Q.  Skin Disorders

Neem kills the bacteria that cause acne and reduces the inflammation that makes it so noticeable. Neem-based creams have even improved the appearance of people who have reddened skin from acne that ended years before. To prevent and heal acne, first wash with neem soap, then use a neem face pack to soothe and tighten the skin. Finally, apply a neem-based cream to moisturize and condition the skin.

Suggested Products:
Neem Soap
Neem Natural Salve or Neem Lavender Salve
Neem Cream

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If your baby already has diaper rash, wash the baby's skin with neem shampoo or soap and dry with a clean towel. Then apply a neem-based lotion or neem leaf powder to soothe the baby's skin, prevent diaper rash and to keep the baby's skin protected from moisture.

Suggested Products:
Neem Soap
Neem Shampoo
Neem Leaf Powder
Neem Lotion

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As with other forms of dermatitis, neem is the herb of choice for controlling dandruff. Usually associated with imbalance in hormones, infections, or diets rich in fats and sweets, dandruff can only be controlled, not cured. Internally, neem compounds counteract excessive sweets and seem to provide balance to hormones (Puri, 1993).

To treat dandruff, apply a neem-based lotion to the scalp shortly before bathing. This will loosen the scaly flakes and soften the scalp. Using a neem shampoo, will remove the loosened flakes and kill any pathogen that may attack the scalp.

After the bath, apply a very small amount of neem lotion to the scalp and towel dry the hair to remove any excess. Taking neem leaf tea, or using neem leaf capsules after an especially fatty or sugary meal will also help balance the body which can help prevent dandruff.

Suggested Products:
Neem Shampoo
Neem Lotion
Neem Leaf Extract - 10 to 15 drops, twice a day
Neem Leaf Powder - Can be used to make neem tea

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For mildly dry skin wash with neem soap, then apply a neem lotion as a moisturizer. For severe dry skin, after washing, apply neem cream and repeat several times daily until the skin has recovered its natural balance.

Suggested Products:
Neem Natural Salve or Neem Lavender Salve
Neem Soap
Neem Cream
Pure Neem
Lotion with organic aloe

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The broad range of beneficial effects neem has on skin makes it one of the better treatments for eczema (atopic dermatitis). It moisturizes and protects the skin while it helps heal the lesions, scaling and irritation. Neem can also take the place of oral medications and injections that may have strong side effects or cause liver damage or birth defects. It is perhaps the best and safest alternative for treating eczema.

Though neem seed oil is preferred because of the concentration of active compounds, topical applications of even the weaker leaf extracts have cured acute eczema (Singh, 1979). For difficult cases, drink a mild neem leaf tea with a quarter teaspoon of pepper twice a day until the symptoms disappear (Puri, 1993).

Note: It should be noted that skin rashes sometimes get worse before they get better, as the heat and toxins are being dispelled from the body.

• Add 2-3 tablespoons of Neem Oil to very warm bath water and soak for 20 minutes (4 oz. of neem oil is approximately 40 baths). Do this for the first 7 days.
• Wash with neem soap or shampoo.
• Gently towel dry and apply neem lotion to affected areas. Reapply neem lotion 2 or 3 times a day.
• Adults can take 2 or 3 Neem leaf capsules daily for 2 to 3 weeks to boost their immune system, oxygenate and increase blood circulation. Capsules are generally not necessary for children 9 and under.

Suggested Products:
Neem Oil
Neem Natural Salve or Neem Lavender Salve
Neem Soap
Neem Lotion
Neem Leaf Capsules - 2 capsules, twice a day

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Itchy scalps can be caused by any number of things, ranging from allergies and dandruff to mites. Washing the scalp with a neem shampoo and applying a small amount of neem lotion to the scalp afterwards will relieve each of these problems.

Suggested Products:
Neem Shampoo
Neem Lotion

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Neem seed oil is probably the best product currently available for treating psoriasis. It moisturizes and protects the skin while it helps heal the lesions, scaling and irritation. Experiments and reports from patients with psoriasis have shown taking neem leaf orally combined with topical treatment with neem seed oil appear to be at least as effective as coal tar and cortisone in treating psoriasis (David, 1978).

In a case study a patient with severe psoriasis was given neem leaf extract (nimbidin) three times a day and the skin treated with nimbidin mixed in coconut oil. The treatments lasted less than three months, stopped the itching, redness and continued to improve the condition of the skin for the duration of treatment. The final result of the treatments was the complete disappearance of the signs of psoriasis. They produced no noticeable side effects (Rajaseklbaran, et al, 1980). Anecdotal reports indicate that improvements are faster when the areas treated with neem are also exposed to sunlight.

Note: It should be noted that skin rashes sometimes get worse before they get better, as the heat and toxins are being dispelled from the body.

