Neem Oil has been traditional grown in India and in recent years have been grown in many countries for a number of reasons.
I am a newbie in soap-making and at first, it was all to do with the artistic side of soap-making. I was curious as to how solified coloured fats can be so beautiful. It wasn't the benefits of soap-making that attracted me.
I started soap-making only about eight weeks ago and having tried a number of batches, it was time to do something useful. Every year, parents hate sending their school at the start of the academic year. Our three girls all come back with nits at the start of the academic year and each year we have to perform the monkey's ritual of nit-picking. So, about six weeks ago I made a batch using NEEM OIL.
Soap calc sap values: NaOH 0.139 KOH 0.195
Recipe used: OO pomace 25%, CO 25%, Castor 18%, Palm 18% and Neem Oil 14%.
Sodium Lactate - did not use
Colours: did not use
Additives: did not use
Superfats: Sweet Almond Oil 5% + 5% on the SoapCalc
I don't want everybody to think this is the recipe. It was only a fun recipe(experimental). If I were to do it again, which I will because I have to as the academic year is about to start, it would be different.
First and foremost, before I forget, pregnant ladies are not to use NEEM and those who are thinking of starting a family can not use NEEM. I'll leave the science of this point to be answered by http://www.discoverneem.com/neem-information.html. There is another website but it was too scientific.
It wasn't my intention to post this but, having tested the batch I felt it was worthy of posting as to what I have learnt from all these experience soapmakers on this forum and me mucking around.
When buying NEEM the following should be considered:
1) Just like other oils, NEEM are sold Organic, refined, unrefined, virgin etc. They come in normally three different colours which will indicate as to how it was processed. Red is the one you would try to find(unrefined). I have just bought 500ml came at a price but I am willing to try it out. Green is the refined one. I always thought that cold-processed meant unrefined. This isn't true. So I have learnt something new. The last colour Brown this is extracted using some sovents. Of course there is the inbetweeners.
I bought them all!!! LOL. No, it wasn't a mistake. I bought them because I wanted to find out them all rather than reading data sheets.
2) The size obviously, Neem is quite a hardy oil and a poweful one too. A little goes a long way. The recipe that is posted above is 14% but you can use up to 30%. There are many sites that advises you to use a ratio between 1% and 7%. However, you will need to do your own research. My research shows 30% and 40% neem products are found safe and beneficial. The American Journal of Agriculture also published 30% figures.
Now the funny and exciting bit:
Don't really want to deter you. All the things you read about the smell. Its TRUE. It was disgusting. I made my Neem on 13/06/2013 and it was a hot day as well. Apparently, when NEEM is mixed with poor quality oil is gives off a much stronger smell. I kept thinking, never mind about the nits, even I won't go near the person wearing neem. At 14% it stank the house down. Various articles published the smell to be garlic, peanuts etc. Let me tell you this, it smells like some Fruit & Vegetable market on a hot summer & humid day where the seller have accidentally dropped a number of overly riped fruits at the side of the road in dirty water with flies hovering over them. My partner thought there was a dead rodent somewhere in the house.
To credit it, the smell mellowed down during curing time, it smelled like honey dew melon skin (overly riped). Then after about 6 weeks it kinda have an aroma like ... honeydew melon. (it was either that or we all just got use to it).
It doesn't trace fast, which was surprising as it s supposed to be similiar to jojoba oil (waxy).
Curing- I started to use it from the 5th week of curing. I think it needs eight weeks or more similiar to 100% Castile soap. The neem soap pH was 9 (I know!!) but I still used it.
The TEST
Smell: acceptable - I would have preferred something more pleasant.
Conditioning: VERY this was obvious.;-)
Bubbly: It was OK. Fine bubbles. Originally, I wanted BIG baaaaabbles as kids loves them.
Creaminess: VERY and needed water to smooth off the lather.
Cleaning: Cleaned without stripping (talk more of this later)
Hardeness: Need more improvement to make it last longer.:-(
Surprised with my own result, I gave some to my neighbours and friends whose kids have eczema.
Roy 5 years (very bad eczema and heavy dandruff): not improved but have not deterioted either and that was even stopping the use of special eczema creams. Roy did not like the smell but after a few days he liked the soap.
Cheryl 7 yrs (eczema, not as bad as Roy) did not like the smell but like the soap after a few days too. Cheryl told me that it was nice ( i think she meant that her skin wasn't itching).
Adults: we all experienced skin tightening. We thought it was the dryness of the soap due to the cleaning power. But, we found it was not in fact it was moisturising. When I did more research on it apparently NEEM closes pores. This was evident.
Hair: Roys dandruff has not improved or deteriorated. But everyone else found it was washable but for me, due to the hot summer I had a few spots on my scalp and the neem cooled them down.
Spots: one of the adults found that his spots seems to less inflammed.
In terms of Nits. Well, I have used up all the soap so none left to find out. But I will be doing another batch but this time using the RED two with 20% NEEM. I am going to change Palm to Shea Butter. I will also add Neem Leaves as an exfoliate in the second batch.
Base on the experimemt, I can't knock NEEM oil. It is disgusting to work with. But, even if I need to puke alot during the process its worth it. :smile::smile:
I am a newbie in soap-making and at first, it was all to do with the artistic side of soap-making. I was curious as to how solified coloured fats can be so beautiful. It wasn't the benefits of soap-making that attracted me.
