Neem Leaf Powder: Incredible Benefits for Skin, Hair, & Overall Health

Even though our country is divided by language, region, traditions, and several other things, one thing that is common across the country is our nature. Being in the tropical region, every nook and corner may have one neem tree that has a special bond with the premises. Lots of stories may have been woven around the tree. For Indians, this tree is not new as we have used its various parts in our daily life as neem leaves for pooja or even in protecting the grains from insects and increasing its shelf life in absence of any preservative powder or chemicals.

Before the invention of toothpaste, the stems of neem were our toothbrushes, and our ancestors used to have stronger oral health than us. The neem leaves were burnt to keep the premise safe from insects or mosquitos. Although bitter, we used to wash our hair by mixing neem powder or neem leaves in the bathwater and just did not need any anti-dandruff shampoo or hair serum. Let us take forward our ancestor’s legacy to have a chemical-free yet healthy life. But before that, dig more about these bitter but magical neem powder more in this health blog!

What Is Neem Powder?

Neem, a tree 65 to 115 feet tall, belongs to the family of Meliaceae and is native to tropical countries like India, Myanmar, Bangladesh, and others. The timber of this tree is very strong and falls in the category of Mahogany wood type. Neem powder is extracted by crushing the leaves of this tree after drying. This powder possesses the properties of treating worm infestation, triggering the immune system, detoxifying the body, fighting against free radical damage, and several others to count on. If you explore the nutrient chart of the neem powder, you will get an idea about the hidden minerals and essentials in the neem leaves.

Fibre: 6.77g
Iron: 5.98 mg
Calcium: 178.5
Magnesium: 44.45 mg
Potassium: 88.9 mg

* Figures are for 1 cup ~ 35g of neem leaves.

What Are the Uses of Neem Leaves?

From kitchen to medicines, uses of neem leaves span a wide canvas. Packed with useful features, the leaves can be used in different forms:

One can eat raw neem leaves on an empty stomach to reap benefits like reduced acne and breakouts, maintain a healthy scalp, regulate blood sugar levels, and others.
Boil a handful of neem leaves in water. Take a cotton pad and swipe your face with the infused neem water. This will best work on the pores, blackheads, and whiteheads.
Take neem powder and mix turmeric and besan. Add rose water as needed to prepare a scrub mask. Leave this mask on your face for at least 20 minutes and wash with normal water to stay away from acne and have pimple-free skin.
Massage your scalp with neem oil to get rid of dandruff and fungus infections. One can also combine neem powder and yoghurt to have the same effect.

What Are the Medicinal Benefits of Neem?

Neem medicinal uses are varied from hair health to oral health and from immunity building to diabetes control. But here we are focusing on the medicinal benefits effective for skin and hair in a glance so that you will also believe in “Bitter is Better”:

1. Excellent Hair Health

Who does not want shiny and voluminous hair that is free from dandruff? Almost all of us, right? So, start including neem powder in your daily diet so that you can treat dandruff very well. Massage your scalp with water mixed with neem powder and wash the hair after 30 minutes. Regular use of this remedy can help you to control dandruff and apparently uplift your hair’s beauty.

2. Anti-fungal Properties

Neem leaves can effectively eliminate fungal infections like ringworm. The potent antidermatophytic activity against Trichophyton rubrum, T. violaceaum, Microsporum nanum and Epidrmophyton floccosum may help in combating symptoms of fungal infection such as irritation, inflammation, dry skin, and others. Neem leaves are also best used to give relief to the athlete’s foot by combining neem powder and water.

3. Promotes Dental and Oral Health

Neem stems played the role of toothbrushes and toothpaste for our ancestors. Neem leaves extracts can be used to apply on gums and teeth to treat various dental problems like gingivitis, plaque, swelling, bad smell, and others with the help of in-built anti-bacterial properties. The antibacterial, antiseptic, and anti-inflammatory properties may aid in treating mouth ulcers, toothache, and other dental problems.

4. Fights Eczema and psoriasis

Neem leaves benefits for the skin are not only for glowing skin or improving skin health, but they also address the skin problems like eczema and psoriasis. Either you take neem powder internally or apply it externally, you will find the effectiveness of these diseases. Making a thin paste of neem powder, turmeric, and lukewarm water and applying it to the affected areas can soothe and provide relief.

5. Combats against Acne/pimples

You may have seen many anti-acne creams have a base ingredient of neem. No wonder with its anti-bacterial and antifungal properties. People fighting acne or pimples can have an intake of neem powder or can apply a face mask made up of neem leaves or neem powder. In India, it is also believed that taking a bath with water in which neem leaves are boiled can keep your skin hygienic, supple, and radiant.

6. Effective on Head lice

Neem powder application on the scalp and hair can fight against contagious, hair parasites. The powder can restrict the growth of lice and prevent the lice eggs from hatching. To treat the head lice, make a paste of fresh neem leaves and water and apply to your hair 2-3 times a week and rinse it off.

Our ancestors were very intelligent and their acknowledgement of neem proves this fact with the science-backed benefits. Neem or also known as ‘the village pharmacy,’ is a commonly found tree in tropical countries. In India, neem uses are varied from using its leaves to increase the shelf life of grains to using its stems to clean the teeth. Our grandparents even knew the neem’s medicinal uses, so they used different parts of this tree for treating various health problems.

Even though the urbanization of cities leads us to shift from fresh leaves to neem powder to avail of the benefits, the properties are intact and equally blissful. Stay away from chemical-mixed compounds, rather step in or visit our website to have organically grown, fresh neem powder to reap its incredible health benefits! You can also try the neem comb handcrafted from neem wood to protect your scalp and hair from infections and have shiny and voluminous hair!