Black seed oil and stretch marks: what you need to know

Natural plant oils are among the treatments worth considering when you have stretch marks, and black seed oil is one of them. Read on to find out where it comes from, what it contains and what it offers as a spicy oil. Above all, discover why it deserves a place in your routine for preventing stretch marks and improving their appearance.

What is black seed oil?

Nigella (Nigella sativa), also known as black cumin, is a plant that grows in warm regions. Its seeds are commonly used as a spice and in traditional practices. They are often found in Middle Eastern cooking, sprinkled over bread and pastries and added to cheeses, soups and desserts. People love their strong, sharp and peppery flavour. Nigella seeds also have a long-standing place in Eastern traditions:

• Ayurvedic medicine traditionally uses nigella seed powder.
• In Egypt in particular, the seeds are pressed into oil, which has long been used in skin care.

Black seed oil is therefore extracted by pressing the plant’s seeds. Its color varies from yellow-green to amber (depending on the plants and the seeds’ level of maturity). Its texture is rather rich and its very distinctive scent can be described as spicy.

What are the benefits of black seed oil?

What’s in black seed oil?

The composition of black seed oil is quite unique because, in addition to fatty acids, it is rich in many other active compounds. So:

• Black seed oil contains essential fatty acids omega-6 (linoleic acid, around 55%), omega-9 (oleic acid, around 25%) and saturated fatty acids (around 10% palmitic acid).
• It also contains vitamins such as tocopherol (vitamin E) and provitamin A.
• Another notable feature: it is rich in nigelline and nigellone, two alkaloids specific to it, as well as terpenes (thymoquinone and para-cymene).
• Lastly, black seed oil is rich in certain minerals, such as iron and phosphorus.

The benefits of black seed oil

As you might expect, a unique composition means plenty of beauty uses!

Skin

First of all, black seed oil is particularly popular in skin care. Among other things, linoleic acid plays a part in the hydrolipidic film and helps keep the epidermis cohesive. It is one of the building blocks of ceramides, which in turn contribute to the cohesion of cell membranes. Black seed oil can therefore help dry and damaged skin feel more comfortable and supple. Oleic acid and palmitic acid, for their part, contribute to the comfort of the skin barrier (the skin’s acid mantle). Black seed oil therefore seems well suited to stretch marks, whether as a preventive step or on established stretch marks.

But that’s not all! Black seed oil also contains tocopherol (vitamin E), carotenoids and thymoquinone, which are all antioxidant compounds. This explains its place in anti-ageing routines. It can also be used as an after-sun treatment on both the face and body. It is equally useful for caring for tired-looking skin, for example after exposure to pollution.

Lastly, because it is rich in vitamin E and provitamin A, black seed oil can certainly be considered for caring for blemish-prone skin. Some oils really do suit oily and/or problem skin, such as jojoba, hazelnut and nigella. If you have acne, ask a dermatologist for advice.

Hair

If black seed oil is popular for the skin, it is just as popular for the hair! It helps care for dull, dry, brittle and/or suffocated hair. It is therefore recommended for application to the lengths and ends. And if you suffer from irritation or flaking on the scalp, ask a doctor or dermatologist for advice before you consider regular massages with black seed oil.

Finally, as mentioned above, black seed oil also has a place in Eastern traditions. For any health-related use, ask a doctor or healthcare professional for advice.

Can black seed oil be used on stretch marks?

Absolutely! Black seed oil can be applied to healthy skin with no stretch marks as a preventive step. Fine lines may have appeared on your thighs, bottom, hips or chest. If so, regular massages with black seed oil can help keep your skin comfortable and supple, on both early stretch marks and mature stretch marks. During pregnancy, check with your doctor or midwife before using it for massage.

You can apply it neat if you don’t mind rich oils. Otherwise, you can blend it with a lighter, dry-touch oil such as macadamia oil, jojoba oil or hemp seed oil. Finally, if you are not pregnant, black seed oil makes a good carrier for essential oils. You might use such a blend on coloured stretch marks (red, purple). You may wish to add a few drops of the following essential oils:

• juniper and/or St John’s wort;
• fine lavender and/or Italian helichrysum;
• cistus ladanifer and/or rosemary verbenone.

Before using essential oils, ask a pharmacist or another qualified professional for advice.

Are there other stretch mark treatments to use alongside black seed oil?

It is possible to include black seed oil in an overall anti-stretch-mark routine.  We therefore suggest complementing it with the products in our Maxi Anti-Stretch Marks Pack:

• Our Stretch Mark Serum, a source of skin hydration and a prep step before other treatments (cream, oil).
• Our Stretch Mark Cream, a body treatment dedicated to stretch marks.
• Our Stretch Mark Prevention Oil (2 bottles in the pack), which can be used both on skin without stretch marks and on established stretch marks.
• Two massage accessories, namely our New Skin Brush (to be used for dry brushing), and our Massage Roller, to be used with massage oils for stretch marks.

Frequently asked questions

Does black seed oil work on cellulite?

Cellulite and stretch marks are two different concerns. This article presents black seed oil as a massage oil for stretch mark care routines. For cellulite, you’re better off turning to products and massage accessories designed specifically for it.

Useful categories: Stretch Mark Care, Stretch Mark Solutions.