I started soap-making only about eight weeks ago and having tried a number of batches, it was time to do something useful. Every year, parents hate sending their school at the start of the academic year. Our three girls all come back with nits at the start of the academic year and each year we have to perform the monkey's ritual of nit-picking. So, about six weeks ago I made a batch using NEEM OIL.
Soap calc sap values: NaOH 0.139 KOH 0.195
Recipe used: OO pomace 25%, CO 25%, Castor 18%, Palm 18% and Neem Oil 14%.
Sodium Lactate - did not use
Colours: did not use
Additives: did not use
Superfats: Sweet Almond Oil 5% + 5% on the SoapCalc
I don't want everybody to think this is the recipe. It was only a fun recipe(experimental). If I were to do it again, which I will because I have to as the academic year is about to start, it would be different.
First and foremost, before I forget, pregnant ladies are not to use NEEM and those who are thinking of starting a family can not use NEEM. I'll leave the science of this point to be answered by http://www.discoverneem.com/neem-information.html. There is another website but it was too scientific.
It wasn't my intention to post this but, having tested the batch I felt it was worthy of posting as to what I have learnt from all these experience soapmakers on this forum and me mucking around.
When buying NEEM the following should be considered:
1) Just like other oils, NEEM are sold Organic, refined, unrefined, virgin etc. They come in normally three different colours which will indicate as to how it was processed. Red is the one you would try to find(unrefined). I have just bought 500ml came at a price but I am willing to try it out. Green is the refined one. I always thought that cold-processed meant unrefined. This isn't true. So I have learnt something new. The last colour Brown this is extracted using some sovents. Of course there is the inbetweeners.
I bought them all!!! LOL. No, it wasn't a mistake. I bought them because I wanted to find out them all rather than reading data sheets.
2) The size obviously, Neem is quite a hardy oil and a poweful one too. A little goes a long way. The recipe that is posted above is 14% but you can use up to 30%. There are many sites that advises you to use a ratio between 1% and 7%. However, you will need to do your own research. My research shows 30% and 40% neem products are found safe and beneficial. The American Journal of Agriculture also published 30% figures.
Now the funny and exciting bit:
Don't really want to deter you. All the things you read about the smell. Its TRUE. It was disgusting. I made my Neem on 13/06/2013 and it was a hot day as well. Apparently, when NEEM is mixed with poor quality oil is gives off a much stronger smell. I kept thinking, never mind about the nits, even I won't go near the person wearing neem. At 14% it stank the house down. Various articles published the smell to be garlic, peanuts etc. Let me tell you this, it smells like some Fruit & Vegetable market on a hot summer & humid day where the seller have accidentally dropped a number of overly riped fruits at the side of the road in dirty water with flies hovering over them. My partner thought there was a dead rodent somewhere in the house.
To credit it, the smell mellowed down during curing time, it smelled like honey dew melon skin (overly riped). Then after about 6 weeks it kinda have an aroma like ... honeydew melon. (it was either that or we all just got use to it).
It doesn't trace fast, which was surprising as it s supposed to be similiar to jojoba oil (waxy).
Curing- I started to use it from the 5th week of curing. I think it needs eight weeks or more similiar to 100% Castile soap. The neem soap pH was 9 (I know!!) but I still used it.
The TEST
Smell: acceptable - I would have preferred something more pleasant.
Conditioning: VERY this was obvious.;-)
Bubbly: It was OK. Fine bubbles. Originally, I wanted BIG baaaaabbles as kids loves them.
Creaminess: VERY and needed water to smooth off the lather.
Cleaning: Cleaned without stripping (talk more of this later)
Hardeness: Need more improvement to make it last longer.:-(
Surprised with my own result, I gave some to my neighbours and friends whose kids have eczema.
Roy 5 years (very bad eczema and heavy dandruff): not improved but have not deterioted either and that was even stopping the use of special eczema creams. Roy did not like the smell but after a few days he liked the soap.
Cheryl 7 yrs (eczema, not as bad as Roy) did not like the smell but like the soap after a few days too. Cheryl told me that it was nice ( i think she meant that her skin wasn't itching).
Adults: we all experienced skin tightening. We thought it was the dryness of the soap due to the cleaning power. But, we found it was not in fact it was moisturising. When I did more research on it apparently NEEM closes pores. This was evident.
Hair: Roys dandruff has not improved or deteriorated. But everyone else found it was washable but for me, due to the hot summer I had a few spots on my scalp and the neem cooled them down.
Spots: one of the adults found that his spots seems to less inflammed.
In terms of Nits. Well, I have used up all the soap so none left to find out. But I will be doing another batch but this time using the RED two with 20% NEEM. I am going to change Palm to Shea Butter. I will also add Neem Leaves as an exfoliate in the second batch.
Base on the experimemt, I can't knock NEEM oil. It is disgusting to work with. But, even if I need to puke alot during the process its worth it. :smile::smile:
![0820130653-01[1].JPG](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/soapmakingforum/data/attach/3/3011-0820130653-01-1-.JPG "0820130653-01[1].JPG")
