How to Use Neem Extract

Neem extract is widely used in Eastern medicine, particularly Indian folk medicine, to fight bacterial and viral infections, as well as diarrhea, fever, burns, urinary infections, skin diseases and inflammation. It's also used in the garden as a nontoxic insecticide. The plant parts that are used to make an extract are the neem leaves and seeds.

Things You'll Need

• Neem extract
• Spray bottle
• Water
• Gentle dish soap
• Blender
• Distilled water
• 1 cup fixed oil
• Sauce pan
• 1/2 oz. beeswax
• Spoon or knife

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Instructions

Make an Insecticidal Soap

• 1

  Find a clean spray bottle and add one part neem extract.

• 2

  Choose a gentle dish soap that is highly refined and without additives and add one part to the neem extract. Determining the kind of soap you use is crucial because one that is too harsh will lead to plant injury. Dry dish soaps and clothing detergent are too harsh because of the additives.

• 3

  Add nine parts water. If you have hard water, then opt for distilled or bottled water because hard water reduces the effectiveness of the insecticidal properties. Test your water by adding the recommended amounts of water and soap together, agitating the mixture, and then allowing it to stand for 15 minutes. If the mixture remains uniform and cloudy, then your water is fine to use. If a scum appears on the surface, then your water is too hard.

• 4

  Shake the mixture together and spray on the affected plant. Pests that are most susceptible to the insecticidal soap are small, soft bodied insects like aphids, mealy bugs, spider mites and thrips.

Make a Neem Cream

• 5

  Pour 1 cup of distilled water into the blender. Make sure that there is enough water covering the blades of the blender. Place the lid on the blender but remove the center ring so you can still add ingredients to it.

• 6

  Add 2 oz of neem extract to the water. Set the blender aside for now.

• 7

  Measure 3/4 cup of fixed oil and pour into a sauce pan. Fixed oils are fatty oils obtained from the plant or animal kingdom. Some good options are olive, almond, sesame or grapeseed oils.

• 8

  Shave 1/2 ounce of beeswax into the saucepan with the oil. The beeswax acts as an emulsifier to thicken and harden the cream.

• 9

  Use the double boiler method by heating the oil on low until the beeswax has melted. Remove immediately from the heat after the mixture has melted.

• 10

  Allow the mixture to cool for a few minutes until you see a tiny rim of hard wax around the edges.

• 11

  Turn the blender on high and very slowly, through the center ring of the blender lid, add the oil/beeswax mixture to the water until it is gone. At this point, take off the blender lid completely and use a spoon or knife to push down any mixture to ensure it all gets blended.

• 12

  Turn off the blender and you are left with a silky, smooth neem cream that you can use for a range of skin problems including eczema, acne, rashes, and wounds. Neem cream also makes an effective insect repellant.

Other Neem Extract Uses

• 13

  Add a dropper full of neem extract to a cup of water and drink. Using neem internally is beneficial for gout, malaria, ulcers, diabetes, high blood pressure and more.

• 14

  Mix a dropper full of neem extract to water and use as a gargle for a sore throat. It's antiviral and antibacterial properties help to speed up healing. The mixture can double as a mouth wash for any oral sores.

• 15

  Use neem extract to spot treat fungal conditions around the nails and ears, or for mange and ringworm. Just apply the neem extract to the affected area one to two times daily.

• 16

  Treat athlete's foot by making a solution with 1 oz of neem extract and 12 cups of warm water. Soak your feet for at least 30 minutes.

• 17

  Add neem extract to sunflower, coconut or olive oil to get rid of dandruff or head lice. Comb the mixture into the hair, leave on for one hour, and shampoo out. Use once a week until the problem is gone.