Skin Care Tips: Neem Oil Benefits for Skin and Hair
shivani k 
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When it comes to super-greens that work wonders on our skin and hair, there’s no super-green that holds as much clout as neem, don’t you agree? Right from its bark to its leaves and flowers, the neem tree serves as a multi-purpose pharmacy. It has rightly earned the moniker of Mother Nature’s healing-store.
While we’ve witnessed the advent of new age medicines and products that promise us faster cure and healing, neem still managed to hold its own in the world of medicine and wellness.
And it is the neem oil which is considered to be the most beneficial form of neem. The list of its benefits has not just been passed down through our grandmothers or mothers by word of mouth, its benefits have been proved scientifically, which you’ll get to know as you read further.
What Exactly Is Neem Oil?
Neem oil is extracted from the fruits of the neem tree. Yep! Neem has tiny fruits, but we’ve never really paid attention to them. The neem oil is composed of two compounds — Triterpenoid and Azadirachtin (1). And it’s these two compounds that give neem its antifungal, antiseptic, and antipyretic properties. They are also the main contributors to its medicinal and therapeutic value.
The oil is available in a number of variants, with varying color difference. This is because the color of the neem oil depends on the type of its extraction — it can be stark red, dark-brown, golden-yellow, green-brown, and yellow-brown.
Neem Oil Benefits For Skin
Neem oil has been used to nourish skin in India since time immemorial. You cannot boil down its benefits to a single one because it benefits our skin in multiple ways. And obviously, all those top-notch cosmetic brands wouldn’t use it as one of their main ingredients unless it was extremely beneficial to skin, right? Here’s a list of some of the ways in which neem oil benefits our skin.
1. Stimulates Collagen
For our skin to look fresh and healthy, it needs to actively produce collagen. And applying neem oil on our skin helps us achieve that. Neem oil boosts the collagen production which helps in slowing down the aging process of our skin (2). Regular use of neem oil makes our skin look supple, soft, and young.
2. Reduces Eczema
Neem oil alleviates the symptoms of eczema like itchy skin, dry skin, etc. Pay special attention to us here because we’re saying that it reduces eczema, but it doesn’t cure it completely. Eczema is a skin condition wherein the person suffering from it suffers from a lot of irritation and inflammation on their skin, this is why using neem oil is advised as it provides great relief (3).
3. Treats All Varieties Of Dermatitis
The antiseptic properties of neem keep all the infections at a distance. Neem is loaded with Nimbin and Nimbidin compounds which prevent swelling and reddening of our skin. They help to retain the moisture of the skin.
And when it comes to different types of dermatitis, neem oil is regarded as the most trusted and tested remedy (4). Acne-prone skin can be treated with neem oil as it helps to combat the bacteria which causes pimples and breakouts.
4. Skin Toner
This magical oil also makes for the perfect toner. It helps to restore the moisture of the skin and also fights pathogens found right below its surface. Your skin will be left looking healthy, soft, and supple after using neem oil as a skin toner.
Neem Oil Benefits For Hair
Now, who wouldn’t love having thick, lustrous hair? And what if we told you that neem oil does the work of a hair-healer too? Religious application of neem oil provides our hair with innumerable benefits. Some of them are:
5. Makes Your Scalp Healthy
It’s common sense, right? For a structure to be strong, its foundation needs to fortified and healthy. And this is true in the case of hair as well. Our hair becomes strong and beautiful only if our scalp is healthy. Neem oil does that for us. It acts on our scalp, keeps it healthy and makes sure we don’t contract hair problems like a scalp infection or dandruff. It also keeps our hair moisturized (5).
6. Keeps Head Lice Away
When it comes to getting rid of head lice, neem oil proves to be the best cure. For getting rid of head lice, all you have to do is apply the oil onto your scalp and let it stay overnight. The next morning, grab a thin comb and slowly comb your hair. You will notice how the oil has worked its way on those pests plaguing your luscious locks.
7. Improves The Texture Of Hair
Our hair loses its natural texture as it is exposed to the various pollutants of air. If we apply neem oil regularly to our scalp and hair, it improves the texture of our hair and keeps it healthy. Even if we suffer from tangled hair, this oil works wonders. Apply this oil frequently and you’ll start noticing the difference all by yourself.
So, no matter what our hair problem is, with the application of neem oil it’s always going to be a win-win situation for us. The strength of neem oil lies in the fact that it has multiple benefits. Go grab a neem oil bottle and start reaping those benefits for yourself. If there is anything that you’d like to add to this list, leave them in the comment section below.
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