While the weather outside may be frightful, this doesn’t mean your skin needs to be as well. During these chilly winter months, our delicate skin can sure be affected by these blistering cold winds. So, this month I wanted to share with you some less expensive ways to have radiant skin, with my “Pantry To Pretty Skincare Series.” A DIY approach to skincare.

Dry, itchy skin affects a lot of us and can be most prevalent during this time of year when the humidity and temperature drop, making our skin particularly vulnerable to dryness, cracking and worse yet, aging us (yuk). That is why it is essential to take extra special care of the skin during the winter! Furthermore, skincare and makeup go hand in hand, and no one wants to apply makeup to their skin when it is dry and flaky, highlighting our imperfections.

Today’s Pantry To Pretty product is with Organic Black Seed Oil or Nigella Sativa. This plant native to Asia has been around dating back to ancient Egypt times. The Queen of the Nile herself, Cleopatra, is said to have slathered it on herself!

So, if you want to see the many Benefits of Black Seed Oil For The Skin, continue reading.

The Benefits Of Black Seed Oil For The Skin

Best Black Seed Oil
The oil of black seed has many benefits from antibacterial & antifungal properties to anti-inflammatory effects, balancing sebum production and is excellent at calming inflamed, itchy winter skin; even eczema and acne-prone complexions have benefited from this oil! It sounds like a wonderful oil doesn’t it?  Well, beauties it is, and one place I found that offers this oil in its purest form is Naked Nutrient.

Not compared to other Black Seed Oil, this brand oil is "VIRGIN, FIRST PRESSING" cold pressed oil. Which means that it is unrefined so that the oil will retain as many nutrients in its purest form, with no additives, solvents or alcohol added.  It is 100% pure and natural that is extracted from black cumin seeds and can be used topically as well and ingested.

Before I get into the many benefits that black seed oil has on the skin. Let’s take a gander at the nutrients found in black seed oil that contributes to beautiful skin.

The Nutrients Found In Black Seed Cumin Oil That Are Great For The Skin
Being a woman in her forties I am looking for products that have omega fatty acids, vitamin B & C, as well as some other antioxidants and black seed oil, has all of these!

Yep, you read right.  Until recently, I only looked used black seed oil for its anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties.  It wasn’t until I discovered the many anti-aging benefits it had, thanks to an aesthetician friend of mine. She has great looking skin, and she shared with me that black seed oil has rich and powerful anti-oxidants like…

• Omega-3 fatty acids that help to improve the skins cellular structure.
• Vital Amino acids that are the building blocks of both peptides and proteins which have an essential role in skincare. Amino acids also maintain the skin's hydration and overall healthy appearance. Furthermore, it can help the skin to generate collagen and elastin!
• Skin Nourishing Vitamins: Black seed is an excellent source of vitamins B and C. As well as Zinc, Calcium, and Potassium who would have thought?  All these combined are great at helping to promote the growth of healthy skin tissue, support the elasticity and tone of the skin, and can even help with minor acne flare-ups.

Why Go DIY With Your Skincare Routine?
The DIY approach to skincare has been something I have done forever! I got it from my mother and grandmother, who both have gorgeous skin. It's no secret that DIY can save you money, but when it comes to dry winter skin you want to stay away from products that have artificial fragrances and synthetics in them as these ingredients can cause your skin to become more irritated!  While they may smell pretty, they are not pretty for the skin!

Black Seed Oil Skincare Recipes
Many have asked me how to take black seed oil? What is black seed oil good for? Well, black seed oil can be used in many ways, but today I am going to share with you my top 3 black seed oil skincare recipes.

For A Glowing Complexion

1. Mix 1 teaspoon of black seed oil with a carrier oil.
2. My two favorites carrier oils are Coconut and Olive Oil.
3. Rub the face with this mixture and leave on for one hour.
4. Or I prefer to leave it on overnight. However, you want to be careful not to get it in your eyes. Also, leaving it on overnight may be too strong, so test it first before applying to your face.
5. Wash off with gentle foaming facial cleanser. Never use a body soap to wash it off, it dries the skin!

Zap A Zit

• This one is easy. All you need is a Q-tip
• Simply soak a clean Q-tip with black seed oil and dab it onto your pimples.
• For those extra troubled areas, I combine it with organic honey.

A Facial Mask
I love me a facial mask, and this one takes the cake as it is combined with Turmeric.

Turmeric has been used in India for thousands of years as a spice and medicinal herb. The plant’s intense healing power primarily comes from Curcumin, its main active ingredient.  Curcumin is packed with anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory firepower that promotes an incredible range of healing benefits. Combine that with the Black Seed oil, and you have the remedy for younger-looking radiant skin, so check out the video here.

So, there you have it beauties, my first winter skincare Pantry to Pretty Bit.  Make sure to stay tuned for my others that will talk about Organic Black Maca and Organic Mushroom powder. Until next time!