A neem buying guide- A few pointers to help you find quality neem oil
Neem is great stuff. Ever been looking to buy top quality neem products but did not know where to start? Neem-oil products are slowly becoming more widely available, but right now are usually only found on the internet or in health shops and specialty stores. Since these are hard to find items it is easy to grab the first thing you come across just because it says neem on the bottle. So here are some tips that will help you make an informed decision before purchasing anything.
Find Out How The Neem Oil Was Extracted From The Seeds There are several methods used to extract the oil from the neem tree seeds. As you may have guessed, not all extraction process produce the same quality oil. The method that produces the best neem seed oil is called cold pressing. Cold pressed neem oil is the best, as the majority of the active compounds remain intact. It is also the first and most accepted 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.
The next common way to extract the oil from the seeds uses superheated water and extreme temperatures. Though this method retrieves a larger quantity of oil from the neem seeds than cold pressing, a lot of the active compounds in the neem oil can possibly be destroyed due to the extreme temperatures.
This next extraction method is the most preferred one that most neem oil dealers use because it extracts the most oil. It is called solvent extraction, and almost always hexane (which is also called “white gasoline”) is the chemical used. Though this technique extracts almost all of the oil from the seeds, the solvents destroy nearly all of the desireable compounds in the neem seed oil. And along with this and the fact that the chemical is poisonous, it is preferable that you look for neem products that do not contain solvent extracted neem oil.
Avoid Additives Nearly all cosmetics and bath/shower products today contain added substances to “enhance” how the product works. However, some of these chemicals can likely cause adverse side effects. Two of the most common compounds found in most products today are Lauryl Sulfates (SLS) and Parabens. Lauryl Sulfates are often used as foamers, because they are inexpensive and work pretty well. Many inexpensive neem shampoo and soap products have many of these additives as well. But, these chemicals have proven to cause allergic reactions in some people. In fact, the USFDA asks developers of these products not to use them.
Parabens are often used for preserving, and though there has been no substantial proof 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.
Be Sure To Look For Certified Organic Ingredients Quite obviously, organic ingredients are preferred over non-organic ingredients. These are natural substances, and have not been exposed to man-made chemicals, fertilizers, plant growth regulators, pesticides or similar chemicals. Look for labels that list certified organic ingredients. If a manufacturer uses organic ingredients, they will always state this (it’s a selling point) somewhere on the packaging.
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