• Add 2-3 tablespoons of Neem Oil to very warm bath water and soak for 20 minutes (4 oz. of neem oil is approximately 40 baths). Do this for the first 7 days.
• Wash with neem soap or shampoo.
• Gently towel dry and apply neem lotion to affected areas. Reapply neem lotion 2 or 3 times a day.
• Adults can take 2 or 3 Neem leaf capsules daily for 2 to 3 weeks to boost their immune system, oxygenate and increase blood circulation. Capsules are generally not necessary for children 9 and under.

The usual treatment for psoriasis involves either coal tar or cortisone. Coal tar products are messy and smell, and cortisone can thin the skin after repeated use. Neem has neither drawback. Topical applications of neem are easy and inexpensive, and since it is usually oil or lotion based, neem helps to lubricate the skin. There are no unpleasant smells or stains on clothing, and its antibacterial and anti-viral compounds help prevent infections. It also can be used for extended periods of time without side effects.

Neem can also take the place of oral medications and injections that may have strong side effects or cause liver damage or birth defects. It is perhaps the best and safest alternative for treating psoriasis.

Suggested Products:
Neem Oil
Neem Natural Salve or Neem Lavender Salve
Neem Shampoo
Neem Lotion
Neem Leaf Extract - Use as required

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Skin ulcers should be washed with a neem soap and covered with a neem lotion. For individual ulcers, apply neem leaf extract or damp whole leaves to the skin ulcer and cover with a gauze bandage overnight or until it is healed. Replace the bandage and extract daily. Drink two neem leaf teas daily for three days in severe cases.

Suggested Products:
Neem Natural Salve or Neem Lavender Salve
Neem Soap
Neem Lotion
Neem Leaf Extract - 10 to 15 drops a day

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Neem absorbs viruses and prevents them from infecting cells. Since warts are caused by viruses, neem is effective in treating them.

• To treat the wart, cover it with whole neem leaves or soak the gauze portion of a small bandage with neem leaf extract or a neem based lotion and place it over the wart.
• Change the bandage and reapply daily.
• After a week, check the area to determine the progress of the treatment.

Suggested Products:
Dried Neem Leaf
Neem Lotion
Neem Leaf Extract - 10 to 15 drops, twice a day

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Creams containing neem oil can be used to prevent wrinkles by providing a natural skin protectant and moisturizer to the skin. Antibacterial compoundes in neem protect the skin while immune stimulating compounds help deeper layers of the skin fight any pathogens below the surface. These neem compounds help healthy skin retain its suppleness (Puri, 1993).

After washing and drying the skin, rub a few drops of neem based cream on areas that are particularly susceptible to drying and wrinkles.

To supplement the beneficial effects of neem oil, apply a face pack made from neem bark. As the face pack dries, the soothing compounds of neem bark are absorbed into the skin. This helps to reduce wrinkles and will make the skin feel smoother and appear younger. It is an astringent mixture that tightens the skin and is particularly useful for hyper-sensitive people.

Suggested Products:
Neem Oil
Neem Bark Powder
Neem Cream

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Patchy discolored skin is traditionally and successfully treated with neem. Neem does not color the skin but appears to restore balance to melanin production.

In several recent cases of people who have been using neem on their skin, they report that after several months age (liver) spots had disappeared where they had applied the cream. These people had not been taking neem leaf internally, only using a neem-based cream as a moisturizer.

Oral doses of neem were tested on fifteen patients with at least a one year history of vitiligo. In addition to the oral neem doses, a lotion of several herbs was applied to the patches then exposed to sunlight. The results showed that after ninety days 25% of the patients showed complete relief and another 60% showed mild to moderate relief. There were no adverse reactions to any of the participants in this group. Those that were able to continue the treatment the longest obtained the most improvement indicating that complete improvement could have been obtained by the participants had they all stayed on the regimen. Those that took the neem leaves internally and applied the neem lotion externally showed the most improvement (Nair, 1987). The dosage in the test was four grams of neem leaves three times a day, preferably before each meal. External application of the lotion is important for relief and was used in conjunction with the neem leaf.

In other studies, however the use of neem (leaves and bark) internally without the need for any applications to the skin worked well (Basu, 1956). Given the immune stimulating properties of neem oil and its effects on other skin problems it is quite possible that neem oil applied to the affected area could aid in the reversal of the discoloration caused by vitiligo.

Suggested Usage:
Adults can take 4 to 6 Neem leaf capsules a day, and apply neem lotion or neem oil to the area 3 times a day. Restoration of the melanin may take a few months.

Suggested Products:
Neem Oil
Neem Lotion
Neem Leaf Extract - 20 to 30 drops, twice a day

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