Kalonji seeds are produced by Nigella sativa, a flower native to Eastern Europe, Southwest Asia, and the Middle East. Black seed oil is the fixed oil extracted by pressing the seeds of Nigella sativa, an annual flowering plant found in many parts of India. The small and bitter-flavoured seeds act like food to your hair to cure baldness and fix problems like hair loss or premature shedding, greying and dandruff.
Kalonji seeds or onion seeds, as they are sometimes called, constitute 38% of the oil that is responsible for its aromatic flavour.
These little incredible seeds have been used in remedies for thousands of years for allergies, asthma, diabetes, headache, weight loss, arthritis, and intestinal worms.
The unique-looking seeds have a distinctive flavour, also used in cooking to add flavour to bread, curries, and pickles. They’re used as flavouring agents while cooking, using them in various forms of bread like naan, paratha, chapatti, etc.
In Bengal, kalonji seeds are used to flavour dals, vegetables and even fish. It is known to have healing properties as it helps to control cholesterol and also regulates high blood sugar. What is even more beneficial is that it encourages weight loss.
The oil of kalonji seeds has a lot of other benefits too, including beauty benefits. For instance, it is said to control hair loss, restore health to damaged hair and even help promote hair growth. The kalonji oil has been used to apply on the scalp or skin to treat problems like psoriasis and also helps to fight dandruff. The ability to restore health to the scalp is said to be one of its greatest benefits.
First of all, the oil has anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and also anti-inflammatory properties. That is why it also helps to fight dandruff and also eruptions on the skin or scalp. The oil can be diluted and applied to the scalp to soothe and cure infection and eruptions. It contains compounds that help to fight hair loss. It also nourishes the hair follicles and this helps to promote hair growth.
As we all know, the hair grows out of a hair follicle. Restoring health to the hair follicle helps hair growth. Since kalonji oil is a natural plant product, it is a safe way of helping hair growth and does not have harmful effects. The black seed oil contains omega-3 and 6 which encourages blood circulation, especially in the head. This is known to promote rapid hair growth within weeks.
Regular use of kalonji oil helps not just prevent premature greying but also reverses greying of hair at times. Boil a few black cumin seeds until they appear bland in flavour. When the mixture is cool, strain it out. Add vinegar solution to the cumin water and rinse your hair with the solution. Wash off with shampoo after hours or the next day. You can use it thrice a week for better results.
Another important benefit is that it encourages the formation of pigment and thus helps to prevent and delay greying of the hair. Since the oil of nigella seeds is said to contain antioxidants, it helps to fight age-related degeneration too and that is why it helps to control greying of the hair. It also improves the texture and quality of the hair and may even help to reverse greying.
One important advantage is that the oil of the kalonji seeds can be mixed with other ingredients and applied to the skin or scalp. For instance, you can mix it with a pressed oil, like coconut oil, sesame seed oil or olive oil.
Mix one 1 tablespoon each of black seed oil and any pressed oil in a jar. Start massaging the oil blend into your scalp. Focus on the areas that are losing hair. Leave the oil in for about 30 minutes to an hour and then wash it off with your regular shampoo. You can use this mixture three times a week.
You can also mix it with aloe vera gel, or even honey and apply it directly to the scalp. Apart from using the oil, you can also grind the seeds into a powder. Mix one teaspoon of the powder with a little oil or milk and apply on the scalp. Leave on for 15 minutes and then massage the scalp lightly with the fingertips.
The powdered seeds work like a scrub and help to cleanse the pores of the scalp. They also help in the removal of sticky dandruff, when the flakes adhere to the scalp. If there is dandruff, you can also mix the kalonji seed powder with apple cider vinegar and apply it to the scalp. This helps to restore the normal acid-alkaline balance of the scalp and thus restores health to the hair. Or mix one teaspoon of kalonji seed powder with aloe vera gel and apply it to the scalp. Leave on for 20 to 30 minutes and then wash off. This helps to soothe and moisturise the scalp.
Mix half a cup of coconut oil,1 tablespoon of honey, and 1 tablespoon of black seed oil to make a paste. Massage the mixture into your scalp using your fingers in a circular motion. Cover your hair with a warm towel to improve the efficacy of the hair mask. Leave the mixture on for 30 minutes and wash it off with sulfate-free shampoo.
Squeeze out the juice of a lemon and massage your scalp with it. Leave it for 15 minutes and then wash your hair with your regular shampoo. Air dry your hair and then rub the black seed oil on your scalp for about 10 minutes. Go to bed with the oil in your head and wash it off the next morning with shampoo. You can use it twice a week.
You may avoid this remedy if you have sensitive skin as lemon juice can cause redness and irritation. This remedy serves best for people with oily hair who have been experiencing hair fall a lot.
Do not keep the lemon juice in your hair for more than 15 minutes as it causes dryness.
We do not have to look far because nature has provided us with what we need to flavour our food, heal ailments and restore both health and beauty.
