Neem is great stuff. Ever been shopping for top quality neem products but did not know where to start? Neem based products are starting to become more available, but as of now are for the most part only found on the web or in health food shoppes and specialty stores. Because it is hard to find these products it is easy to grab the first thing you find on the shelf just because it says neem on it. Here are some quick tips that will help you make an educated choice before you actually purchase anything.
Find Out How The Neem Oil Was Removed From The Neem Seeds There are a few different methods commonly used today to extract the oil from the seeds. As you might have already concluded, not all extraction process produce the same quality oil. The method that produces the best neem oil is called cold pressing. Cold pressed neem oil is the best, because most active compounds remain intact. It 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.
A second extraction technique uses superheated water and extreme temperatures. Though this method 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 can possibly be ruined by the extreme temperatures.
This next extraction method is the one that most neem processors use because it gets the greatest quantity of neem oil. The method is called solvent extraction, and in most cases hexane (which is also called “white gasoline”) is the chemical used. Though this method extracts just about all of the neem oil from the seeds, the solvents destroy most of the desireable compounds in the neem. To add to this and the fact that the solvent is poisonous, it is preferable to look for products that do not contain neem oil that was extracted using them.
Be Sure The Products Do Not Contain Additives Nearly all cosmetics and bath/shower products these days contain chemicals to “enhance” how the product works. However, some of these additives can actually cause unwanted side effects. Two of the most common additives that may be in a lot of bath bath products are Lauryl Sulfates and Parabens. SLS’s are often used as foam enhancers, because they are inexpensive and work particularly well. A lot of inexpensive neem oil and soap products use these additives as well. But, these chemicals have proven to cause allergic reactions in some people. In fact, the USFDA encourages manufacturers not to use them.
Parabens are preservatives, and though there has been no substantial proof that they are potentially dangerous, they are becoming more and more controversial. Some organizations feel they should be avoided in order to err on the side of safety.
Be Sure To Look For Certified Organic Ingredients Of course, organic ingredients are always more desireable than non-organic ingredients. These ingredients are all natural, and have not been exposed to man-made chemicals, fertilizers, the like. Look for labels that list only organic ingredients. If a manufacturer uses these ingredients, they will always state this (it’s a selling point) somewhere on the packaging.
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