Traditional remedies are sometimes just quackery, but now and again some just seem to work. Even though there hasn’t been many studies done to show why.
There are two oils that we absolutely love which fall into this category – Tamanu Oil and Black Seed Oil. Both have been studied a little, but mainly they are traditional remedies.
Before we jump in and tell you why we love these oils so much, we should say that we need to keep our information anecdotal. This is because we don’t want to get into hot water with the TGA (Therapeutic Goods Administration)!
The TGA is responsible for making sure that no product manufacturer makes unproven claims about therapeutic conditions (like eczema for example) unless they have been through their extensive (expensive) testing regime. 
Tamanu Oil – The Sacred Oil
Hailing from the South Pacific, tamanu oil was the Polynesian go-to remedy for anything skin related. It was given the nickname ‘First Aid Oil’.
It is very unfortunate that Tamanu has such a polarising aroma. You either like it or hate it and it is probably the biggest reason this gorgeously rich, green oil doesn’t get the “Hollywood A-list” press coverage it deserves. Tamanu Oil:
- Is packed full of antioxidants, complex polyphenols, coumarins and calophyllic acid
- Gently conditions sensitive skin leaving it looking healthy and clear.
- Helps to relieve redness, flakiness and dryness of the skin.
- Improves the appearance of scars and stretchmarks.
- Deeply penetrative for optimal repairing, hydrating and regeneration effect on the skin.
- May enhance your skin’s natural ability to repair and rejuvenate.
Personally we haven’t come across any other oil that helps problem skin like Tamanu Oil does. It’s so good for your skin because it’s a natural anti-inflammatory and it has the ability to help form new skin tissue.
This makes it a world class skin rejuvenator and the results we have seen are beyond expectation. But unfortunately we can’t shout from the rafters “it will heal all skin conditions!” Further study is required and it isn’t suitable for everyone.
One exciting study conducted by BioScience Labs showed Tamanu oil can reduce the size of scars and fade their appearance. It doesn’t get rid of them and it doesn’t happen overnight. In the study scars decreased in size and texture had improved after 9 weeks.
If you are in need of some organic Tamanu Oil you can check it out here.
It is one of the more expensive oils out there because it takes 100kg of tamanu fruit (the entire yield of a mature tree) to make just 5L of oil, and the trees are only harvested once per year.
Tamanu Oil is also one of the most important ingredients in the TLC Intensive Repair Oil. You might remember us raving on about how the TLC Intensive Repair Oil is our favourite product. This is because of the growing number of people who have told us it has assisted through really difficult times like chemotherapy and radiation treatments and recovering from surgeries.
Black Seed Oil
Black Seed Oil is another traditional herbal medicine with a unique aroma but this time it’s from the Middle East. It smells exactly like the spice cumin and is a phenomenal skin rejuvenator. It’s thought that it was one of Queen Nefertiti’s beauty secrets.
Anecdotally it is claimed to cure everything but death. It is an incredible oil but we are not going to go that far today. What we can say is that Black Seed Oil
- Is incredibly rich in Anti-oxidants
- Has been shown to have anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anti-histamine, antibacterial and anti-fungal properties
- Contains 8 of the 9 essential amino acids and 15 in total
- Is rich in Vitamin A, B1, B2, B3
- Has lots of essential fatty acids
- Contains the skin loving minerals of selenium, zinc and magnesium
- Is highly moisturising but soaks in beautifully and doesn’t leave your skin greasy
- Calms, soothes and regenerates the appearance of your skin.
Black Seed Oil contains over 100 different compounds but the two that are credited with all the skin loving cudos are Nigellone and Thymoquinone. These are powerful antioxidants that have strong anti-inflammatory powers. They are two of the reasons why this study showed that Black Seed oil helped people with eczema.
The best results we have seen is with those who have oily/acne prone skin. It’s due to Black Seed Oil’s anti inflammatory and anti bacterial properties from Thymoquinone which helps to clear blemishes and keep them at bay.
But you don’t need problem skin to use Black Seed Oil. There are lots of people out there who use it every day from top to toe just to keep their skin looking good!
We even use it on our baby’s bottom (too much info!?) and in the kids’ baths
To try Black Seed Oil for yourself, check it out here.
You can also find Black Seed Oil in the Laugh Out Loud Active Jojoba Oil, our exquisite light facial oil for all skin types (even sensitive skin).
