Neem Oil

[scard]

Ugh, I ordered some neem oil to try in soap and lotion. I read that it had an unpleasant odor, but OMG I had no idea how unpleasant! It reminds me of burnt machine oil...I think. Are there any recommendations for hiding, no burying that smell? Will any FO cover it or is there something specific I should use? Thanks!

 

[cmzaha]

No, you cannot hide it. I would not use neem in lotion except maybe at 1-2%, even though I do not mind the scent. I tried it at 15% once in LS and ended up dumping the LS.
In bar soap I use it at 20% and usually use a Tea Tree Lemongrass mix. You have to work with the scent not against it. In bar soap it will mellow after a good cure of 2 months. Neem oil will accelerate quickly so be prepared.

 

[gemma]

I use Neem oil in my skin bars. Great for eczema and people with tinea. I also use tea tree oil and after a few weeks the smell disperses. Makes a great soap though

 

[scard]

Thanks for the info. I have read about the positive benefits of neem oil so I will take your advice and try to work with it. I may have to cure it in the closet though.

 

[Saras]

You could use Pongamia (Karanja) oil instead. It har similar benefits, but usually comes in a deodorized version. Its a great SPF-booster as well, so you can use it in sunscreens with zinc/titanium mineral filter for an extra boost!

 

[soapmaker]

I like the smell of Neem oil. I put it in a shampoo bar and scent it with Lemon, Sage, Peppermint & Tea Tree E.O.s. Smells lovely!

 

[lsg]

If you use neem seed oil in soap, I would suggest using no more than 10% of the total oil weight. Tea tree, Rosemary, Lavender, Cyprus, Cedarwood, Eucalyptus and Juniper Berry essential oils, and oakmoss absolute, all have strong odors, so using one or more of these EOs may help to mask the neem odor.
I add several drops of neem seed oil and a few drops of liquid dish detergent to warm water, shake well and spray this on garden plants. It works well as an insecticide and fungicide.

 

[soapmaker]

If you use neem seed oil in soap, I would suggest using no more than 10% of the total oil weight. Tea tree, Rosemary, Lavender, Cyprus, Cedarwood, Eucalyptus and Juniper Berry essential oils, and oakmoss absolute, all have strong odors, so using one or more of these EOs may help to mask the neem odor.
I add several drops of neem seed oil and a few drops of liquid dish detergent to warm water, shake well and spray this on garden plants. It works well as an insecticide and fungicide.

I have used neem for an insecticide too. Hijacked thread but I also use pine tar soap, grated up and dissolved in warm water for an insecticide.

 

[cmzaha]

I used to use neem for 22-27% in soap, which works absolutely fine other than the accelerating issue. I now use 25% since re-formulating my neem soap. The scent from 22-27% really does not change much. After curing the scent will mellow considerably. I also add neem to my pine tar soaps

 

[Zany_in_CO]

I'm researching Neem Oil use in soap and a balm for psoriasis & eczema. The jury is in -- across the board everyone says neem stinks!!! -- I LOL at some of the descriptions of how it smells -- and you can't mask it. The best you can do is use less, as Carolyn said, or add a complimentary scent. Or, as Saras mentioned, sub Pongamia (Karanja) oil which has similar properties.

Here's a few fragrances I've collected so far that received good reviews:

SMF: Link to discussion in 2016

Banyan Botanicals: Vetiver EO
Ingredients: Saponified oils of Coconut, Palm, Sunflower, Safflower, Neem oil, Neem powder, Aloe Vera concentrate, Vetiver essential oil, Wheat grass powder, Barley grass powder, Rosemary extract.

Neem Therapé Cleansing Bar Orange & Ylang Ylang
Ingredients: Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Palm Oil, Neem Seed Oil, Shea Butter, Orange Oil, Ylang Ylang Oil, Jojoba Seed Oil, ROE, Calendula extract.
Essential Oil Blend:
0.4 oz 11 grams ylang
0.5 oz 14 grams folded orange OR
0.8 oz 23 grams sweet orange

Tanya at Lovely Greens: Lavender EO
NOTES* Some people may show sensitivity to Neem oil so please do a skin patch test to make sure it’s right for your skin. Please also avoid using Neem oil if you are pregnant or planning on becoming pregnant in the immediate future. If it’s placed on the skin undiluted it may cause contact dermatitis. Add 5% neem to a carrier oil for topical application. (Edit) Jojoba and FCO (Fractionated Coconut Oil) have a long shelf life.

Kenna at Modern Soapmaking - EO Blend for Neem Soap
40% Atlas Cedarwood EO
30% Lavender 40/42 EO
20% Australian Tea Tree EO
10% Egyptian Geranium EO

I use Neem oil in my skin bars.

