Composition with black cumin oil
In recent years, black cumin seed oil has gained popularity on social media for its various benefits, either as a stand-alone ingredient or in formulations.
This beautiful oil is known for its distinctive aroma that can range from spicy cumin aromas to milder ones. The color of the oil is often a pale orange, reminiscent of but not as intense as sea buckthorn oil. Black cumin seed oil also has a traditional use in the formulation of some soaps, a testament to its cultural and historical importance in skin care and hair care.
So, how can you use this miracle oil in your formulations? As mentioned, there are two main options for use in cosmetics:
Cold pressed oil: The high linoleic acid gives this oil a high iodine value. This means that it is sensitive to heat and must be added in the cooling phase (below 40 degrees C).
It can be used up to 100%, but is often recommended lower due to its peppery aroma and the fact that it can contain up to 0.5% natural essential oil.
Suggestion: Check the Certificate of Analysis (COA) for volatiles present. The amount of thymoquinone is often listed with the fatty acid profile.
CO2 Extracted Carrier Oil: The cooperation2 The extract is the superior version of the cold-pressed oil. It has a similar fatty acid profile, but a more intense aroma, as the concentration of volatile active ingredients can be up to 5% (or more), with thymoquinone among them.
Some extracts are standardized to a certain percentage of thymoquinone (3% is typical), which is important to know when making the formulation. Again, the Certificate of Analysis (COA) is your best friend, along with the suppliers’ instructions for use.
Be sure to check these levels as the extract may not be suitable in high doses or for sensitive skin.
Additionally, there is an essential oil, but the thymoquinone content can be as high as 55% and comes with safety concerns. In any case, the availability of the essential oil seems to be decreasing and we do not recommend it for skin care.
Note: Thymoquinone is contraindicated for those who are pregnant or breastfeeding, so be aware of the limits when choosing to work with CO2 extract. You may also want to make a note on your product label.
8 Easy Formulas to Adjust with Black Cumin Oil
Black cumin seed oil is most beneficial in formulas or products for mature or blemish-prone skin. It’s also perfect for hair and scalp oils and botanical hand or foot care.
We’ve rounded up 8 of our favorite recipes on the blog for you to try. You can substitute any of the oils or CO2 extracts in these formulations with black cumin oil.
Facial oils and serums
Due to its high antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits, alongside its soothing and moisturizing beta-sitosterol content, this oil is suitable for anti-aging serums, barrier support products or for dry, inflamed or blemished skin and serums designed to support barrier.
In addition, its antibacterial action makes it ideal for blemish-prone skin. The formulas below are easily adapted by replacing one of the oils with black cumin oil.
The first formulation we recommend you try is our Simple African Face Oil, which incorporates beautiful oils from across the continent of Africa.
You can replace either argan, desert oil, or rice bran with black cumin seed oil to create an oil-based variation of this great serum.
This beautiful vitamin E facial serum already contains many wonderful botanical oils.
Replace the CO evening primrose seed2 black cumin seed extract CO2 extract to give the serum an extra spicy kick.
Hair and scalp treatments
Because of its powerful anti-microbial properties, mixing black cumin seed oil into a scalp oil or hair conditioner is a great addition.
Also, as you read earlier in this article, the science is not yet fully there to prove that black cumin seed oil can lead to hair regrowth, but that doesn’t mean we can’t add it to our hair formulas !
Rosemary is another firm favorite in the hair care formula community, making it the perfect accompaniment to black cumin oil.
When making this rosemary hair and scalp oil, we recommend replacing either apricot oil, avocado, jojoba oil, or pumpkin seed oil with black cumin seed oil.
Imagine creating your own antioxidant-rich hair mask, packed with ingredients that can benefit your hair and scalp – including black cumin seed oil!
We recommend replacing the jojoba oil in this formulation with black cumin oil.
Our final hair care formula to try is our Hair Conditioner Compact Bar, which currently contains jojoba oil which you could replace with black cumin seed oil.
Imagine yourself making a solid hair conditioner that has a light spicy cumin scent. Sounds great, doesn’t it?!
Hand and foot treatments
Black cumin seed oil is anti-fungal, making it a natural choice for foot creams, masks and scrubs as well as hand and skin creams. Here are some wording ideas:
Our Simple Unscented Balm can be an anti-fungal skin balm with the addition of black cumin seed oil – you can substitute buriti fruit oil. Be prepared that your balm will be a different color than the one in our blog post!
This Apple Spice Whipped Foot Scrub would feel great with the addition of black cumin seed oil to add an extra touch of luxury and make the scent extra spicy. We recommend replacing 5% of the castor oil with black cumin oil.
This lovely nourishing hand balm would benefit from the addition of black cumin seed oil. We recommend replacing 5% of the infused carrot oil with black cumin oil.
