Finally found a use for Neem Oil!
EDS Skin Care Forums Forum Index » Skincare Tools & Do-It-Yourself Skincare

free skin care · Thu Jun 21, 2007 9:38 am

When I first joined EDS forum, I bought a bunch of essential and carrier oils so I could start concocting my own body oils, cuticle care and spritzers. The one oil I bought that I absolutely could not stand!! is Neem oil, I just can't get past the smell Laughing

After a disastrous attempt to use neem oil in my cuticle care [I had to use so much lavendar and rosemary oil to hide the neem oil stench that the moisturizing benefits were voided] I finally found a recipe that makes use of neem oil.

I planted a few tomatos, peppers, herbs and onions a few weeks ago and noticed the leaves were getting chewed on. Searched around the internet for organic pesticides because I don't want chemical pesticides to even breathe the same air as my plants! Found a recipe for organic pesticide that includes castille soap, cayenne powder and neem oil. I spritzed this mixture on my plants about one week ago and so far haven't seem any more leaves getting chomped on by critters. Smile

Keeping my fingers crossed that this will really work.

free skin care · Thu Jun 21, 2007 10:30 am

That's so funny! I'm a garden designer, and have been sending emails to many clients about neem oil. It's a great, non-toxic oil for insect control. This time of year, Japanese Beetles are a problem here. Nee oil, sprayed once a week, alternately with liquid Sevin, will make a difference without killing the beneficial insects. Neem does have a funky smell, and I can't imagine using it on my skin.......but it's great in the garden.
Robin

free skin care · Thu Jun 21, 2007 10:34 am

Ooh plantjunkie can you post the recipe you use? I'm new to homemade insecticide and could use any tips you have! :)Uh, what's Sevin?

Fri Jun 22, 2007 2:56 pm

I would love to see your recipe too!

I have been using a combo of tea tree and neem on my pets to repel fleas but haven't thought about using it on the garden. Great tip...thanks Smile

free skin care · Sat Jun 23, 2007 9:46 am

thestepfordwife wrote:

....I have been using a combo of tea tree and neem on my pets to repel fleas but haven't thought about using it on the garden....

Hi stepford, can you post your flea treatment recipe for your pets? How do you apply it? Aren't some essential oils supposed to be poisonous for our furry friends? I have a 17 year old kitty who could benefit from this.

Thanks!

Sat Jun 23, 2007 10:40 pm

Hi athena123!
I don't really have a recipe per se, just mix them apx two thirds tea tree to one third neem (seems to smell better Laughing

) but sometimes do half and half. Usually I just drop it on with a dropper and rub it into the skin. I use it on my kitty which I have had since 1994 because it seems much gentler on her at her advanced age than the stuff the Vet sells. I put it between her shoulder blades and behind her ears where she cannot reach herself any more so I don't have to worry about her ingesting it. She is an indoor cat but I still want to protect her since the dog goes in and out. I still use the Vet product on the dog during the two summer months just to be on the safe side but use the neem and tee trea on her the rest of the year.
I got the tip on using these products from an old friends uncle who is a Vet for a Zoo so have not had much worries about it being dangerous for them as it was suggested as a better alternative for my older kitty. I have to shave kitty as she is a long hair breed and no longer able to keep up her own grooming and has gotten quite nasty even with me when I attempt to groom her and have found the tea tree to be a fabulous healing agent for the occasional nick that comes when she fights too hard about getting shaved. I cannot sedate her to groom her as our Vet says it would be dangerous to do so at her age.
Another tip I picked up about tea tree is to place a little in my children's hair before they leave for school every fall so I don't have to worry about them catching head lice at school *shudder*. I just dip a q-tip in the tea tree and rub it along their scalp branching out from the nape of their neck. It seems to have worked since several kids in my preschoolers class got head lice and even though she was in very close contact with them she never has. The only thing to remember when using this method of repelling fleas or lice is that it must be re-applied after a shampoo.
I have also used a half and half mixture of these two oils on scrapes and mild burns with good success. I have a friend who gets the occasional cold sore and suggested this combo for her which she later told me worked twice as fast as the prescription cream she got from her Dr. and also used it to rid my husband of a nasty toenail fungus (he runs) that neither prescription pills or topical creams had worked for in the past. We are true believers over here now!
Hope that helps Smile

