Neem oil

[Julescarm]

Has anyone tried neem oil? I've seen alot of YouTube videos on using it in oil for hair but has anyone actually tried it? I looked up the side effects and nearly died. Its a natural pesticide and natural birth control. I certainly don't want to cause a miscarriage so I washed really good and now have coconut neem oil. I didn't try it yet for above reasons. Glad I looked it up first.

[Obsidian]

I have used it a few times. Its one of my favorite oils, leaves my hair very soft. I also use powder neem leaves as a scalp treatment.

I can't speak for any side affects as I'm not pregnant but it is a safe pesticide and also has antifungal properties.

I found this about neem and pregnancy
https://www.discoverneem.com/neem-oil-pregnancy.html

[lapushka]

Has anyone tried neem oil? I've seen alot of YouTube videos on using it in oil for hair but has anyone actually tried it? I looked up the side effects and nearly died. Its a natural pesticide and natural birth control. I certainly don't want to cause a miscarriage so I washed really good and now have coconut neem oil. I didn't try it yet for above reasons. Glad I looked it up first.

If you are pregnant I would be careful with essential oils and oils with strong properties. Just... you never know.

Plus neem oil smells atrocious! ETA: at least, I don't like the smell of it.

I have Dr. Hauschka's "neem oil" for my rinse-out oil currently (method is in signature).
It is a blend and it smells lovely (not nutty at all); here are the ingredients:
Peanut Oil (Arachis Hypogaea), Neem Leaf Extract (Melia Azadirachta), Wheat Germ Oil (Triticum Vulgare), Matricaria Extract (Chamomilla Recutita), Lecithin, Alcohol, Rosemary Essential Oil (Rosmarinus Officinalis), Fragrance (Parfum), Limonene (component of natural essential oils), Linalool (component of natural essential oils)

[nycelle]

Has anyone tried neem oil? I've seen alot of YouTube videos on using it in oil for hair but has anyone actually tried it? I looked up the side effects and nearly died. Its a natural pesticide and natural birth control. I certainly don't want to cause a miscarriage so I washed really good and now have coconut neem oil. I didn't try it yet for above reasons. Glad I looked it up first.

There's a ton of oils out there that don't seem to have the more "serious" side effects that neem "can" have. Probably safer to stick with those instead of experimenting while pregnant.


I have used it a few times. Its one of my favorite oils, leaves my hair very soft. I also use powder neem leaves as a scalp treatment.

I can't speak for any side affects as I'm not pregnant but it is a safe pesticide and also has antifungal properties.

I found this about neem and pregnancy
https://www.discoverneem.com/neem-oil-pregnancy.html

That article doesn't say who wrote it (the source.) Could be a neem oil company for all we know.

[lapushka]

Yeah, I was raving about my neem oil by Dr. Hauschka, but I am definitely not recommending you try it!!!

If pregnant, I would stay away from anything that "might" be wrong.

[Ylva]

Without any comment on neem and pregnancy, I have used it for scalp massages and quite like it, but I haven't taken notes on my growth or anything. The smell is what it is - some think it's unbearable, personally I find it more nutty than anything. It's not great, but not horrible either to me. I've heard that you can avoid the smell by using powdered neem instead.

[MusicalSpoons]

Without any comment on neem and pregnancy, I have used it for scalp massages and quite like it, but I haven't taken notes on my growth or anything. The smell is what it is - some think it's unbearable, personally I find it more nutty than anything. It's not great, but not horrible either to me. I've heard that you can avoid the smell by using powdered neem instead.

I used it once on my scalp and the smell made me so hungry for curry, it drove me bonkers! It was similar to when I go down the spice aisle at the supermarket, but for several hours; I haven't had the willpower to try it since.

[cathair]

If there's any risk, don't do it. It's not worth it. Not for the sake of hair.

A few years ago many websites listed neem as highly toxic to cats. Now it's listed as safe in the top results. You have to wonder how reliable information online is. I wouldn't want it anywhere near my cat, just to be on the safe side. It must have some potency if it can be used as a pesticide or repellent.

[ChloeDharma]

Neem oil (in my opinion) smells absolutely disgusting, it can make me feel like I'm about to throw up if I smell it. However, it is considered a good oil for a variety of purposes and I wouldn't want to deter anyone from using it if they want to.
On the pregnancy issue, I can't comment on it's safety but it might be wise to err on the side of caution unless you can feel suitably informed to make that judgment. In the scheme of things waiting a few months to use it doesn't seem too big a sacrifice if it's just for hair growth or conditioning.

If someone does want to use it you can dilute it to about 10% of a formulation. This reduces the noxious odour (though the smell is strong so it is still there). You can also add some essential oils to further mask the smell (but again, I can still detect it though I suspect I am sensitive to it).

The other alternative is to use the leaves. They can be brought in powdered form if you like or dried leaf form. This can be used in hair masks as a paste or infused like tea and used as a rinse. You could also soak the leaves in oil for an oil version although this will not be the same as using actual neem oil.
In terms of antifungal properties I have heard that the leaves are more effective than the oil and the biggest bonus is...the leaves do not stink like the oil does!!
I have used neem leaves in hair rinses along with other herbs and have been pleased with the results in terms of scalp health, plus it's a simple and easy way to use them.

[nycelle]

What's interesting about it is the anti-fungal properties. If this is true, it could potentially help those with dandruff..

[LittleHealthy]

What's interesting about it is the anti-fungal properties. If this is true, it could potentially help those with dandruff..

I think the anti fungal properties are the reason why some people have success ‘growing hair back’ after a hair loss event that’s been caused by a skin health imbalance; there are lots of videos about people ‘regrowing’ hair via the use of neem oil, on YouTube.

[ReptilianFeline]

I bought a bottle of neem oil from an online plant/gardening shop. The bottle lists it as useful for plants, pets and humans.
The smell is a bit overpowering, but when my scalp itchs, I put a little on the tips of my fingers and massage it into my scalp and it stops the itch longer than anything else. I also added some to my scalp oil mix and the smell doesn't come through there.
I also have powdered neem leaves that I use as a scrub in my no-poo mix. It's a very nice scrub.

One thing to mention is that undiluted neem oil is powerful... use too much and you end up with a headache. Very little goes a long way. I haven't used it for my hair, just my scalp, so I don't know if it would make my hair softer than what I usually use. It might work as a prewash "protect the ends" kind of oil, but the smell prevents me from using it as an after wash application on the hsir itself.