HERBAL ORGANIC WORKS ETHIOPIAN
COMPANY INFO
Herbal Organic Works (HOW) is a family-owned business operating a physical retail store in Queens, New York, offering a wide selection of herbs, oils, cosmetics, extracts, spices, bath products, and natural skin and hair care items. The company traces its roots back to the early 2000s. Today, HOW offers hundreds of products online, with an even larger assortment available in-store. Black seed oil is not a core product in their overall catalog.
● On March 20, 2025, we contacted the company via email requesting product details and any available lab analyses for their black seed oil. Unfortunately, no response was received. All the information in this report was gathered through independent research using publicly accessible online sources.
It’s worth noting that only three companies responded to our inquiries: Piping Rock, Bionatal, and Prime Natural.
PACKING AND SAFETY SEAL
The product comes in a standard amber glass bottle with a plastic cap, a common format used by many black seed oil brands in the U.S. It is sealed with a transparent shrink wrap, and there is a basic liner inside the cap, but no foil seal on the bottle neck.
● The bottle's sealing is not sufficient to prevent leakage, particularly under high-temperature conditions, when black seed oil can expand by up to 20% during transportation.
SEEDS ORIGIN
The product name of this black seed oil from Herbal Organic Works (HOW) includes the country of origin for the seeds, which is listed as Ethiopia.
OIL DISCRIPTION
The oil has a light yellow, cloudy appearance, which, based on our experience and knowledge of authentic Ethiopian black seed oil, does not align with typical Ethiopian oil characteristics. In our opinion, the color and overall profile are consistent with Turkish-origin oils.
Based on our assessment, the oil is identical in color, aroma, and taste to several other Turkish-origin oils, including Zhou Nutrition, Piping Rock, Prime Natural, Sweet Sunnah Premium, Maju, Kiva, and Amazing Herbs Premium. However, there is a noticeable difference in bitterness compared to Freshfield, Healths Harmony, Rawya, and Rawya Extra Strong.
Our testing team noted that the bitterness is milder or slower to appear, similar to what is experienced with oils from Kiva, Prime Natural, and Maju. This delayed or softer bitterness is often observed in Turkish black seed oils and may result from variations in farm elevation and regional climate — with cooler conditions along the Black Sea coast and warmer temperatures along the Mediterranean coast.
THYMOQUINONE (TQ)
There is no available information regarding the thymoquinone (TQ) content of this oil — not on the company’s website, sales platforms, or social media. However, if this oil is indeed of Turkish origin, as suggested by our evaluation, the TQ level is likely to fall within the range of 1% to 2%, which is consistent with other Turkish black seed oils.
TABLE OF ANALYSIS
Extraction oil videos & photos
NO
Acids pH level analyses
NO
Nigellon level
NO
Non-filtered oil with seeds
NO
Thymoquinone level
NO
Volatile Oils level
NO
Cold press method analyses
NO
Thymohydroquinone level
NO
Heavy Metals level analyses
NO
Thymol level
NO
Industry Clarifications:
(The following industry points are worth noting)
-
"Unrefined" ≠ Non-Filtered: Even unrefined oils are typically filtered and don’t contain seed particles.
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"Cold Press" misuse on the label: The term is widely used without proof. True cold pressing should be validated by testing for compounds like Benzo(a)pyrene and related PAHs.
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"Organic" ≠ Pesticide-Free: USDA standards still allow natural pesticides (§§ 205.601 - 205.602). No Nigella sativa seeds are entirely free from them.
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"Non-GMO" claims are unnecessary: Nigella sativa is not genetically modified, and global demand doesn’t justify GMO cultivation.
FINAL RANKING #BUSTED
Surprisingly, Herbal Organic Works’ Ethiopian black seed oil turned out to be standard Turkish oil, with no noticeable difference in flavor, taste, bitterness, or color.
This is a serious false claim that misleads consumers — especially those unfamiliar with the differences — and adds unnecessary confusion and speculation to the black seed oil market.
While the oil itself is of decent quality, we’re calling it #BUSTED for using a fake title. It’s not the product that failed — it’s the misleading label that breaks the trust.
BRAND OWNERS:
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