Have you been shopping for top quality neem products but could not figure out where to begin? Neem-oil products are slowly becoming more widely available, but right now are mostly only found on the internet or in health shops and specialty stores. Since these are hard to find items it is easy to grab the first thing you stumble upon just because it says neem on the bottle. So here are some tips that will help you make an educated choice before purchasing the wrong stuff.

Know How The Neem Oil Was Extracted There are a lot of methods used to extract the oil from the seeds of the neem tree. As you might have already concluded, not all extraction process were created equally. The best extraction method that produces the most desirable neem oil is called cold pressing. Cold pressed neem oil is the best, as the majority of the active compounds remain intact. It is also the first and most accepted method of extraction. It utilizes a mechanical device that squeezes the oil out of the seeds. Always opt for cold pressed neem oil where possible.

A second extraction technique uses superheated water and extreme temperatures. Though this method retrieves a larger quantity of oil from the neem seeds than using a mechanical press, a lot of the active compounds in the neem oil may be ruined because of the heat used in the process.

The third technique is the one that most manufacturers use because it yields the most oil. It is called chemical solvent extraction, and usually hexane (which is also called “white gasoline”) is the solvent of choice. Even though this technique extracts nearly all of the oil from the neem seeds, the chemicals destroy most of the active compounds in the neem seed oil. To add to this and the fact that the chemical being used is poisonous, it is preferable to look for items that do not contain solvent extracted neem oil.

Watch Out For Additives Almost all bath and beauty items these days contain added substances to “enhance” the products performance. At the same time, some of these additives are known to likely cause adverse side effects. Two of the most common additives that may be in a lot of bath bath products are Lauryl Sulfates (SLS) and Parabens. Lauryl Sulfates are often used as foamers, because they are inexpensive and work particularly well. A lot of inexpensive neem shampoo and soap products contain these additives too. But, these chemicals are known to have some side effects. In fact, the USFDA encourages manufacturers not to use them.

Parabens are often used for preserving, and though there has been no scientific evidence that they are harmful, they are starting to be avoided by many. Some organizations feel they should be avoided for the sake of precaution.

Be Sure To Look For Certified Organic Ingredients For obvious reasons, organic ingredients are preferred over non-organic ingredients. These are natural substances, and have not been exposed to man-made chemicals, fertilizers, plant growth regulators, pesticides or similar chemicals. Look for labels that list only organic ingredients. If a manufacturer uses these ingredients, they will almost always state this (it’s a selling point) on the label.