Neem shopping? A few pointers to help you locate quality neem based products
Looking for neem? Have you ever been in the market for top quality neem but did not know what to look for? Neem based products are starting to become more available, but as of now are mostly only found on the internet or in health food shoppes and specialty stores. These products are not easy to find, so it is easy to grab the first thing you come across just because it says neem on it. Here are some quick tips that will help you make an educated choice before you actually purchase the wrong stuff:
Know How The Oil Was Removed From The Neem Seeds There are a couple of methods commonly used today to extract the oil from the seeds of the neem tree. As you might have already concluded, not all extraction process are to be trusted. The extraction process that produces the highest quality neem seed oil is called cold pressing. Cold pressed neem oil is the best, due to the fact that most of the active compounds remain intact. Cold pressing is also the first and most accepted method of extraction. It utilizes a mechanical device that squeezes the oil from the dried seeds. Always make sure to buy only cold pressed neem oil where possible.
Another extraction technique uses steam and high pressure. Though this method 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 can possibly be ruined due to the heat used in the process.
The third technique is one that most neem processors use because it extracts the largest amount of oil from the seeds. The method is called chemical solvent extraction, and almost always hexane (also known as gasoline) is the solvent that is used. Though this technique extracts nearly all of the neem oil from the neem seeds, the solvents render useless many of the active compounds in the neem. And along with this and the fact that the chemical being used is poisonous, it is highly recommended that you look for products that do not contain neem oil that was extracted using them.
Avoid Additives Almost all bath and beauty items today contain added substances to “enhance” them, so to speak. But keep in mind that some of these compounds can likely cause many side effects. Two of the most common compounds that may be in many of the products are Lauryl Sulfates and Parabens. SLS’s are mostly used as foam enhancers, because they are cheap and work pretty well. A lot of inexpensive neem pet shampoo and soap products use these additives too. But, 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 preservatives, and though there has been no real studies showing that that they are potentially dangerous, they are starting to be avoided by many. Some organizations feel they should be avoided in order to err on the side of safety.
Buy Only Products That Contain Certified Organic Ingredients For obvious reasons, organic ingredients are always more desireable than non-organic ingredients. These are natural substances, and have not been exposed to potentially dangerous chemical compounds, synthetic fertilizers, the like. Look for labels that list only organic ingredients. If a vendor uses them, they will always state this selling point on the label.