Nigella Oil

Information

Practical information :

• Botanical name: Nigella sativa
• Appearance: Slightly golden or sometimes brownish liquid
• Odour: Characteristic, slightly spicy and aromatic
• Texture: Relatively fluid, it penetrates well into the skin without leaving a greasy residue, while offering protective and nourishing effects.

Extraction process :

Nigella oil is obtained by cold pressing the seeds of Nigella sativa, a method that preserves its active ingredients. The seeds, harvested in late July to early August, are first cleaned to remove impurities. They are then mechanically pressed at no more than 25°C, to prevent the oil from oxidizing. This gentle extraction is carried out using a screw press, where the oil is separated from the solid residues. Finally, the filtered oil is stored.

Benefits and Properties :

Discover the exceptional virtues of Nigella oil, ideal for enriching your soap-making creations. This precious oil offers undeniable beneficial properties for skin and hair. Integrated into your soaps, it transforms every use into a genuine beauty treatment. Here is a detailed exploration of its benefits when used to make soaps:

• Revitalizing action: Deeply revitalizes the skin, leaving a radiant, rejuvenated complexion.
• Anti-inflammatory properties: soothes inflamed skin and reduces redness, ideal for skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis or shingles.
• Softening effect: Makes skin soft and smooth, minimizing irritation and improving overall texture.
• Toning action: Firms skin and helps reduce the appearance of wrinkles, reinforcing skin's firmness and youthfulness.

Properties :

• Soothing: Ideal for the care of irritated skin, it calms inflammation and reduces redness, making skin more comfortable.
• Skin repairing and purifying: Helps repair damaged skin, while possessing antibacterial properties that help keep skin clean and prevent infection.
• Antioxidant: Contains powerful antioxidants that protect skin against free radical damage, delaying the signs of skin aging such as wrinkles and age spots.
• Nourishing and regenerating: Enriches skin with essential nutrients, improving texture and suppleness. It also helps regenerate skin cells for a younger, more radiant complexion.

Composition of Nigella Seed Oil :

Essential fatty acids :

• Linoleic acid (Omega-6): approx. 50-60%, which contributes to skin hydration and repair.
• Oleic acid (Omega-9): approx. 20%, helps keep skin supple and regulates sebum.

Vitamins and antioxidants :

• Vitamin E: a powerful antioxidant that protects skin from oxidative damage.
• Thymoquinone: an antioxidant unique to black cumin oil, known for its anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties.
• Carotenes: precursors of vitamin A, important for skin health and vision.

Phenolic compounds :

• Nigellone: a specific bioactive ingredient that helps relieve asthma and allergy symptoms.
• Thymol: a natural antiseptic that can help kill bacteria and fungi.

Minerals :

• Contains trace amounts of essential minerals such as iron, copper, zinc and phosphorus, which support general body function and skin health.

Other components :

• Saturated fatty acids: palmitic and stearic, which help stabilize the oil's structure and improve its durability.
• Saponins and flavonoids: possess anti-inflammatory properties and contribute to overall skin health.

This wealth of components makes black cumin oil a precious ingredient for nutrition, skin and hair care.

Recommended for which skin type :

For problem skin :

• Anti-infectious and antifungal: Perfect for treating acne, small localized infections and fungus-related skin problems.
• Anti-inflammatory: Ideal for soothing inflammatory conditions such as psoriasis and eczema.
• Healing: Promotes healing of wounds and burns, and improves the appearance of scars and stretch marks that are still pink.

For dry skin:

• Moisturizing : Deeply nourishes and restores the skin's lipid balance, leaving it soft and supple.

For oily skin :

• Sebum regulator: Helps control and reduce sebum production, thus reducing excess shine.

For sensitive skin:

• Soothing: Soothes irritation and redness, relieving delicate skin reactions.

For mature skin:

• Revitalizing: Intensely nourishes the skin, reducing visible signs of aging such as fine lines and wrinkles.

