Neem shopping? How to find quality neem oil products
Tuesday, November 25th, 2008 | Places
Have you been looking to buy high quality neem but did not know where to start? Neem products are slowly becoming more widely available, but as of now are mostly only found on the web or in health 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 come across just because it has the word neem on the label. Here are some quick tips that will help you make an informed decision before you stock up on an inferior product-
Find Out How The Oil Was Extracted There are a couple of methods that are used to extract the neem oil from the neem tree seeds. As you have probably figured out, not all extraction process produce the same quality oil. The method that produces the best neem oil is called cold pressing. Cold pressing 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 opt for cold pressed neem oil where possible.
Another method uses hot water vapor 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 are destroyed by the extreme temperatures.
This next process is the most preferred one that most manufacturers use because it yields the most oil. The technique is called solvent extraction, and in most cases hexane (white gasoline) is the solvent of choice. Even though this process extracts nearly all of the oil from the seeds, the solvents render useless nearly all of the desireable compounds in the neem. To add to this and the fact that the chemical being used is poisonous, it is preferable that you look for products that do not contain neem oil that was extracted using them.
Be Sure The Products Do Not Contain Additives Almost all cosmetics and bath/shower products today contain added substances to “enhance” how the product works. However, some of these chemicals may likely cause many side effects. Two of the most common chemicals that may be in a lot of bath bath products are Lauryl Sulfates (SLS) and Parabens. SLS’s are mostly used as foam producers, because they are not very costly and work very well. A lot of inexpensive neem shampoo products have many of these additives too. However, these chemicals are known to have some side effects. The US Food and Drug Administration 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 dangerous, they are becoming more and more controversial. Some organizations feel they should be avoided for the sake of precaution.
Buy Only Products That Contain Certified Organic Ingredients Quite obviously, organic ingredients are better than ones that are not. These ingredients are all natural, and have not been exposed to man-made chemicals, synthetic fertilizers, or other un-natural substances. Look for labels that list certified organic ingredients. If a manufacturer uses organic ingredients, they will always state this selling point somewhere on the packaging.