What is neem oil? What can I use it for?
Martina Jones, Hiawatha, Kansas
I’m happy you asked what is neem oil. This natural oil is incredibly useful in the garden, for pets, and for human health, too.
I’d like to start by telling you how to use neem oil for your skin and hair. Pure neem oil, not the kind you’d buy in the garden center, is excellent for treating acne, eczema, and ringworm.
Application to your skin reduces inflammation and makes it less likely that you’ll form scars. Plus, it contains fatty acids that fight signs of aging. It can help you erase wrinkles and firm up your skin. And, it can brighten your skin tone and fade dark spots when used consistently over time.
But neem oil also fights fungal infections. It’s effective against athlete’s foot and toenail fungus. If you use it on your scalp, it relieves dandruff and dryness. Moreover, it reduces frizz and repairs damaged hair. If you ever need to get rid of lice, neem oil is deadly to this pest.
You can also use neem oil to get rid of flea infestation on a dog or cat, whether they are indoor or outdoor pets. Create a spray and spritz your pet. Run a flea comb through the fur to get rid of eggs and dead fleas after application. Reapply every so often to ensure you kill all fleas.
This leads us to ways to use neem oil in the garden. Neem is a safe and powerful pesticide. It kills mildew, bacterial rot, aphids, spider mites, Japanese beetles, cabbage worms, and so many more bugs. Mix up some water, neem oil, and a little dish soap for the ideal organic squash beetle control spray. Furthermore, it repels fleas and ticks on pets and helps wounds heal faster on the animals’ skin.
So what is this magic solution for so many problems? Neem is an oil that is extracted from the Azadirachta indica tree in Asia. It’s an ancient remedy used in Ayurvedic medicine and it’s available to purchase in many stores and online. Just be sure to match the type of neem oil to its intended uses.
Learn more about neem oil benefits in this article. It will probably make you want to run out and buy some as soon as possible.