Neem oil stench

[Derpina Bubbles]

I just soaped with neem oil for the 1st time and made some doggy shampoo bars for my 2 Labradors. Well, I had no idea that stuff would smell worse than a dead body wrapped in dirty nappies in a dirty truck stop washroom with hints of burnt hair and toe jam. :sick: Obviously I smelt the stuff when adding it to the other oils but I had stupidly high hopes the scent would be mitigated by the essential oils I added. I only used 1% blend of lavender and eucalyptus because it's for dogs and it just can't compete with the neem funk.

I'm seriously doubting if I can even cut the soap and dread having it curing somewhere in the house. Does the smell get any better? As in, a lot better?

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

I've not used Neem, but I know from my Pine Tar (which many people say smells worse than neem, but based on your description I think is doubtful!) that it does fade off and mellow a lot. Neem might well do the same.

Might................

 

[Derpina Bubbles]

Fingers crossed then that the neem smell fades too! I've only had a whiff of pine tar soaps before, not the straight pine tar so I can't compare them. You've given me hope :smile:

 

[Obsidian]

Neem does fade a lot, give it time.

 

[Saponista]

I really really hate the smell of neem, give me pine tar any day.

 

[Obsidian]

I also hate the smell of neem, I almost tossed my bars out. After a couple months, the smell had almost faded and I can only smell if when I wash my face.

 

[Lion Of Judah]

i have used neem oil few times in making soap and will agree that while the scent is strong it will eventually fade as it cure/dry . now in all fairness i must say that for me the 1st time the smell threw me for a loop but once coming to know what to expect it did not bother me as much , and i am sure my EO had a lot to do with it. i use neem oil only in my Bay Rum Soap so i use bay rum , orange, litsea in it . when 1st cut the smell is like crude oil to me but as it dries out the bay rum and citrus scent comes through quite clear , even now after more then 5 months after the neem scent is nowhere to be smelled in the soap. give your soap some time to cure and see what you get

 

[Derpina Bubbles]

So the smell of neem is loved by all . I actually read on one page the oil described as having a pleasant mild nutty aroma. Seriously no idea how anyone can get that out of that smell.

I'll cut them and cure them in a dark corner of my garage. I hope they do end up ok because I had high hopes for these with my labs. Thanks all for giving me hope or I swear they would have been tossed.

 

[pamielynn]

When you use the bar, you can't really smell it... much I make a neem bar and I use it for my face. It's a tough sell because you can pick up the bar and smell the neem, but when it's being used, you don't really notice it. My repeat customers on that bar say the same thing.

 

[lsg]

The smell of neem seed oil does bother some people. It doesn't bother me in dog soap. I used neem seed oil in a soap for my Great Pyr, along with essential oils. It certainly helped with the hot spots and flea problem.

 

[Derpina Bubbles]

I think I'd want it to make me look like Gisele Bundchen before I used it on my face. I'll just be happy if it works on my boys. Starsky is no worries but Hutch has sensitive skin which is the reason I tried to make a doggy soap in the 1st place.

I had to Google Great Pyr because I'd never heard of them. Talk about cute!

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

The smell of neem seed oil does bother some people. It doesn't bother me in dog soap. I used neem seed oil in a soap for my Great Pyr, along with essential oils. It certainly helped with the hot spots and flea problem.

Dem fleas be like "Whoa, I ain't getting up in here! Smells funky, yo!"

 

[SoapMakingTommy]

Glad to read a neem thread, I bought 2 16oz bottles and i dont know when im going to use it, sooner then later hopefully.
I would love to make some just to experiment and leave some more informative feedback.
From the looks on the bottle its very viscous, color is brownish yellow,and smell is well hard to describe i can smell a bit of a strong coffee undertone followed by some strong natural fatty leafy smell. I can see how this soap would smell really bad, i hope the smell goes away for you. Im sure it will and the soap will be great.

 

[dreadhead]

I use Lemongrass EO in my shampoo bar with neem and is satified with the smell, but I only have 6% neem into it. In my Paw Balm (for dogs and even to horses) I've Rosemary EO with 35% neem. If I do dog shampoo with nerm, I should use rosemary in that too. It doesn't kill all the smell, but it helps a bit.

 

[lsg]

You can also use neem seed oil in a spray for bushes and garden plants. I also use it in a salve.

http://www.discoverneem.com/neem-insect-spray.html

 

[Derpina Bubbles]

Seeing the pic of the neem oil bottle on the towel reminds me of trying to get the smell out of my soap rags. Had to rewash them 3 times because every time I opened the washing machine I was nearly sick. I also have the weirdest smell on my hands from where I touched the soap getting it out of the mould. Almost like an onion smell and definitely haven't cut any onions.

 

[cmzaha]

I happen to not mind the smell of neem which is good because I use a lot of it!! It will fade some and start smelling very earthy. Not sure what percentage you used but I use up to 40% with an essential oil blend that goes nicely with neem. I sell lots of neem soap and my customers do not mind the fragrance at all. I also make balms with it and a liquid doggie shampoo. Neem is really not thick unless it is cold. Soapers Choice has the best price on Certified Neem Oil. In fact more neem ls paste is on the agenda this week to make

 

[Derpina Bubbles]

I happen to not mind the smell of neem which is good because I use a lot of it!! It will fade some and start smelling very earthy. Not sure what percentage you used but I use up to 40% with an essential oil blend that goes nicely with neem. I sell lots of neem soap and my customers do not mind the fragrance at all. I also make balms with it and a liquid doggie shampoo. Neem is really not thick unless it is cold. Soapers Choice has the best price on Certified Neem Oil. In fact more neem ls paste is on the agenda this week to make

Earthy sounds good to me. I used 20% in this batch and after smelling it I wondered if I'd overdone it. I really interested in how these turn out now.

 

[Obsidian]

I used 22% neem in batch. At first it was just over powering, like rotten onion and garlic but now I almost like the scent. It really is great for a facial soap, I even used a little in some salt bars.

 

[cmzaha]

Earthy sounds good to me. I used 20% in this batch and after smelling it I wondered if I'd overdone it. I really interested in how these turn out now.

I am sure they will be fine. If you poured in a log mold and will be cutting do not bet discourged, because you will really get hit in the face with the smell. Trust me they will mellow. I have made neem soaps for years up to 40%. When using such a high percentage I do use individual silcone molds since neem tends to accelerate and overheat even in the freezer