Neem buying: How to shop for quality neem based products
Neem is great stuff. Ever been searching for good quality neem but did not know what to look for? Neem-oil products are getting more attention these days and are being made available, but as of now are for the most part only found on the internet 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 stumble upon just because it says neem on it. Here are some quick tips that will help you choose wisely before you stock up on an inferior product-
Know How The Oil Was Removed From The Neem Seeds There are a few different methods that are used to extract the neem oil from the seeds of the neem tree. As you may have guessed, not all extraction process produce the same quality oil. The extraction process that produces the highest quality neem seed oil is called cold pressing. Cold pressing neem oil is the best, as the majority of the active compounds remain intact. This is also the first and most accepted way to extract the oil. It is done with a mechanical device that squeezes the oil out of the seeds. Always try to get cold pressed neem oil where possible.
Steam extraction- this common way to extract the oil from the seeds uses steam and heat. Though this technique 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 are often destroyed by the heat used in the process.
A third process is the one that most neem oil dealers use because it extracts the largest amount of oil from the seeds. It is called chemical solvent extraction, and in most cases hexane (which is also called “white gasoline”) is the solvent of choice. Though this process extracts nearly all of the neem oil from the dried seeds, the chemicals render useless most of the active compounds in the neem. And along with this and the fact that the chemical being used is poisonous, it is preferable that you look for neem products that do not contain neem oil that was extracted using them.
Avoid Additives Most bath and beauty items today contain added substances to “enhance” how the product works. But keep in mind that some of these compounds may potentially cause many side effects. Two of the most common compounds found in many of the products are Lauryl Sulfates (SLS) and Parabens. Lauryl Sulfates are mostly used as foam enhancers, because they are inexpensive and work particularly well. The majority of inexpensive neem oil products have many of these additives too. 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 common preservatives, and though there has been no substantial proof that they are potentially dangerous, they are starting to be avoided by many. 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 always more desireable than ones that are not. These ingredients are all natural, and have not been exposed to potentially dangerous chemical compounds, fertilizers, plant growth regulators, pesticides or similar chemicals. Look for labels that list the ingredients. If a manufacturer uses them, they will always state this (it’s a selling point) somewhere on the packaging.