Neem is great stuff. Ever been shopping for high quality neem products but did not know what to look for? Neem products are getting more attention these days and are being made available, but as of now are mostly only found on the web or in small beauty shops and other out of the way places. These products are not easy to find, so it is easy to grab the first thing you find on the shelf just because it has the word neem on the label. But here are a few 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 that are used to extract the oil from the neem tree seeds. As you might have already concluded, not all extraction process are to be trusted. The best extraction method that produces the highest quality neem oil is called cold pressing. Cold pressed neem oil is the best, because most active compounds remain intact. Cold pressing is also the oldest extracting process. It utilizes a mechanical device that squeezes the oil out of the seeds. Always make sure to buy only cold pressed neem oil where possible.

Another process uses steam and extreme temperatures. Though this technique retrieves a larger quantity of oil from the neem seeds than the cold pressing technique, a lot of the active compounds in the neem oil may be made useless because of the extreme temperatures.

The third technique is one that most neem processors use because it yields the largest amount of oil from the seeds. It is called solvent extraction, and almost always hexane (which is also called “white gasoline”) is the solvent of choice. Even though this process extracts almost all of the neem oil from the seeds, the harsh chemicals destroy most of the active compounds in the neem oil. To add to this and the fact that the solvent is poisonous, it is preferable to look for items that do not contain solvent extracted neem oil.

Be Sure The Products Do Not Contain Additives Nearly all cosmetics and bath/shower products today contain added substances to “enhance” how the product works. However, some of these compounds can actually cause many side effects. Two of the most common chemicals found in most products today are Lauryl Sulfates and Parabens. Lauryl Sulfates are often used as foamers, because they are inexpensive and work pretty well. The majority of inexpensive neem shampoo products have many of these additives as well. But, these chemicals are known to have some side effects. In fact, the USFDA encourages developers of these products not to use them.

Parabens are often used for preserving, and though there has been no real studies showing that that they are potentially harmful, they are becoming more and more controversial. Some organizations feel they should be avoided in order to err on the side of safety.

Try To Find Certified Organic Ingredients For obvious reasons, organic ingredients are preferred over ones that are not. These are natural substances, and have not been exposed to potentially dangerous chemical compounds, fertilizers, or other un-natural substances. Look for labels that list only organic ingredients. If a vendor uses these ingredients, they will always state this selling point on the label.

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