free skin care · Mon Jun 25, 2007 8:33 pm

I kind of laughed when I read this, because I was appalled a couple of years ago when I googled Neem oil, and tons of stuff came up about pesticides...I was wondering how this could be good for my skin!!!
Truth is in India they use it for everything! I know the smell is a bit off-putting for some, but it really does fabulous things for your skin...everything from blemishes, and rashes, to just a great treatment. I like to mix mine with avocado oil, calendula oil, a touch of Emu oil, and lavender.
You can also use it with citronella or lemongrass EO, as a bug repellent. If you want to thin out the neem oil smell, use an additional carrier as well...maybe one part Neem to three parts other oil such as sweet almond or avocado.

free skin care · Tue Jun 26, 2007 8:08 am

I laughed pretty hard when I read this. I guess you didn't know what it was and the fact that it has a really nasty smell (and taste) when you bought this. As someone just pointed out, Neem has been used by Indians for a longtime for many different things. It is prescribed by homeopathic doctors for dysbiosis and is especially effective against strep.

free skin care · Tue Jun 26, 2007 8:29 am

LOLO

You're right, I didn't have a clue how nasty this stuff smelled when I bought it! After I picked it up at the healthfood store, I stopped at a restaurant for some carryout. While I was waiting, I applied the neem oil to my cuticles and became absolutely horrified by the stench! Very Happy

The cute guy at the other table I was flirting with became rather disinterested all of a sudden - was it the neem oil, or was there something stuck in my teeth? ....

Lesson learned - never apply an unknown substance to your cuticles while waiting in a restaurant for takeout ESPECIALLY when you're making googly eyes at a handsome man! Just glad I found another use for it, after all my plants don't care about how they smell, do they? Thanks for all the helpful tips ladies!

Tue Jun 26, 2007 10:31 am

Ok, I am wiping the tears from my eyes Laughing

Guess we have all had our own special odoriferous experience with neem!

The first time I bought some we were on our way to our Pediatrician for my sons annual checkup and he skinned his knee in the parking lot so I thought "hey, I'll try this fabulous new oil with the healing properties on it"...so I put it on in the parking lot and in my hurry to get us inside on time for appointment didn't notice the aroma (how could I miss that!) until we sat down in the waiting room and everyone else re-seated themselves farther away from us! Embarassed

free skin care · Tue Jun 26, 2007 10:48 am

ohmigod stepford, Laughing

that is just too funny!!! Hmm, wish I could change the name of this thread to something like, "Where were you the first time you tried Neem oil and how did it affect those around you?"

Or better yet, create a poll re: "What is the worst-smelling product in your beauty arsenal?"

Laughing

Thu Jun 28, 2007 4:45 pm

athena123 wrote:

ohmigod stepford, Laughing

that is just too funny!!! Hmm, wish I could change the name of this thread to something like, "Where were you the first time you tried Neem oil and how did it affect those around you?"

Or better yet, create a poll re: "What is the worst-smelling product in your beauty arsenal?"

Laughing

L

I'ts always a hoot to hear about everyone's oppsie daisies...always nice to know we are not the only ones Very Happy

Sat Jun 30, 2007 3:05 pm

Hi everybody,
I was very shocked when i read that Neem oil is that smelly n is used as insectcide. May b Neem oil is different from the Neem Face Wash i'm using. I'm using a purifying Neem Face Wash. It's soap-free. It's ok. I should b using it daily but my face is hyper-sensitive to anything n everything so i use it once a week. It really purifies the skin n does not have a bad smell. I wish that my skin was less sensitive.

Tell me if anyone of you used Neem Face wash n found it different? I'm interested to know.

