Historically, black seed has been used topically to treat a variety of skin ailments thanks to its anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. Clinical research supporting the use of black seed in this context is minimal, but the existing evidence is promising.
Black seed lotion or gel may be effective for the management of mild to moderate acne. Preliminary research suggests that black seed applied topically for 8 weeks may reduce the number of comedones, papules, and pustules compared to both a placebo and benzoyl peroxide 5% lotion (a commonly used product for acne).[1][2][3] This is supported by in vitro research finding that black seed and thymoquinone possess antibacterial effects against certain bacteria known to contribute to acne.[4][5]
A few studies have looked at the effects of black seed on inflammatory skin conditions. In hand eczema, black seed was comparably effective to steroid cream and superior to an unmedicated cream for reducing eczema severity.[6] In psoriasis, black seed applied topically, taken orally, or both, led to a reduction in psoriatic lesions compared to baseline, with the combination group seeing the largest improvement.[7] Lastly, in oral lichen planus black seed was comparably effective to steroid gel at reducing symptoms (check out our study summary here).[8]
While promising, further research finding similar results is needed before we can feel confident about the effects of black seed on skin health.
References
- ^Soleymani S, Zargaran A, Farzaei MH, Iranpanah A, Heydarpour F, Najafi F, Rahimi RThe effect of a hydrogel made by Nigella sativa L. on acne vulgaris: A randomized double-blind clinical trial.Phytother Res.(2020-Nov)
- ^Al-Harchan NATreatment of acne vulgaris with Nigella sativa oil lotionIraqi Postgraduate Medical Journal.(2010 Jun)
- ^Al-Harchan N, Ashor ANigella sativa oil lotion 20% vs. benzoyl peroxide lotion 5% in the treatment of mild to moderate acne vulgarisIraqi Postgraduate Medical Journal.(2010)
- ^Nawarathne NW, Wijesekera K, Wijayaratne WMDGB, Napagoda MDevelopment of Novel Topical Cosmeceutical Formulations from L. with Antimicrobial Activity against Acne-Causing Microorganisms.ScientificWorldJournal.(2019)
- ^Chaieb K, Kouidhi B, Jrah H, Mahdouani K, Bakhrouf AAntibacterial activity of Thymoquinone, an active principle of Nigella sativa and its potency to prevent bacterial biofilm formation.BMC Complement Altern Med.(2011-Apr-13)
- ^Yousefi M, Barikbin B, Kamalinejad M, Abolhasani E, Ebadi A, Younespour S, Manouchehrian M, Hejazi SComparison of therapeutic effect of topical Nigella with Betamethasone and Eucerin in hand eczema.J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol.(2013-Dec)
- ^Ahmed J, Ibraheem A, Al-Hamdi KEvaluation of efficacy, safety and antioxidant effect of Nigella sativa in patients with psoriasis: A randomized clinical trialJ Clin Exp Invest.(2014 Jun)
- ^Lokesh Kumar S, Zameera Naik, Arun Panwar, Sridhar M, Vaishali Keluskar, Ram Surath KumarComparative evaluation of the efficacy of Nigella sativa (75% v/v) cream and clobetasol propionate (0.05% w/w) gel in oral lichen planus-a double-blinded randomized control trialOral Maxillofac Surg.(2022 Dec 22)