SHEA TERRA EGYPTIAN
COMPANY INFO
Shea Terra was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Sterling, Virginia. The founder has devoted her life to discovering and promoting unique, holistic ingredients from around the world. Today, the company offers a wide range of natural cosmetic products for the face, skin, hair, bath, and babies. While black seed oil is not the primary focus, it holds a significant place in Shea Terra’s product lineup.
●On March 20, 2025, we reached out via email requesting detailed information and any existing lab analyses for their black seed oil. No response was received. As such, all information presented in this review was gathered through independent online research.
It’s important to note that only three companies responded to our inquiries: Piping Rock, Bionatal, and Prime Natural.
PACKING AND SAFETY SEAL
The product comes in a standard, very dark amber plastic bottle with an aluminum cap. Instead of a typical shrink wrap, the cap is secured with black insulating tape. Inside the cap is a standard liner, but the bottle neck is not sealed with a foil film.
● The seal is not secure enough to prevent leakage — especially under high temperatures, when black seed oil can expand by up to 20% during transportation. In our case, this is exactly what occurred, as the bottle arrived with oil leaking and covering the exterior.
SEEDS ORIGIN
According to both the official website and the product label, Shea Terra's Egyptian black seed oil is produced using seeds sourced from Egypt.
OIL DISCRIPTION
The oil has a light golden, transparent appearance, with a medicinal, mildly spicy aroma. Its flavor is characterized by a unique floral note followed by a subtle herbal aftertaste, and notably, no detectable bitterness.
In our assessment, this oil is very similar to other Egyptian black seed oils, particularly those from Bionatal and Amazing Herbs, with only minor differences among them.
An interesting observation from our testing team revealed subtle distinctions between the brands:
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Amazing Herbs (Egyptian): Medicinal aroma, golden color, no bitterness
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Bionatal (Egyptian): Medicinal, lightly spicy aroma, golden color, slight bitterness
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Shea Terra (Egyptian): Medicinal, lightly spicy aroma, light golden color, no bitterness
THYMOQUINONE (TQ)
Although the label includes the word “Thymoquinone,” it does not specify the TQ content. On Shea Terra’s website, they mention testing a competing brand that claimed 0.95% TQ, which allegedly tested at 0.45% — the same TQ level they attribute to their Egyptian black seed oil.
This suggests that Shea Terra’s oil contains approximately 0.45% TQ, placing it within a typical range for Egyptian oils.
In comparison of other Egyptian black seed oils TQ levels:
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Amazing Herbs Egyptian: Minimum 0.6% TQ
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Bionatal Egyptian: Publicly verified up to 1.15% TQ (only Bionatal has provided a public Certificate of Analysis)
● Based on information from an official within Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture, the potency of Egyptian Nigella sativa crops can vary depending on water sources. Farms located closer to the Nile River in Luxor and Aswan areas have access to river irrigation, while more remote desert farms rely on groundwater from wells, potentially impacting TQ content.
Some of our research team members recognized which brand Shea Terra may have been referencing. A few years ago, Amazing Herbs Premium (a Turkish, not Egyptian oil) displayed on its label phrases like “5X TQ” and “Thymoquinone from 0.95% up to 2.6%.” This was later revised to “Min. 0.95%.” We believe Shea Terra may have mistakenly compared their Egyptian oil to Amazing Herbs' Turkish seeds oil, especially since Amazing Herbs’ Egyptian version appeared way after Shea Terra’s article was published.
TABLE OF ANALYSIS
Extraction oil videos & photos
NO
Acids pH level analyses
NO
Nigellon level
NO
Non-filtered oil with seeds
NO
Thymoquinone level
YES
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)
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"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 #6-C
Positions #1 and #2 in our ranking are clearly held by the world’s strongest black seed oils—both extracted from Ethiopian Nigella sativa seeds.
Position #3 (sub-positions A through D) includes Turkish black seed oils that are slightly more bitter than other Turkish-sourced products, earning them a modest advantage in potency.
Position #4 (sub-positions A through E) is occupied by Turkish oils with a medium level of bitterness and no notable differences, even after detailed testing.
Position #5 (sub-positions A through C) is assigned to Turkish black seed oils with mild bitterness and similarly indistinguishable characteristics.
The final spot, Position #6, is reserved for Egyptian black seed oils. These oils lack the bitterness, flavor, and aroma typically found in stronger oils, placing them below even the mildest Turkish options in overall performance.
Within this category, Shea Terra’s Egyptian black seed oil ranks at sub-position “C”. It lacks the slight bitterness found in Bionatal’s Egyptian oil and falls short in flavor when compared to Amazing Herbs, whose Egyptian oil has a more pleasant, medicinal taste. Shea Terra’s Egyptian oil, with its more spice-like flavor, simply doesn’t measure up — making sub-position “C” a fair placement within both the Egyptian category and the overall U.S. market ranking.
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