Thank u Smile

free skin care · Tue Jul 03, 2007 6:54 am

Hi Khadiga, neem oil is used for many things, including beauty products. That the cleanser you use doesn't smell bad speaks to the expertise of those formulators who obviously know how to use neem oil better than I... Laughing

BTW, my homemade insecticide is still keeping the little critters from chewing up my basil and tomatoes...

Wed Jul 04, 2007 2:38 pm

Hi athenal23, :)thanks for replying. Very Happy

u know i think that my Himalaya Neem Face wash item in my drawer will be the last one of its kind. really how can I buy another one after knowing it is used as an insecticide Embarassed

I'll close my eyes Cool

, thanks God, not my nose, till i finish this product Wink

then never bring it again. Or i may bring Neem oil itself in its full power n fight our ants with it Laughing

.
We r facing a big problem at home this summer with black ants. They go into everything n anything. We never had this problem before. Do u have a recipe for ants or just Neem oil can do Wink

? Plz tell. Smile

free skin care · Thu Jul 05, 2007 4:30 am

It might just be working as a repellent.
Also, we all put stuff on our face that kills germs (and fungus).

free skin care · Thu Jul 05, 2007 6:28 am

Khadiga, don't throw out your face wash as a result of this thread... I wouldn't worry about the fact that neem oil is used as an organic insecticide, it has a long history of use in many many beauty products and has a great deal of useful properties.

I don't know the recipe for ants, but if you google it I'm sure you'll find one! Very Happy

Thu Jul 05, 2007 1:34 pm

Thank u athenal:D

I'll keep the product till it finishes Wink

.read my reply about the pyramids.

I'll be very happy to c u there.

free skin care · Wed Jul 11, 2007 8:18 am

GREAT info here, I'm really trying to help my family live a healthier lifestyle, thanks!

Mon Jul 30, 2007 4:03 pm

hi ladies! Laughing

having a good laugh about your neem oil stories! i bought a whole litre of it after reading it was great for treating problem skin - i thought it would be good for my eczema patches in oil blends. i couldnt believe the stench when i opened the bottle! Embarassed

i was at a loss for what to do with it...now i use it as a weight loss aid - i just open the bottle, take a sniff and let the smell put me off my food Very Happy

good to know i can put it in the garden to defend my plants. thanks for the tip!

free skin care · Mon Jul 30, 2007 6:20 pm

Lorrena wrote:

hi ladies! Laughing

having a good laugh about your neem oil stories! i bought a whole litre of it after reading it was great for treating problem skin - i thought it would be good for my eczema patches in oil blends. i couldnt believe the stench when i opened the bottle! Embarassed

i was at a loss for what to do with it...now i use it as a weight loss aid - i just open the bottle, take a sniff and let the smell put me off my food Very Happy

good to know i can put it in the garden to defend my plants. thanks for the tip!

Oh Lorrena lorren! A whole liter? Laughing

Gulp! Do you have an organic farm you can spray with the neem insecticide? Very Happy

I only bought one ounce not too long before I posted this and I still have lot's left - Are you a DIY girl? You may want to check out GOW and personal formulator to see how you can use neem oil in lotions, potions, bath/body oils and such. It's too expensive to waste and it's supposed to be vera good for you. I look forward to reading your new recipes!

free skin care · Mon Jul 30, 2007 8:24 pm

I actually love the funky cabbagy smell. Embarassed

free skin care · Tue Jul 31, 2007 8:24 am

melanie haber wrote:

I actually love the funky cabbagy smell. Embarassed

Oddly enough, I like the smell of diesel and fresh cow manure in an open field, especially after the hay has been cut. Laughing

free skin care · Thu Oct 18, 2007 6:36 pm

Neem oil seems to help wit eczema and psoriasis. I have seen really bad psoriasis cases, and I think if I would have some similar skin conditions, and neem oil would help me heal, I would not care about the smell.

free skin care · Wed Apr 09, 2008 8:02 pm

Lol.I bought neem oil today.And sure,I was warned against the smell.But I though "How bad can it really be?".My face was priceless when I just smelled it.Hopefully it is good,cause the smell is following me around. Laughing

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