Also known as “prurigo pigmentosa,” the rash is an inflammatory skin response usually found on and around the torso, back, and arms of people who keep a strict ketogenic diet. There’s no widely accepted reason as to why it occurs (toxin release, ketone sensitivity, aliens?), but it’s pretty widely accepted that it’s a real downer to those who want to stay in ketosis.

The plant it comes from is “nigella sativa” (it’s got nothing to do with cannabis – just another plant). This stuff has been around for thousands of years, mostly used by humans to spice up food. However, extracting oils from the seeds turned out to be a great idea for its health benefits. Recent studies have identified a compound called “Thymoquinone” in the oil, which is hypothesized to be the super hero ingredient in helping to treat skin conditions.

Thymoquinone, but we’ll just call it TQ. This stuff is part of a family of chemicals called “phytochemicals,” or molecules made by plants to help them fight off pathogens, competitors, and that sort. Many plants have different kinds of crime-fighting molecules in them – it just so happens that TQ is awesome at fighting the keto rash.

In many cases, both anecdotal and experimental, the keto rash has been reported to go away on its own. Just giving it time is one possible solution. Of course, that means sticking through some serious itching, burning, and all around discomfort for weeks.

Absolutely not! Studies have shown that simply increasing your carbohydrate intake can be enough to reduce or effectively remove the rash. However, there are some die-hard keto fans that would really prefer not increasing their carbs. Some antibiotics with anti-inflammatory effects can also produce similar results, but who really wants to take an antibiotic without really needing it? And finally, just stopping ketosis altogether will do the same thing. Anyone here want that? Probably not.

The research indicates that TQ provides anti-inflammatory properties that doesn’t discriminate between different conditions. You can certainly apply our cream onto your skin even if you don’t have the keto rash while still enjoying the benefits of TQ.

We like skepticism and welcome the inquisitive mind. There are quite a number of articles that suggest a variety of super powers TQ potentially provides. We suggest taking a look at our Research Page and going through the science articles to form your opinion. Of course, we absolutely recommend trying it out yourself!

We love questions!

Head on over to our Contact Us page to drop us a line – we’ll do our very best to give you what you need. You’re also welcome to email us directly at hello@scizenna.com to reach us.