Neem Oil

[DeeAnna]

Neem is not a cure-all product. It MAY be helpful for your sister's skin issues, but there are no guarantees as many people here will tell you. Is it wise to try to figure this out while she's pregnant? Especially since she's got concerns already?

Many people make their own soap as a way of managing their skin issues. Many have learned they do well using a gentle soap made with no fragrances or other additives. It's sometimes less about what you add to a soap, but what you DON'T add that's the important thing.

...I wonder if whatever makes it "bad" is even left after soponification....

I'm not any expert on neem, but I've done some reading about it. From what I can tell, the active ingredients in neem are not chemically altered when neem is used in soap making. That's why neem soap is beneficial for some skin issues.

Even if some or all of those active ingredients are changed when neem is used in soap, however, you can't assume those secondary chemicals are non-toxic.

 

[ackosel]

Thank you, Tammyfarms and DeeAnna. The WebMD article isn't clear if the potential negative side effects of neem are only an issue when taken internally, or if they are also possible when used topically. I will definitely not be offering neem anything to my sister while she's pregnant! And I will likely not be making any soap with neem oil in it, at least for a couple more years, as my childbearing years aren't quite over yet. My recent miscarriage coincided with making my first batch of soap, and while my doctor assured me that I did not cause it by exposing myself to lye fumes, the coincidence has hightened my awareness of anything that could be problematic. In the mean time, I'll make my sister a nice, simple batch of lard/tallow soap as a new baby present.

Sounds like neem has some great benefits for some people and great risks for others. Mostly, I'm interested in everything about it so I have a better understanding of things I'm putting in my soap and can pass on correct information to anyone who uses it. Thank you both so much for your help!

From the descriptions of people who have tasted neem oil, can you imagine putting it on your teeth, as the WebMD article mentions? Eew! I think I'd rather have plaque and gingivitis!

 

[CecileBC]

Hi !
I was also interested in Neem oil, and this is what I found on the french Senate website. It may help (translated by google...may not be perfect) :

Mr. François-Noël Buffet draws the attention of the Minister of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy to the placing on the French market of dangerous biocidal products, in particular those containing neem oil or neem extracts, the active substance of which is azadirachtin.
The harmful effects of this substance on health, particularly as an endocrine disruptor, but also on the environment are supported by numerous scientific studies. Thus, several reports produced by Germany, notably in 2008 and 2011, with a view to including this substance in Annex I of Directive 98/8/EC concerning the placing of biocidal products on the market, emphasize that The neem tree carries reproductive and environmental risks.
The latest report established by Germany in August 2014 for the classification of this substance within the framework of Regulation 1272/2008 REACH (CLH report Proposal for Harmonides Classification and Labeling) even considers an R 63 classification justified, i.e. say as a substance generating possible risk during pregnancy, or having a harmful effect on the child, now classified as H361d, or a substance likely to harm fertility or the fetus.
Used in bedding items, neem oil comes into direct contact with the skin and therefore represents a threat to fertility of which the consumer is not informed.
After being banned in 2008, neem is now an active substance authorized by the European Commission (directive 2012/15/EU of May 8, 2012 amending directive 98/8/EC).
However, she asks him if it is not essential to require manufacturers to indicate the risks of this active substance on their product or their packaging, with the aim of transparency and sincerity towards the consumer.

 

[Tammyfarms]

Hi !
I was also interested in Neem oil, and this is what I found on the french Senate website. It may help (translated by google...may not be perfect) :

Mr. François-Noël Buffet draws the attention of the Minister of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy to the placing on the French market of dangerous biocidal products, in particular those containing neem oil or neem extracts, the active substance of which is azadirachtin.
The harmful effects of this substance on health, particularly as an endocrine disruptor, but also on the environment are supported by numerous scientific studies. Thus, several reports produced by Germany, notably in 2008 and 2011, with a view to including this substance in Annex I of Directive 98/8/EC concerning the placing of biocidal products on the market, emphasize that The neem tree carries reproductive and environmental risks.
The latest report established by Germany in August 2014 for the classification of this substance within the framework of Regulation 1272/2008 REACH (CLH report Proposal for Harmonides Classification and Labeling) even considers an R 63 classification justified, i.e. say as a substance generating possible risk during pregnancy, or having a harmful effect on the child, now classified as H361d, or a substance likely to harm fertility or the fetus.
Used in bedding items, neem oil comes into direct contact with the skin and therefore represents a threat to fertility of which the consumer is not informed.
After being banned in 2008, neem is now an active substance authorized by the European Commission (directive 2012/15/EU of May 8, 2012 amending directive 98/8/EC).
However, she asks him if it is not essential to require manufacturers to indicate the risks of this active substance on their product or their packaging, with the aim of transparency and sincerity towards the consumer.

Very interesting. Thank you.

 

[ackosel]

Hi !
I was also interested in Neem oil, and this is what I found on the french Senate website. It may help (translated by google...may not be perfect) :

Mr. François-Noël Buffet draws the attention of the Minister of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy to the placing on the French market of dangerous biocidal products, in particular those containing neem oil or neem extracts, the active substance of which is azadirachtin.
The harmful effects of this substance on health, particularly as an endocrine disruptor, but also on the environment are supported by numerous scientific studies. Thus, several reports produced by Germany, notably in 2008 and 2011, with a view to including this substance in Annex I of Directive 98/8/EC concerning the placing of biocidal products on the market, emphasize that The neem tree carries reproductive and environmental risks.
The latest report established by Germany in August 2014 for the classification of this substance within the framework of Regulation 1272/2008 REACH (CLH report Proposal for Harmonides Classification and Labeling) even considers an R 63 classification justified, i.e. say as a substance generating possible risk during pregnancy, or having a harmful effect on the child, now classified as H361d, or a substance likely to harm fertility or the fetus.
Used in bedding items, neem oil comes into direct contact with the skin and therefore represents a threat to fertility of which the consumer is not informed.
After being banned in 2008, neem is now an active substance authorized by the European Commission (directive 2012/15/EU of May 8, 2012 amending directive 98/8/EC).
However, she asks him if it is not essential to require manufacturers to indicate the risks of this active substance on their product or their packaging, with the aim of transparency and sincerity towards the consumer.

Thank you! It sounds like there may be some truth to that then. Just like most everything else, it has benefits and risks and should be used with caution. Good to know!

 

[Tammyfarms]

Just to be thorough, (and mostly because I am using it) I went to the EWG website. They rate one neem oil as safe and another as fair. Both are pure neem oil so I’m not sure why there’s a difference. I use their app so I don’t have links. Here are screenshots. All of that said, I wouldn’t recommend it for anyone with reproductive concerns as the data conflicts from source to source. I am way past reproductive age so it’s not a concern for me.