so it moisturizes without feeling heavy. Technically a liquid wax pressed from the seeds of a desert shrub, it softens dry patches, helps limit moisture loss, and absorbs quickly enough to suit most skin types, including the face.
Jojoba (pronounced "ho-HO-ba") grows in the dry deserts of the American Southwest and northern Mexico. Roughly half of each seed's weight is a golden liquid wax, and that wax is the source of most jojoba oil benefits. According to a 2021 scientific review of jojoba, its wax esters are structurally similar to the wax esters in human sebum. In everyday terms, your skin recognizes it as familiar.
That is why jojoba feels so light: it spreads easily, stays stable, and leaves skin smooth rather than shiny. Lab research is encouraging too: in a 2024 study on donated human skin samples, jojoba wax cut inflammatory signals by about a third and boosted the skin's own hyaluronic acid production. That was a lab setting, not a product test, but it fits jojoba's long record as a gentle, well-tolerated ingredient. The American Academy of Dermatology includes jojoba oil among the ingredients it suggests looking for in a moisturizer for dry skin.
What Does Coconut Oil Do for Skin?
Coconut oil softens and smooths skin by filling in the tiny gaps between surface skin cells and slowing the loss of water. Rich in lauric acid, it has a creamy, cushioning feel that is especially comforting on dry body skin, hands, elbows, knees and feet, where rough texture and tightness tend to show up first.
Most of us know coconut oil from the kitchen, where it is pressed from the white flesh of mature coconuts and used as a cooking fat. On skin, the same fatty acid profile makes it a classic emollient. Studies on coconut oil back up that reputation: in an eight-week trial in children with dry, eczema-prone skin, pure virgin coconut oil reduced water loss and raised skin hydration readings from 32.0 to 42.3, outperforming mineral oil.
The honest caveat: coconut oil is rich, and on breakout-prone facial skin it can feel too heavy for some people. Body skin has fewer oil glands and is far more forgiving, which is why coconut oil shines in body care. In a lotion it is one part of a blend rather than a pure layer, but if your face breaks out easily, patch test first. Our guide to when coconut oil helps skin and when it doesn't covers this in more detail.
Jojoba Oil vs Coconut Oil: How Are They Different?
The main difference between jojoba oil and coconut oil is weight and texture. Jojoba is a light liquid wax that mirrors skin's own sebum and absorbs quickly, so it suits the face and most skin types. Coconut oil is a richer plant fat that leaves a softer, more cushioned finish, which makes it ideal for drier body skin.
Jojoba stays liquid in the cold and rarely feels greasy; coconut oil turns solid below about 76°F, a clue to how rich it is. If you like lightweight oils, our guide to squalane, a lightweight emollient that won't clog, is a good companion read.
Why Do Jojoba and Coconut Oil Work Well Together?
Jojoba and coconut oil work well together because they soften skin in two different ways. Jojoba delivers light, fast-absorbing moisture that feels like skin's own oil, while coconut oil adds a richer, longer-lasting softness. Blended into a lotion with water-attracting ingredients such as glycerin, they hydrate and help hold that hydration in place.
Good moisturizers do three jobs: humectants draw water into the skin, emollients smooth and soften, and occlusives help seal moisture in, as explained in our guide to humectants, emollients and occlusives. Jojoba and coconut oil are both emollients at different weights, so the pair feels light going on and comfortable hours later. Add a rich butter like shea butter for skin and you get a formula that balances quick absorption with staying power.
Can Jojoba and Coconut Oil Help With Ashy Skin?
Yes, jojoba and coconut oil can help reduce an ashy look, because ashiness is mostly dry, flaky skin scattering light on the surface. By softening those flakes and slowing moisture loss, both oils help skin look smoother and more even. Results are best when you apply them to damp skin right after washing.
Ashy skin is especially noticeable on deeper skin tones, and melanin-rich skin can lose moisture more readily, so a consistent moisturizing habit matters. As John Legend, Co-Founder of Loved01, puts it: "Like most people with melanin-rich skin, moisture is always a priority. We can't be out here looking ashy. Hydration is key." For more on the causes, see our guide to ashy skin causes and treatment.
