One of the trees most of us have always seen around us is Neem. Neem has immense use in home remedies. We’ve grown up with neem juice slathered on our thumbs to prevent us from thumb-sucking, collected leaves for our mothers to put in the clothes trunks or the rice containers, played games with the Nimbolis or neem seeds, had neem paste smeared on cuts & bruises, and so on! (I even remember making faces when my Nanaji would give me datoon – a neem twig- to brush my teeth!)

Neem has incredible benefits – from the bark of the tree to the leaves, flowers, seeds and roots, it truely is a wonder tree! Here are some of the ways Neem is beneficial to us in our home & garden:

Anti-Microbial & anti bacterial Value

Neem is used as an ingredient in soaps, shampoos, cosmetics and even in certain types of medication. Thanks to its anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties, it is extremely effective in treating dandruff, scalp dryness and itching, promoting hair growth, and for general hair conditioning. It also helps heal wounds and prevents infections or septic conditions.

Neem is used in several Ayurvedic preparations to treat skin disorders due to its detoxifying properties.

Here’s a simple way to avoid simple infection & and stay fresh - Simply soak some neem leaves over night in a bucket of water, and use it to have a bath the next day. It will work as a light deodorant and anti infective. Try it ☺

Cosmetic value

Thanks to the high level of antioxidants, neem helps protect skin from environmental damage & from aging, and balances skin tone. Neem oil contains fatty acids and Vitamin E, that get absorbed easily into the skin, rejuvenate skin cells and restore elasticity. It also helps prevent and treat scars from acne, and neem leaves work as an excellent exfoliant to remove impurities & tighten pores.

Medical Benefits

Neem is used in medicines for the treatment of inflammation, infections, fever, skin diseases and dental disorders. In fact, neem leaves are one of the most active parts of the plants and increase imunity, are anti-inflammatory, anti-hyperglycaemic, anti-ulcer, anti-malarial and anti-fungal/ anti-bacterial/ anti-viral, anti-oxidant!

Neem has also proved particularly effective in alleviating dental ailments like gingivitis (reducing the bleeding significantly), plaque and periodontitis – even with simple use as a 5 minute mouthwash rinse! It is also beneficial for skin disorders like eczema and minor skin infections. Neem is also effective in healing ulcers.

Thanks to the active ingredients, various studies have indicated that Neem has beneficial effects in cancer treatments, particularly cervical cancer cells.

Natural pesticide & Insect repellent

Neem oil has complex active ingredients, which are similar to the hormones that insects produce. As a consequence, insects absorb them like natural hormones, and neem enters their system and prevents the real hormones from working properly. Insects "forget" to eat, mate, or they even stop laying eggs or flying. This caused the pest population to gradually decrease. What’s even more fascinating is that Neem oil does not hurt beneficial insects. Only chewing and sucking insects are affected. The smell of neem oil also keeps leaf eating insects away, so it’s an effective anti-feedant and insect repellent.

Please see this link to see how you can use neem to prevent pests in your garden.
http://www.esvasa.com/?q=organicpesticide

As a mosquito repellent, neem also works well. See this link for more! http://www.esvasa.com/?q=natural-mosquito-repellant

Caveat

Pregnant women should consume Neem only under doctor’s advice.

To end with, here are some simple ways to use neem at home ...

• Soak neem leaves in a bucket overnight and rinse your hair with the water to improve hair growth and repair hair disorder.
• Neem water is also useful for burns... wash burnt area lightly with neem water for relief.
• Neem paste is excellent for acne. Crush some leaves with a few drops of milk/ rose water, using a mortar and pestle and apply to acne affected areas for a few minutes. Rinse off with plain water and repeat daily till required.
• Neem oil or paste can also be used for helping recovery of minor injuries, cuts or bruises.
• Neem oil is also a brilliant solution to head lice, dandruff and hair ailments – including hair fall. It is also good for relieved arthritic joint pain.
• Use neem water as an excelant toner & astringent. You could mix it with some rose water to improve the odor!
• Neem water also helps reduce throat infections – use it for gargling!
• Clean teeth regularly with Neem twigs to prevent gum diseases and prevent bad odour. In case you’re not comfortable with neem twigs, just grin the inner part of the neem bark (this is not as difficult to obtain as it may seem!), and keep in a sealed bottle. Put a generous pinch of the powder on a moist toothbrush, and brush as usual.
• If you’re looking for an immunity booster, wash and dry neem flowers, soak them in honey for a couply of hours, and them consume each night.
• If you can eat neem leaves, it can help purify blood, resolve skin ailments & manage blood sugar.
• Burn neem leaves in a metal/ earthen container to keep insects away.