My Experience with Black Seed Oil
I took my first taste of black seed oil three years ago. Many of those close to me had begun using it, so I finally gave in and gave it a try. Prior to my first taste, I had used the oil in my skincare regimen with remarkable success. After I had made the decision to stop taking my birth control, my skin went downhill quick. I had never suffered from bad skin before, but here I was covered in cystic acne over my face, my neck, my chest, and my back. My functional medicine doctor recommended I begin an all-natural skincare regimen which included soap made with black seed oil and a black seed oil serum. Almost immediately my skin, that I had been fighting with for almost a year, cleared up! No scarring, no discoloration, just completely clean and clear. I was amazed!
I was well-educated of the numerous beneficial properties of taking the oil, but I was a little nervous due to the rumors of its strong taste. Family and friends who were already taking it daily had warned me:
“It tastes like turpentine!”
“Smell it! Wait… don’t smell it or you’ll never want to taste it.”
“Just put a little dab on your tongue, you’ll see what I’m talking about.”
However, as much as they warned me of the taste, each person could not stop raving about the health benefits and how it had changed their life. Finally, I bit the bullet and bought a bottle. My dad was in town, I was off work, so I ran a few errands with him. We had stopped by a health store that carried it, so I purchased a bottle. When we got back to the house I asked him “so, how exactly do I take this?” He replied “I just shoot it. It doesn’t taste good, but it’s really not that bad.” Later that evening I stood over the sink, silver tablespoon full of black seed oil in hand, took a breath, and gulped it down with a glass of water to follow. I always tell people that the hype had built up such an awful expectation in my mind that the oil wasn’t too bad when I finally took it. Like my dad had told me, it didn’t taste good, but it was almost like taking a shot of oily salad dressing. Bear in mind that it’s different for each and every person. I know people who actually enjoy the taste!
There are different ways that you can take your oil, and I have tried a few:
Mixed with 100% cranberry juice,
Chased with 100% cranberry juice,
Mixed with a cup of water,
Mixed in a smoothie (I don’t recommend this one… I ended up dumping the smoothie down the sink),
Chased with apple cider vinegar (this one ended up being one of my go-to choices, but I enjoy the taste of apple cider vinegar),
By itself before my morning coffee (this is my other go-to).
My advice to people is to keep in mind that it’s not like a normal oil that’s going to coat your mouth and make you feel greasy all day. Tart juices, like the vinegar and cranberry, will flush it down. Coffee will also flush it down. They say that, when it comes to oils, the more your body needs it, the worse it will smell and taste to you. You might just be one of the people who tries it and enjoys it!