Stuff We Love: Jojoba Oil

By: Tanya Pai

I am completely addicted to waterproof mascara. Not only is it the only way I can get my stick-straight lashes to hold a curl, it also frees me from worrying about turning into the Joker while walking to work on one of our fair city’s many rainy days. The downside to this budgeproof stuff? Getting it to come off before bed.

I’ve tried makeup remover after makeup remover, all of them promising that waterproof makeup will slide right off – but I always ended up having to scrub, resulting in irritated eyes. That is, until I discovered the magic that is pure jojoba oil. The golden liquid can be used as a moisturizer for hair, scalp, and skin, and it’s awesome for removing even Tammy-Faye-esque coats of mascara.

Just lightly moisten a cotton pad with water, add a couple of drops of the oil, and apply to closed eyelids. (I’ve found it works best if you hold the pad in place on your eyelid for a few seconds first.) Once you’re done, tissue off the residue; your eyelids will be makeup-free and ungreasy yet moisturized enough that you can even consider skipping the eye cream. It’s all-natural, fairly cheap, and a bottle lasts forever. I may never buy regular makeup remover again.

Available at Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, or at desertessence.com.