Move over Hemp Seeds, there’s a new hero in town… Oasis Black's hero ingredient Nigella Sativa (Black) Seeds. 

Known as a versatile natural “cure all” across the Middle East and deemed as “a cure for every disease except death” by Prophet Muhammed, Black Seeds are the tiny black seeds produced in the seed pods of the Nigella Sativa plant.

Commonly known as Black Seed, Black Cumin or Kalonji, though still relatively unknown in the western world, civilisations across the world have been using Black Seeds, and their oil, for medicinal remedies for thousands of years. In fact, it was so revered in the time of the Ancient Egyptians, that King Tutankhamun was buried with a vat of the seeds in his tomb.

“The black seed can heal every disease except death”
~ Prophet Muhammed, The Quran.

Today, because of the many health benefits they offer, “the seeds of N. sativa are widely used in the treatment of various diseases like bronchitis, asthma, diarrhea, rheumatism and skin disorders. It is also used as liver tonic, digestive, anti-diarrheal, appetite stimulant, emmenagogue, to increase milk production in nursing mothers, to fight parasitic infections, and to support the immune system.” ¹

Why are Black Seeds so special?

Containing one of the world’s richest natural sources of the powerful antioxidant Thymoquinone, Black Seeds possess an array of flavonoids, vitamins, minerals, proteins and a high concentration of essential fatty acids (especially Omega 6).

It is thought that the combination of it's constituents work in a unique synergy to give Black Seeds the power behind their tremendous potency and unique medicinal function.

How can Black Seeds help?

Though the healing benefits of these tiny black seeds have not been studied extensively until more recently, there are now >8900 studies available on Nigella Sativa (as of June 2025). It's pleasing to see that science is backing up the potent medicinal effects known and practiced by traditional medicines for centuries. Studies^{1, 2, 3, 4} have shown that Black Seeds offer the following beneficial properties:

• anti-inflammatory (including acne and psoriasis)
• antimicrobial (antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, & antiparasitic)
• antioxidant
• wound healing
• anti-aging
• improved the skin hydration
• reduced hypersensitivity reactions (eczema)
• anti-hypertensive
• anti-diabetic
• anti-asthmatic and bronchodilator
• anti-cancer and immunomodulatory
• analgesic
• anticonvulsant
  
• spasmolytic (antispasmodic)
• gastro-protective
• hepato-protective (prevents damage to the liver)
• renal-protective (prevents damage to the kidneys)
• neuro-protective
• improving thyroid status (Hashimoto's thyroiditis)^{5, 6}

For the skin, this study entitled "Thymoquinone, extract from Nigella sativa seeds, protects human skin keratinocytes against UVA-irradiated oxidative stress, inflammation and mitochondrial dysfunction" showed thymoquinone's preventive effects on photoaging. 

This study showed that "Nigella might have the same efficacy as Betamethasone in improvement of life quality and decreasing severity of hand eczema."

And this study showed that Nigella sativa "has many pharmacological effects as antibacterial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and wound healing effect and also for acne vulgaris, skin cancer, pigmentation, and many cosmeceutical applications."

Given that there are very few known toxic effects^{1, 2, 3} associated with Black Seeds, it’s little wonder why these miraculous tiny black seeds have been used so extensively throughout history to remedy so many different conditions.

Thankfully, Western Medicine has finally caught up to traditional systems of medicine (like Unani, Ayurveda, Siddha and Tibb) with the Therapeutic Goods Administration here in Australia formally recognising and accepting Black Seed Oil as a listed medicine in March 2020.

“Not only did Black Seeds become the hero ingredient for my products, but they also became the inspiration for the Oasis Black name.”

After first learning of the tremendous healing power in these tiny black seeds, and after much research and trial and error of my own, I knew that I needed to share their magic with the modern world. From that moment, not only did Black Seeds become the hero ingredient for my products, but it also became the inspiration for the Oasis Black name.

Quality matters

Like any natural remedy, care does need to be taken when selecting which Seeds and Oil to use.

As the seeds alone offer so many beneficial properties, ideally you want the seek Organically farmed seeds and oil that resembles those seeds as closely as possible (ie cold pressed and minimally processed). 

Therefore, to deliver as much nutritional value as possible to your skin, I’ve deliberately chosen to only use Organic Black Seed Powder and Organic Cold Pressed (virgin) Black Seed Oil in my products.