Neem Oil

Neem oil comes from the seeds and fruits of the Neem tree, a tree well known for its medicinal purposes. In Swahili we call this tree Mwarubaini which means the tree that has forty cures for it is believed to cure forty plus diseases and body ailments. All parts of the tree are used to treat and cure ailments from the bark to the leaves, seeds, fruits, flowers and even roots they are all used in one way or another to treat various ailments. The Neem tree has antiviral, antifungal, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antimicrobial properties among others. Neem is a major ingredient in a lot of beauty and cosmetic products in addition to medicinal products.

 

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Neem oil has high concentrates of fatty acids like oleic and linoleic and vitamin E.  Neem oil promotes a healthy scalp due to its antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antifungal properties which in turn promotes a healthy environment for hair growth. Neem oil helps combat itchy scalps, treats dandruff and ailments like psoriasis in addition to removing head lice. One major con of Neem oil is its pungent smell but the health benefits outweigh the pungent smell in my opinion. The smell can always be masked by using an essential oil like Lavender or other carrier oils like coconut, almond oil and the likes to mask the strong scent and/or mixed into shampoos and conditioners. If you intend to use Neem oil in an overnight treatment I highly advise mixing it with another oil or deep conditioning treatment and not to use it on its own unless you literally don’t have a sense of smell and sleep like a log:)  The pungent smell only applies to pure 100% Neem oil products that contain Neem oil as part of the ingredients do not have the pungent smell so you may want to try those instead of the pure oil if you can’t stand the smell.

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Benefits of Neem Oil