Herbs & foods15 min
Neem: the village pharmacy for skin, scalp and home hygiene
Neem has been called the ‘village pharmacy’ of India. Its bitter leaves are mostly used externally — in bath water, face packs, hair rinses and as a natural insect deterrent — and occasionally in food, such as neem-flower dishes during Ugadi.
The Ayurvedic view
Nimba is one of Ayurveda's most bitter (tikta) herbs, described as cooling, drying and excellent for pitta and kapha conditions of the skin and blood — acne, itching, boils and slow-healing wounds. Its antibacterial and antifungal properties are also recognised by modern research. Indian homes traditionally hung neem leaves at the door, stored grains with dried leaves and burned them to keep mosquitoes away.
Ingredients
- A handful of fresh neem leaves (about 20–30)
- Water
- For a face pack: a pinch of turmeric and some rose water
How to prepare
- Neem water: boil the leaves in 1 litre of water for 10 minutes until the water turns green. Cool and strain.
- Neem paste: grind a few tender leaves with a little water, turmeric and rose water.
How to use
- Use neem water as a final rinse after bathing, as a hair rinse after shampoo, or to wash minor cuts and scrapes.
- Apply neem paste to acne-prone areas for 10 minutes, twice a week, then rinse.
- Place dried neem leaves in grain containers and wardrobes to deter insects.
Helpful habits
- In spring, many South Indian homes eat a little neem flower with jaggery (Ugadi pachadi) — a bitter-sweet reminder that life holds both.
- Neem twigs (datun) have long been used for cleaning teeth.
Precautions
- Do a patch test before applying neem paste to the face.
- Don't take neem leaf juice, capsules or neem oil internally on your own. Neem oil must never be given to children by mouth — it can cause serious poisoning.
- Avoid internal neem during pregnancy, while trying to conceive, and if you have diabetes medication (it may lower sugar) — ask your doctor.
- See a doctor for spreading skin infections, boils with fever or wounds that don't heal.
