Black seed oil (Nigella Sativa) is also known as black cumin and black caraway oil. It is indigenous to the Mediterranean region, but has been cultivated in other parts of the world, including the Arabian peninsula, northern Africa and parts of Asia.

Black seed originates from the common fennel flower plant (Nigella Sativa), of the buttercup (Ranunculaceae) family. In the Middle East it is commonly known as the 'seed of blessing', and has been used as a natural remedy for more than 2,000 years for both nutritional value and skin care. When pressed, the oil is dark yellow in colour with a peppery fragrance and taste.
 
The earliest written reference to Black seed is found in the book of Isaiah in the Bible's Old Testament. The early Israelites grew both wheat and black cumin, which demonstrates its importance to their diet and well being (Isaiah 28:25, 27).
Black seed was also discovered in Tutankhamen's tomb, suggesting that it played an important role in ancient Egyptian practices. Dioscoredes, a Greek physician of the 1st Century, recorded that black seeds were taken to treat headaches, nasal congestion, toothache, and intestinal worms. They were also used, he reported, as a diuretic to promote menstruation and increase milk production. The Prophet Mohammed is said to have told his wife 'this black cumin can heal all known diseases except death'.

The oil extracted from black seed (Nigella Sativa) has a rich composition of more than 100 compounds, including essential fatty acids, vitamins, amino acids and minerals.
Black seed oil is ideal for use in hair care products due to its amino acid content - it contains eight of the nine essential amino acids. Black seed oil also possesses anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. It could be used in acne and problem skin creams, in medicated soaps, in muscle rub creams and for after shave balms and lotions.