A couple of months ago, I discussed black seed oil benefits on the podcast and was taken aback by the response I received! So many listeners were eager to learn more about black cumin oil and whether it would be a good fit to help support their chronic skin condition.

If you’re dealing with rashed, itchy skin or even hair shedding, black cumin seed oil might just be the skincare ingredient to provide some relief.

Black seed oil has a long history of efficacy across various different cultures. Its active component, thymoquinone, has antimocrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antifungal and antiparasitic properties! It is also loaded with essential fatty acids, minerals, and vitamins that promote better skin health.

Black cumin seed oil is also typically well-tolerated, even amongst those with sensitive skin!

Which is one of the main reasons we put it into all our DermaQuell skin creams.

Since I got so many questions after I posted the first episode on this topic, I decided to bring in my friend and natural skincare expert Rachael Pontillo to discuss the star component of black seed oil (thymoquinone), how to use this oil safely, what to look for when choosing products, possible antimicrobial effects of black cumin seed oil, and much more!

In This Episode:

• Black seed oil benefits (and its active constituent thymoquinone)
• Who should NOT use black cumin oil?
• Medication interactions with black cumin seed oil
• DON’T apply black seed oil in these areas
• Black cumin seed oil + hair loss
• How long before you see results with black seed oil?
• Benefits of black cumin seed oil for your skin if you have vitiligo
• How to choose the best black cumin seed oil for skin
• Diluting black seed oil (so it doesn’t massively irritate your skin)
• Why we added black seed oil to DermaQuell skin creams

Quotes

“In general, there is very low toxicity risk with this ingredient [black cumin seed oil], both when taken internally as directed and when applied topically. And it's just beneficial for a lot of different conditions, and it's a very low risk of allergy in general.”

“It's pretty cool that thymoquinone has an antihistamine effect, which can help with the swelling and help calm reaction-prone skin too…If you were to look up studies, it has always been considered a good candidate for something to help with these common topical skin issues such as minor irritations, rashes, dermatitis, acne, psoriasis, even certain things that have a bacterial or a fungal component because the black cumin seed oil does have antimicrobial properties.”

Links

DermaQuell Daily Butter – https://www.quellshop.com/products/daily-butter

DermaQuell Nourish Butter – https://www.quellshop.com/products/nourish-butter

DermaQuell Z+ Rebuilder – https://www.quellshop.com/products/z-rebuilder

Save 15% on the Ultimate Quell kit which includes all 3 skin creams (2oz jars)

OR get the Quell skincare sample pack which includes all three creams for just $12.95 PLUS free shipping and a $12.95 store credit (especially if you are nervous about purchasing a full product without trying it first)!

Did you know that what’s living up in your nose could be a trigger for what causes sinusitis? The nasal microbiome is a vast new frontier and when things are out of balance, there is a ripple effect that can drive inflammation not just in the sinuses, but also in your body.

So yes, a dysbiotic or imbalanced nasal microbiome can be a trigger for chronic nose rash, sinus yeast infection symptoms, and even chronic skin rashes like eczema and psoriasis!

Now, I want to reiterate that it is normal to have bacteria and certain fungi as part of your sinus microbiome. Just like how you need diverse bacteria for a robust gut microbiome and oral microbiome! It is when certain bacteria overgrow in the sinuses that you might start noticing problems, like chronic sinus infection, a sore throat that seems to have no cause, and even nasal thrush.

Similar to how a dysbiotic gut microbiome can cause digestive problems, and an unbalanced oral microbiome can cause eczema around the mouth.

And that’s what this episode is all about. Dr. Anastasia Stocker and I are diving deep into the sinus microbiome and the cascade of issues (some of these are REALLY surprising!) that can occur if the bacterial community up there becomes unbalanced.

Dr. Stocker is a Naturopathic Physician and Acupuncturist with clinical expertise in autoimmune diseases and digestive wellness. Her interest in autoimmune disease was born of her clinical observations that gastrointestinal dysfunction and environmental toxicity are a major contributor. Additionally, Dr. Stocker is the current Vice President of the Gastroenterology Association of Naturopathic Physicians and practices at Aria Integrative Medicine in Seattle, WA.

