NEEEEMMMM....

[Ford]

Hi everybody.
cough, hack, sneeze, I think I gonna loose lunch, . Ya, this stuff is that BAD! IMHO! Who in there right mind. Would stand next to a Azadirachta indica tree. And think, that would make good soap. All's you get is one pic.

did not want it in the house. Even the mold, lid, beveller, trash bin. Did I say how dang awful this stuff is. I guess every newbie should make at least one batch.
I might even delete this pic from my gallery. Just looking it make my stomach turn. Technically, performed well. Bars are tight and clean. If the smell does not fade over the cure. I am afraid these will not get used. Standing in a HOT shower, with that smell. "AIN:T happinn". Well thanks for lookin. And keep on SOAPIN!

 

[AliOop]

Oh @Ford you always make me smile! How much neem did you use? I usually keep it to 20% or less. But then again, I'm one of those folks who isn't bothered by neem, which is apparently like cilantro and patchouli - ya love it or hate it, nothing in between.

If you really gotta toss all that stuff, I'll PM my address and you can send it to me instead.

 

[Ford]

Hi. Used 15%. I can do patouli. Not this. Does the smell fade over time?? I'll go the course and give it a chance. We'll see after a curing period. But remember Ali you asked for it. Thanks again.

I have it in my hot house curing. On top of yellow bucket.

 

[MellonFriend]

Did you use a fragrance oil with it? I think that it might be pretty potent without one. My bars with 16% neem cured to a much mellower smell, but I can still smell it. I think it would be quite nice with baked goods or manlier smells. I think the neem sort of smells like coffee, so anything that would mix well with coffee scent, I think would mask it nicely.

 

[DeeAnna]

In my experience, yes, the smell of neem gets less obnoxious and less strong as time goes on. To my nose, the odor morphs into a smell that's closer to strong brewed black tea.

I like scenting neem soap (20% neem) with a lime FO. At first there's no hint of any lime in the smell, but after a good, long cure, the lime comes out more clearly with the "black tea" odor adding a woody warm under-note. It will never be my all-time-greatest-hits soap fragrance, but it's acceptable.

I use my neem soap at the sink for handwashing because I often have small cuts and abrasions on my hands from my day job. I figure the neem might help those owies a little bit.

The soap lasts a long time in the bath and at the sink. Neem has a fatty acid profile similar to lard, so I use it as a partial replacement for lard to add longevity and mildness.

 

[AliOop]

Hi. Used 15%. I can do patouli. Not this. Does the smell fade over time?? I'll go the course and give it a chance. We'll see after a curing period. But remember Ali you asked for it. Thanks again.
I have it in my hot house curing. On top of yellow bucket.

The smell does fade, but I honestly wasn't as bothered by it as some who find it genuinely vomitous. If that turns out to be you, we can discuss terms later.

Like @MellonFriend suggested, I find it goes very well with bakery or masculine scents, especially Dragon's Blood. I haven't tried lime as suggested by @DeeAnna, but I may do that next time.

 

[Ford]

Hi, no. Did not use any fo at all. Wanted full exposure to this stuff. And boy did I get it. Oob was tolerable. But now! As I said, we'll see as it cure's.

 

[violets2217]

Hi, no. Did not use any fo at all. Wanted full exposure to this stuff.

I was waiting for your post of your NEEM experience! Awesome! It is definitely not a smell I can tolerate. I tried real hard to give the bars a fair shake after cure and forced myself to test 2 bars...I made it through 1 bar, made me gag every time I soaped up, plus I was paranoid I could still smell it on my body throughout the day. I can't even remember if the soap was good on my skin, but I hear so many good things about it's soap properties.

 

[Marsi]

the only thing worse than neem soap is sulphur soap
sulphur soap made with lard would be full

good idea to put it in the hothouse
you will kill than soap nice and quick in that toasty (sunny warm and humid) spot



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[Johnez]

Ok now I'm curious of what this stuff smells like and what it's for. Anything with a horrific smell and still used by some just *has* to have some amazing property, right....right?

 

[Ford]

It's even worse. Than the "bog of eternal stench". But, you should try it. Really, you'll enjoy the experience.

 

[MellonFriend]

Ok now I'm curious of what this stuff smells like and what it's for. Anything with a horrific smell and still used by some just *has* to have some amazing property, right....right?

It has antibacterial and antimicrobial properties. I used it in a recipe for my sister because she has acne and it's supposed to help with that.

 

[CreativeWeirdo]

I have a friend of South Asian decent, and she takes neem supplements for her cystic acne. I had Googled it after she told me this, and apparently, neem supplements can cause miscarriages :s

 

[Zing]

Beautiful soap @Zing ! What do you use to make your lines? I used a tea ball for activated charcoal and it poured out !

Ok now I'm curious of what this stuff smells like and what it's for. Anything with a horrific smell and still used by some just *has* to have some amazing property, right....right?

Like I said in another thread about neem, I use it as a pesticide in my garden (Ford's greenhouse storage seems appropriate) and it just always catches me off guard to see references in this forum to neem!

 

[Guspuppy]

Dude! I had that exact reaction to rose geranium eo! I had to throw the soap out because i couldn't stand smelling it from in my basement, and it was a shame because i'd done a really nice swirl. Ha! Everyone has some smell they just. Csn't. Stand.

 

[Obsidian]

Hi, no. Did not use any fo at all. Wanted full exposure to this stuff. And boy did I get it. Oob was tolerable. But now! As I said, we'll see as it cure's.

I left my first neem soap to cure for 2 years before it took on a black tea scent, it was really nice.
My last batch, a few months old bow still smells like neem. I need to put it in the back of the closest and forget about it.

Neem from different sources smell different too. The last bottle I got and still have is super strong. All the others were much milder

 

[Ford]

Hello everybody, quick update. Smell has calmed down. To OOB tolerable. Still have not tested any of it. Got a couple of weeks to go. It is now in the garage. Will test an end slice/sliver probably next week. Must admit, second time something has turned my stomach. Never had this problem in the past. Getting older sucks. thanks.

 

[Nona'sFarm]

I use Neem in soap and in the garden (like @Zing), but not from the same bottle. I use it at 15% in my soap. Yes, it does have an awful smell until it cures. I usually let it cure 12 weeks. I have used a blend of litsea, lavender, and cedarwood as my fragrance. Think I might try Dragon's Blood as suggested by @AliOop, next time I make it.
I have really enjoyed it as a facial soap. I use a 5% superfat, and even with 25% coconut, it is not too drying like many commercial cleansers. I plan on tinkering with it some and substitute some of the palm with soy and substitute some of the coconut with shea. Also, just for fun and bubbles I add a little molasses. I usually add honey to my soaps, but following someone else's lead decided to go with molasses with this one as the batter is kind of beige anyway.
So @Ford, hope you do eventually enjoy your soap. I was very pleased with mine.

 

[AliOop]

@Nona'sFarm I actually added molasses to my first neem soaps, too! I had a lot of it around after accidentally ordering 4 bottles instead of one, so I was glad to find a way to use some of it up. The caramelized molasses smell did smell good in soap to me, but molasses sure is a heater.

 

[Dawni]

Neem soap made by HP is probably one of the worst things ever lol at least mine was. Heat does mess things up some hahah

The neem oil I use also looks different from what I see other using, maybe smells different too? It's thick n gooey and quite obnoxious out of the bottle. With no FOs and fading EOs, after a 2yr cure the soap smells of damp earth lol

But my teenager swears by the neem soap I make for his acne, so much so that he tells his friends about it (yes, a male 18yr old talking about soap).