Other uses :

• Massage: Used for massaging, it can relieve muscle and joint pain.
• Anti-viral: Can combat certain viruses responsible for skin lesions, with visible benefits when used regularly.
• Against vitiligo: Studies have shown its effectiveness in increasing melanin production, helping to reduce the effects of the depigmentation characteristic of vitiligo.

How to store Nigella seed oil :

• Store in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight.
• Make sure it's securely closed.
• It generally keeps for up to 12 months after opening.

Tips and Tricks for the Soap Maker :

Superfatted soap with Nigella oil is specially designed for sensitive skin. This soap develops an unctuous, creamy and delicately fine foam that promises to leave the skin exceptionally soothed, nourished, soft, purified and regenerated.

Unsaponifiables :

The unsaponifiables in Nigella oil (Nigella sativa) comprise a set of valuable components that do not turn into soap during saponification, and so retain their beneficial properties in final products such as soaps, lotions and other cosmetics.

• Tocopherols (Vitamin E): Powerful antioxidants that protect against oxidative damage and prevent premature aging.
• Phytosterols: Including beta-sitosterol, they offer anti-inflammatory effects, reduce the symptoms of skin diseases such as psoriasis and eczema, and strengthen the skin barrier.
• Squalene: Moisturizing and emollient, it helps keep skin hydrated, supple and soft.
• Carotenoids : A form of vitamin A, they maintain and repair the skin, protect against UV rays and stimulate cell regeneration.

Its saponification value
:

The saponification value of black cumin oil is 139, which means that 0.139 g of NAOH soda are needed to saponify 1 g of black cumin oil. This information will help you calculate your own recipe.

In your calculator, you'll need to choose "Nigella Seed Oil" or "Black Cumin Seed Oil, Nig"."

Your recipe should contain between 5% and 15% maximum.

Tips :

Trace management

• Work quickly: Since Nigella oil accelerates the trace, prepare all your ingredients and molds in advance so you can quickly pour the soap as soon as the trace is reached.
• Low-speed mixing: Use an immersion blender to mix your soap paste, but make sure you do it at low speed to avoid accelerating the trace too much.

• Moderate temperature: Keep the temperature of your oils and soda solution around 38°C to 43°C. Higher temperatures can accelerate the trace, especially with Nigella oil.
• Paste consistency: Keep an eye on the consistency of the soap paste. If it seems to thicken too quickly, place your container in a cold water bath to slow down the reaction and adjust the trace to a manageable rate.

Additions / Superfatting :

• Superfatting technique: Add some of the Nigella oil after reaching a light trace. This helps retain some of the oil's beneficial properties, which may be lost during the high-temperature saponification reaction.
• Quantity moderation: Incorporate Nigella oil into your recipe at a rate of 5% to 15% of the total oils to benefit from its properties.

Mussels:

Be aware that the reaction between soda and oils can generate heat. Use our molds to monitor temperature throughout the process to avoid the freezing phase.

Our molds are flexible, making them easy to remove from the mold once the soap has hardened. What's more, they enable better heat retention during the saponification process, promoting optimal soap setting.

Tips and Usage for Solid Shampoo and Conditioner :

Add 10 ml of Nigella oil to our homemade solid shampoo recipe.

Be sure to mix well so that the oil is evenly distributed throughout the solid shampoo.

• Nourishes the scalp: Rich in essential fatty acids, black cumin oil can help nourish the scalp and promote scalp growth.
• Anti-inflammatory properties: Helps soothe scalp irritation and inflammation, such as dandruff or eczema.
• Strengthens hair: protects against free radical damage. This can help strengthen hair and prevent hair loss.
• Improves shine and softness: Improves the shine and softness of your hair, making it less dry and more manageable.
• Promotes hair growth: Certain compounds in black cumin oil can help stimulate hair growth by strengthening hair follicles and increasing hair density.

Lhe indications and advice given above are provided for information only, based on reputable sources in aromatherapy, soap-making and phytotherapy. Under no circumstances should they be considered as medical advice. This information is not intended to replace professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. It is essential to consult a health professional before using essential oils or any other product mentioned. In addition, please note that the product discussed in this context is not intended for consumption.