Neem is great stuff. Ever been looking to buy good quality neem but could not figure out where to begin? Neem based products are starting to become more available, but for now are mostly only found on the internet or in health food shoppes and other out of the way places. Since these are hard to find items it is easy to grab the first thing you find on the shelf just because it says neem on it. So here are some tips that will help you make an educated choice before purchasing the wrong stuff-
Figure Out How The Oil Was Extracted From The Seeds There are many methods used to extract the oil from the seeds of the neem tree. As you might have already concluded, not all extraction process were created equally. The method that produces the most desirable neem seed oil is called cold pressing. Cold pressing neem oil is the best, as the majority of the active compounds remain intact. This is also the oldest extracting process. It uses a mechanical device that squeezes the oil out of the seeds. Always opt for cold pressed neem oil where possible.
The next process uses steam and extreme temperatures. Though this technique retrieves a larger quantity of oil from the neem seeds than using a mechanical press, a lot of the active compounds in the neem oil are often made useless by the extreme temperatures.
The third process is the one that most neem processors use because it yields the largest amount of oil from the seeds. The method is called solvent extraction, and almost always hexane (also known as gasoline) is the solvent of choice. Even though this technique extracts almost all of the neem oil from the seeds, the solvents render useless nearly all of the desireable compounds in the neem seed oil. Besides this and the fact that the chemical is poisonous, it is best to look for products that do not contain solvent extracted neem oil.
Avoid Additives Most bath and beauty items today contain chemical compounds to “enhance” the products performance. However, some of these compounds may potentially cause adverse side effects. Two of the most common compounds that are in many of the products are Lauryl Sulfates (SLS) and Parabens. SLS’s are often used as foamers, because they are inexpensive and work particularly well. The majority of inexpensive neem oil and soap products use these additives as well. But, these chemicals have proven to cause allergic reactions in some people. The US Food and Drug Administration asks manufacturers not to use them.
Parabens are common preservatives, and though there has been no scientific evidence that they are potentially dangerous, they are starting to be avoided by many. Some organizations feel they should be avoided for the sake of precaution.
Be Sure To Look For Certified Organic Ingredients For obvious reasons, organic ingredients are always more desireable than ones that are not. These ingredients are all natural, and have not been exposed to man-made chemicals, fertilizers, the like. Look for labels that list certified organic ingredients. If a manufacturer uses them, they will always state this (it’s a selling point) somewhere on the packaging.