If you don't mind sharing, gemma, it would be helpful to know how much neem you use.? TIA

I put it in a shampoo bar

Also, if you don't mind sharing, soapmaker, it would be helpful to know how much neem you use also? TIA

Quick question: Has anyone tried Neem Leaf Powder as a sub for Neem Seed Oil? I noticed one "Pure Neem Oil" had ingredients listed as Sesame Oil and Neem Leaf Powder.

 

[MorpheusPA]

I use tons of Neem...in the gardens and on the sprouting plants. Yes, it stinks.

In soap, I might be inclined to try a nutty scent to push that particular scent note that Neem already has. It might overcome the more pungent notes enough to cover it. Perhaps a bitter almond crossed with a bit of vanilla to provide a sweeter cover?

As the more pungent notes tend to become softer and less apparent during curing, the scent should improve over time as well. A few days in, soils smell a bit nutty from the oil, but the more unpleasant notes are disappearing.

 

[cmzaha]

Quick question: Has anyone tried Neem Leaf Powder as a sub for Neem Seed Oil? I noticed one "Pure Neem Oil" had ingredients listed as Sesame Oil and Neem Leaf Powder.

I add in some neem powder to my neem soap with the neem oil. As for Karanja it would have to be deodorized or it smells very similiar, but not quite as pungent

 

[DeeAnna]

Here's a thread on neem and karanja that I started back last summer. Thought I'd mention it here, for what it's worth.

https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/karanja-oil-vs-neem-oil.64102/

 

[Traumabrew]

I use neem oil a lot. It has a nutty odor to it. But you can work with it. Spearmint and eucalyptus EO combo works great and is good for the skin. In order to get the benefits of neem oil, at least 20% is recommended. I use this percentage in my neem oil soaps. I make a bar and LS using neem, coconut, palm, pumpkin and hemp oil with colloidal oatmeal and oatmeal extract that is awesome.

Here is a link to an article that is really good.

http://www.discoverneem.com/neem-soap.html

 

[soapmaker]

Zany, I don't mind sharing, but from what I'm seeing here I'm not using nearly enough, just slightly over 2%. So that must not be doing much good. The NDA website says up to 10% in skin care formulations. cmzaha uses over double that.

 

[Obsidian]

I made a shampoo bar with 15% neem and months later, it still has a slight neem scent but it has mellowed considerably. I used a blend of herbaceous EO's but the only one I can still smell is anise, it actually works well with the neem.

Quick question: Has anyone tried Neem Leaf Powder as a sub for Neem Seed Oil? I noticed one "Pure Neem Oil" had ingredients listed as Sesame Oil and Neem Leaf Powder.

Then its not pure neem oil, its just infused sesame oil.

 

[soapmaker]

I use neem oil a lot. It has a nutty odor to it. But you can work with it. Spearmint and eucalyptus EO combo works great and is good for the skin. In order to get the benefits of neem oil, at least 20% is recommended. I use this percentage in my neem oil soaps. I make a bar and LS using neem, coconut, palm, pumpkin and hemp oil with colloidal oatmeal and oatmeal extract that is awesome.

Here is a link to an article that is really good.

http://www.discoverneem.com/neem-soap.html

This is an interesting article but it says neem oil can be used as high as 30-40%. While they claim 20% is a good amount, their Neem Soap recipe #1 only has 5.2% and there Neem soap recip #2 has only 4.5%. Not sure what to think....or don't I know how to figure %?

 

[Obsidian]

This is an interesting article but it says neem oil can be used as high as 30-40%. While they claim 20% is a good amount, their Neem Soap recipe #1 only has 5.2% and there Neem soap recip #2 has only 4.5%. Not sure what to think....or don't I know how to figure %?

I only checked the first recipe but I got 8% neem. When you calculated it, did you include lye and water? When figuring % of oils in a recipe, you only count the oils.

I've used neem at 25% before, the soap was perfectly fine. No issues when making to soap or during cure, makes me wonder what a 100% neem soap would be like.

 

[DeeAnna]

I don't think a 100% neem bar would lather much, but the fatty acid profile is pretty decent -- a nice amount of oleic, stearic, and palmitic. If I set up a recipe with 85% neem and 15% coconut, the fatty acid profile looks even more interesting.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

I'm not using nearly enough, just slightly over 2%.

Thank you, Soapmaker! That helps.

I used a blend of herbaceous EO's but the only one I can still smell is anise, it actually works well with the neem.

I've been wondering about anise EO! I use it to neutralize the odor of lanolin in an Aquaphor dupe. Thanks for the input.

I add in some neem powder to my neem soap with the neem oil.

I saw some neem leaf powder at Mountain Rose Herbs. It is such a pretty green -- I'm wondering whether or not it stays green once soaped?