Is Black Seed Oil a Seed Oil? A Straight Answer
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Yes. Black seed oil is pressed from the seeds of Nigella sativa, and about 55% of its fat is linoleic acid, an omega-6. By the definition most seed-oil avoiders use, it counts. What sets it apart from canola or soybean oil is how it's usually made and how little of it people consume.
What's in black seed oil?
A 2024 study of 13 black seed oils in Molecules found that the fatty acid profile stays fairly constant regardless of where the seeds were grown:
| Fatty acid | Type | Approx. share of the fat |
|---|---|---|
| Linoleic acid | Omega-6, polyunsaturated | ~55% |
| Oleic acid | Omega-9, monounsaturated | ~25% |
| Palmitic acid | Saturated | ~13% |
| Others | Mixed | The rest |
Last checked: October 2026. Source: Molecules, 2024 (PMC10975171).
On top of the fat there is a small fraction of other compounds, including thymoquinone, which is what most black seed research looks at. See what thymoquinone is.
Is black seed oil allowed if you avoid seed oils?
Not under the strictest definitions. The Seed Oil Free Alliance lists black seed oil as a seed oil at about 55% omega-6 and does not allow it in Seed Oil Free Certified products. If you follow that standard, black seed oil is out, and we'd rather you know that from us.
How is it different from the seed oils people avoid?
Botanically it's the same category. In practice there are two differences, and neither is a health claim. They are just facts about how it's made and used.
- How it's made. Most cooking oils are made at scale for a neutral taste and long shelf life, usually with solvent extraction and refining. Black seed oil sold as a supplement is usually cold-pressed and unrefined, which is why it tastes so strong. Ours is cold-pressed and hexane-free.
- How much people use. A tablespoon of cooking oil is roughly 14 grams of fat, and it goes into food all day. A serving of our SMAMES softgels is 1,000mg (1 gram) of seed oil in total. That's a very different amount, though the type of fat is the same.
Which of our products contain seed oils?
All of our black seed products contain black seed oil. Here's the plain list:
- SMAMES softgels: 600mg black seed oil and 400mg pomegranate seed oil per serving. Pomegranate seed oil is a seed oil too.
- Black Seed Tallow Balm: grass-fed beef tallow, cold-pressed black seed oil, raw honey and beeswax. It's a skin balm, not food, but if you avoid seed oils on principle, know that black seed oil is in it. More in our tallow balm guide.
- Black Seed Hair Oil: black seed oil with rosemary and jojoba.
- Black Seed Natural Deodorant: includes black seed oil alongside shea butter and coconut oil.
Quick answers
Is black seed oil a seed oil?
Yes. It's pressed from Nigella sativa seeds and is about 55% linoleic acid (omega-6).
Does cold-pressing make it not a seed oil?
No. Cold-pressing changes how the oil is made, not what plant part it comes from or its fatty acid profile.
Is pomegranate seed oil a seed oil?
Yes. It's pressed from pomegranate seeds. Its main fatty acid is punicic acid, which is unusual among oils.
Does tallow balm with black seed oil have seed oil in it?
Ours does: cold-pressed black seed oil is one of its four main ingredients. We list it on the label and here.
Is black seed oil allowed on a carnivore or animal-based diet?
Strict versions exclude plant oils, so no. That's a rule of the diet, not a verdict on the oil.
Want the full picture before you decide? Read what black seed oil is and what the research says, or browse our black seed oil collection.