In This Episode:

• Hidden triggers of what causes sinusitis
• Meet your sinus microbiome!
• Candida overgrowth in the nose (aka. Nasal thrush)
• Causes of imbalanced nasal microbiome
• Could your sinus microbiome be to blame for nose rash or eczema around mouth?
• Causes of facial pain and pressure (Is it a sinus infection or something else?)
• How to test your sinus microbiome
• Thoughts on whether probiotics, herbs, or essential oils are safe to use inside your nose
• Suggestions to support your nasal microbiome

Quotes

“Just like in your gut or in your mouth, you have a microbiome in your sinuses and in your nose.”

“We're kind of coming to understand that changes in the microbiome can trigger autoimmunity in the nose. And then what are the implications of that systemically? So with things like psoriasis, and psoriatic arthritis, things like eczema, we see these all have connections with altered microbiome in the sinuses.”

Links

Find Dr. Stocker online | Instagram | Instagram

AirDoctor HEPA Air Purifier

Healthy Skin Show ep. 309: Ear Inflammation + Ear Infection (How To Get Ear Pain Relief) w/ Dr. Haley Overstreet

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/falgy.2021.737086/full

https://www.annallergy.org/article/S1081-1206(18)30375-2/fulltext

If you’re serious about figuring out what type of diet is best for you – your answer is nutrient dense foods. Let me explain…

Food fear is rampant right now, with social media demonizing different common foods/ingredients as well as promoting “healthy” diets that lack necessary nutrient dense foods.

Nutrients are the raw materials that the human body needs to survive and thrive. If you are not consuming nutrient dense foods, you may have nutrient insufficiencies, which puts a strain on various systems in the body.

So when you believe in this idea that some foods are “good” and others are “bad”, it can create a restrictive way of eating, which can then lead to insufficiencies or deficiencies later on. All this can become incredibly confusing, especially when you’re being inundated daily with influencer messages telling you to follow this diet or that.

You may get to a point where you are afraid to eat!

That’s why today’s conversation is SO important. I’m joined by Dr. Sarah Ballantyne to discuss how to approach optimal nutrition without dangerous elimination diets or dogma around eating.

Dr. Sarah Ballantyne, PhD is the founder of Nutrivore.com. She creates educational resources to help people improve their day-to-day diet and lifestyle choices, empowered and informed by the most current evidence-based scientific research.

The Nutrivore approach is positive and inclusive dietary guidance, based on science and devoid of dogma, using nutrient dense foods as a foundational principle encompassed by the simple phrase: Nourishment, not judgment.

Her new book, also called Nutrivore, is now available everywhere you can purchase books. We'll talk about some of the eye-opening points I discovered in the book, and why I found it such a valuable read to help you pick nutrient dense foods.

In This Episode:

• Why nutrient deficiencies are such a HUGE problem (and how they happen)
• Why changing your mind is a good thing (even if you feel embarrassed)
• How morality applied to diet and foods is disastrous
• Why you need protein (and what amino acids are used for in your body)
• The Nutrivore approach to optimal nutrition and nutrient dense foods
• Most nutrient-rich foods to include in your diet

Quotes

“Deficiency technically refers to such low regular dietary intake of a nutrient that you develop a disease of malnutrition. There's scurvy, rickets, pellagra, beriber, night blindness, iron deficiency anemia. So we have these really well-characterized diseases caused by a single nutrient being too low.”

“The more black-and-white we think about foods, the more it increases the risk for disordered eating, for weight regain cycles, so yo-yo dieting, the more it increases the stress response. And it's actually driving, I think, what is currently a big problem in society right now, which is that we think that a diet is about what we cut out. We think a diet is about bad foods that we have to eliminate. We're bad if we eat that bad food, we're good if we eat these good foods.”

Links

Find Dr. Ballantyne online | Instagram | Facebook | Tiktok | YouTube

GET THE BOOK NOW – Nutrivore: The Radical New Science for Getting the Nutrients You Need from the Food You Eat

5 Free Guides to Nutrivore

Healthy Skin Show ep. 305: Elimination Diets, Food Fear + He