Hand + Body Lotion
Our Hand + Body Lotion brings jojoba oil and coconut oil together with shea butter, sunflower oil, Rosehip Oil and Sea Buckthorn Oil. Jojoba keeps the texture light and fast-absorbing, while coconut oil and shea add lasting softness, so hands and body feel moisturized without a greasy finish. Use it after every hand wash and shower.
How Does Loved01 Use Jojoba and Coconut Oil?
Loved01 blends jojoba oil and coconut oil into its Face + Body Moisturizer and Hand + Body Lotion, where they work alongside shea butter, plant oils and glycerin. Jojoba also appears in the Cream Cleanser, Hand Wash and Cleansing Bars, helping each feel gentle and leave skin comfortable rather than tight after washing.
In the Face + Body Moisturizer, jojoba and coconut oil sit within a wider blend that includes shea and mango butters, Rosehip Oil and Sea Buckthorn Oil, so the cream feels rich but absorbs quickly. Our Cleansing Bars pair jojoba and shea butter with gentle coconut-derived cleansing agents, so they lather well without stripping skin. (Our Face + Body Oil skips jojoba; it is built around Rosehip Oil and Sea Buckthorn Oil, covered in our guide to Rosehip Oil benefits for skin.)
Every product is formulated without sulfates, parabens or synthetic fragrance, made for every skin tone, and priced between $10 and $30. Not sure whether you need a lotion, butter or oil? Our comparison of body lotion vs. body butter vs. body oil breaks it down, and our complete body care routine guide shows where each step fits.
How to Get the Most From Jojoba and Coconut Oil
Apply moisturizer within a few minutes of showering or hand washing, while skin is still damp, to help trap water in the skin. Focus on hands, elbows, knees, shins and heels. If dryness or itching persists despite regular moisturizing, check in with a board-certified dermatologist.
What Loved01 Customers Say
This is very nice. It is mildly scented with jojoba oils. It helps moisturize my skin. I use it on my face and hands as they tend to need moisturizing with the fall weather. It can be used on the entire body as well for a totally immersed moisturizing experience. — Vanita R
Light weight but super hydrating! The smell is not heavy, I would say it's very comforting. Love that it meets in between, have hand lotions light weight but body lotions hydrating function. Also the texture is great, absorbs fast doesn't feel greasy. Love it! — Funnyfood
LOVED01 Face and Body Cleansing Bar offers a luxurious cleansing experience. Infused with hydrating jojoba oil and skin-softening shea butter, it leaves skin feeling moisturized and supple. — francophilia
Frequently Asked Questions About Jojoba Oil and Coconut Oil
Is jojoba oil non-comedogenic?
Jojoba oil is widely considered one of the plant oils least likely to clog pores, because its wax esters closely resemble the skin's own sebum and absorb without a heavy film. No oil is guaranteed breakout-free for everyone, so if your facial skin is very breakout-prone, patch test any new product first.
Jojoba oil vs coconut oil: which is better for skin?
Neither is better across the board; they do different jobs. Jojoba oil is light, absorbs quickly and suits most skin types, including the face. Coconut oil is richer and more softening, which makes it especially good for dry body skin, hands, elbows and knees. Blended together, they balance lightness with lasting softness.
Will a lotion with coconut oil make me break out?
Most people use coconut oil lotions on the body without any problem, since body skin has fewer oil glands than the face. In a lotion, coconut oil is one part of a blend rather than a pure layer. If your facial skin breaks out easily, patch test before using any coconut oil product on your face.
Is jojoba oil actually an oil?
Not technically. Jojoba oil is a liquid wax made of wax esters, pressed from the seeds of a desert shrub native to the American Southwest and northern Mexico. That wax structure is why it stays stable, feels light and non-greasy, and closely resembles the natural oils our skin already produces.
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