Benefits for Skin and hair

Neem oil is an extract of the neem tree. Some practitioners of traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine use neem oil to treat conditions ranging from ulcers to fungal infections.

Treating acne and hyperpigmentation

Healing burns and abrasions

Moisturizing the skin

Relieving dandruff

Stimulating hair growth

Repairing the skin and hair from environmental damage

Treating head lice

Treating fungal infections

Promotes hair growth and prevents baldness

Conditions dry hair

Helps with dandruff and itching

Treats head lice

Treats scalp infections

Prevents premature graying

Soothes inflamed and itchy skin

Treats acne and pimples

How to use it

People should use organic, cold-pressed neem oil. Neem oil is generally safe to apply to the skin. However, it is very potent, so it may be a good idea to test it on a small patch of skin before applying it more extensively.

To perform a patch test, mix a couple drops of neem oil with water or liquid soap. Apply the mixture to a small area of skin on the arm or the back of the hand.

If the skin becomes red, inflamed, or itchy, dilute the neem oil further by adding more water or liquid soap. Test this mixture on a different area of skin and watch for any signs of irritation.

People who are allergic to neem oil may develop hives or a rash after a patch test. If this happens, stop using the oil — and any products that contain it — immediately.

Treating skin conditions

Some people use neem oil to treat various skin conditions, including infections and acne.

To use it as a spot treatment, apply a small amount of diluted oil to the affected skin. Let the mixture soak into the skin, then rinse it off with warm water.

Neem oil has a particularly strong odor. To disguise it, try mixing neem oil with a carrier oil, such as jojoba, coconut, or almond oil. Carrier oils also help the skin absorb neem oil.

Benefits and uses in the garden

When searching for a safe and effective product to control insects and disease in your lawn and garden, look no further than neem oil. It’s a powerful organic solution to your most difficult-to-manage infestations.

1. It’s safe to use around pets and wildlife.

Synthetic pesticides that work on contact often build up in the surrounding environment, leaving toxic residue behind that can harm and even kill pets and other animals in the area.

Neem oil, on the other hand, is biodegradable and non-toxic. It’s safe for birds, pets, fish, livestock or other area wildlife when used

3. It doesn’t create “death zones” as other insecticides can.

Neem oil insecticide does not create a dead zone around treated plants, trees or shrubs like other synthetic insecticides can. It only targets leaf-sucking and chewing insects.

Synthetic pesticides creep away from the sprayed areas to create “death zones” that can kill beneficial insects as well as other animals.

4. 
   You can use it to control insects at all stages of development.

Neem oil kills insects at all stages of development — adult, larvae and egg. The active chemical in neem oil, azadirachtin, gets rid of insects in a few different ways:

• As an antifeedant
• As a hormone disruptor
• By smothering

Azadirachtin will force the insect or pest to stop eating the leaves.

When insects come into contact with neem oil, it also prevents the bug from transforming into its next stage of development by disrupting regulatory hormones.

5. It effectively controls hundreds of insects.

Neem oil is an effective pesticide that gets rid of over 200 species of insects, not just a few. Some of the most common include:

• Aphids
• Mites
• Scale
• Leaf hoppers
• White flies
• Caterpillars
• Mites
• Mealybugs
• Thrips

6. Beneficial earthworms won’t be harmed.

While traditional chemical pesticides can harm earthworms, neem oil has the opposite effect by encouraging earthworm activity.

Why is this important? Earthworms are beneficial to garden soil. As they tunnel though the dirt, they create pathways that allow air and rain water to reach plant roots. These little guys also leave behind excrement, known as casts, that contain nutrients for the soil, including potassium, nitrogen and phosphorous. When earthworms die, their decaying bodies also help fertilize the soil

7. It can be used as a dormant-season application or a foliar spray.

Since neem oil can kill insects at varying stages, you can use it as a dormant-season application to kill overwinter pests and eggs or as a foliar spray to repel and kill insects.

Use neem oil as a dormant oil spray to control a number of insects, including:

• Tent caterpillars, leaf rollers and other caterpillar eggs that remain on plant leaves during winter
• Aphids that cause leaf curling the following spring
• Mites that overwinter on plant leaves
• Scale insects

You can also use neem oil as foliar spray during the growing season to control common pests, such as:

• Aphids
• Spider mites
• Whiteflies
• Leafhoppers

8. You can safely use it on your indoor plants.

• One of the worst feelings is seeing your indoor plants overrun with aphids.
• Neem oil is safe to use indoors to prevent pests and disease. Just spray the leaves to kill pests without having the worry of harming your kids or household pets.

How to Use Neem Oil on Plants

Make your own DIY neem oil spray for your organic garden needs.

1. Gather your materials. Buy cold-pressed neem oil, liquid soap, a spray bottle, and a gallon of water.
2. Combine water with a small amount of soap. Mix a gallon of warm water with a teaspoon of liquid soap, which acts as an emulsifier for your mixture.
3. Add a small amount of neem oil. Add one to two tablespoons of pure neem oil to your mixture.
4. Apply the mixture to your plants. Use a foliar spray bottle to apply your neem oil mixture to one small section of your plants. Wait twenty-four hours. If there is no damage from the mixture, you can then thoroughly mist your indoor and outdoor plants, spraying directly onto plant leaves.
5. Reapply the mixture as needed. Use neem oil biweekly as a preventative measure. If you’re trying to control an active pest infestation, spray your plants with neem oil every week.