Black seed oil, also known as Black Cumin seed oil or Nigella Sativa is unique in its composition and has many health benefits which we discuss in this article. You will discover why we have included it in The Nectar and many of our future product launches...
What is it and where does it come from?
Black Cumin seed oil, also known as Nigella Sativa has been used for thousands of years for medicine, food, and even cosmetics predominantly in Middle Eastern and Asian cultures. It is even mentioned in the Koran as a cure for everything but death and said to have been Cleopatra’s beauty secret. The Black Cumin oil is pressed from its seeds which originates from a fennel flower native to the Middle Eastern and East European region.
What are the benefits to the skin?
Plant oils are made up of various healthy omega’s, which we refer to as the fatty acid composition. Oils high in Omega-6 fatty acid (known as linoleic acid) is shown to speed up barrier repair as well as nourish and protect the skin. The heaviness of plant oils is also determined by the ratio of linoleic acid to oleic acid (Omega-3), the higher the content of linoleic acid the lighter the oil feels on the skin. Black Cumin seed oil is particularly high in linoleic acid, and its overall fatty acid composition helps strengthen and maintain cell integrity and therefore premature aging. These are however not the only benefits of this plant oil.
What makes it unique to other plant oils?
The pharmacological properties of Nigella Sativa make this seed oil very unique. Studies have found a compound called Thymoquinone which has been shown to act as a natural anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial and accelerates wound healing. This is also why in clinical studies the oil has shown a significant reduction in papules and pustules and aids skin conditions like acne vulgaris, eczema, and psoriasis. In addition, Black Seed oil contains a variety of vitamins (vitamin A & C) and minerals like Magnesium and Potassium and has good free radical scavenging activity, which helps protect the skin from environmental stressors.
Who is it for?
Most people would benefit from Black Cumin seed oil whether you are dealing with any skin conditions or need a nourishing boost to your complexion! Because it is lightweight and non-clogging even oilier skin types will reap the benefits, especially those who are acne-prone...
The Nectar contains a high percentage of Black Cumin seed oil in addition to other vitamin and mineral rich plant oils, to learn more click here.
Bordoni L, Fedeli D, Nasuti C, et al. Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Nigella sativa Oil in Human Pre-Adipocytes. Antioxidants (Basel). 2019;8(2):51. Published 2019 Feb 25. doi:10.3390/antiox8020051. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6406245/.
Ahmad, K.M. Muneer, I.A. Tamimi, M.E. Chang, M.O. Ata, N. Yusuf. Thymoquinone suppresses metastasis of melanoma cells by inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol., 270 (1) (2013), pp. 70-76. Available at https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0041008X1300136
Abdul-Ameer, H. Al-Harchan. Treatment of acne vulgaris with Nigella Sativa oil lotion. Iraq. Postgrad. Med. J., 2 (2010), pp. 140-143. Available at https://www.iasj.net/iasj?aId=49095&func=fulltext
Salih, H. M., Aljabre, Omar M., Alakbloy Mohammed., & Randhawa, A. Dermatological Effects of Nigella Sativa. Journal of Dermatology & Dermatologic Surgery 19 (2) 2015, pp 92-98. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352241015000286#bb0255
