Neem Powder

On Your Face

A short neem mask lifts excess surface oil and everyday residue as you rinse it off, so oily or combination skin usually feels cleaner, less greasy and fresh, and can look less dull for a while. It's an occasional mask, not a replacement for your face wash.

On Your Scalp

Used before you wash, a neem scalp mask lifts excess oil, everyday residue and the coated feeling left by oiling or styling products, so roots usually feel lighter and your scalp fresh. It isn't a conditioner, so keep it mainly at the roots if your lengths are dry, and it isn't a shampoo either: very heavy oil or product may still need a wash afterwards.

Who It Suits

Oily and combination skin, and oily scalps and roots. Dry or sensitive skin and dry, curly, porous or bleached hair should go carefully: a thinner paste, a shorter time, the scalp only, or the Aloe Vera Powder mix.

Before You Start

Patch test 24–48 hours before first use (see Care & Safety). You'll need 1–2 tablespoons of powder, warm water (not boiling) and a clean bowl and spoon. Measure the powder gently rather than shaking it, so you don't breathe in the fine dust.

The Face Mask

1. Add warm water to the powder a little at a time and stir until the paste is smooth and spreadable, like soft yoghurt.
2. Spread a thin, even layer on clean skin, avoiding your eyes, the skin around them and your lips. On combination skin, cover just your forehead, nose and chin.
3. Leave it 10–15 minutes, or less if your skin starts to feel tight, dry or uncomfortable.
4. Rinse with lukewarm water before it dries hard or cracks: loosen it with your fingertips rather than scrubbing, and check your hairline and the sides of your nose for green residue.
5. Pat dry, and moisturise if your skin feels tight.
6. Use it once a week.

The Scalp Mask

1. Mix 1–2 tablespoons, or enough for your scalp, with warm water to a smooth paste, slightly looser than for your face.
2. Part your hair and apply it along each parting with your fingertips, mainly on the scalp and roots.
3. Leave it 15–30 minutes, at the shorter end if your scalp or hair feels dry, and don't let it dry hard.
4. Rinse very thoroughly in sections, with your head tilted back so the rinse water runs away from your eyes.
5. Wash if your roots still feel oily, then condition your lengths if they need it.
6. Use it up to twice a week.

Mixes

Face, with Aloe Vera Powder: 1 teaspoon each with 3–4 teaspoons of warm water, rested 5 minutes, then 5–10 minutes on your skin. Face, with fuller's earth (multani mitti): 1 teaspoon each with 3–4 teaspoons of warm water, mixed in a non-metallic bowl, 5–10 minutes; it's more drying, so it's for oily or combination skin. Face, with Orange Peel Powder: 1 teaspoon each with 3–4 teaspoons of warm water, rested 5 minutes, then a thin layer for 10–15 minutes, rinsed off gently, once a week, once your skin is fine with both powders. Scalp, with Aloe Vera Powder: 2 tablespoons of neem with 1 tablespoon of Aloe Vera Powder and warm water to a runny-yoghurt paste, rested 10 minutes, then 15–20 minutes. Hair, with Amla, Bhringraj or Brahmi: 1 tablespoon of neem with 2 tablespoons of the other powder and warm water, 15–20 minutes. Neem never goes into a Shikakai or Aritha wash: use the neem mask first, rinse it out, then wash.

Tips

Rinse while the paste is still soft: a mask left to dry hard isn't doing more, it just dries your skin and leaves residue. Tightness, dryness or roughness after a mask mean it's too much: use a thinner paste, a shorter time or the Aloe Vera Powder mix, or use it less often. If your skin or scalp itches or turns red afterwards, stop using neem until it has settled. Mix only what you'll use and throw away leftovers; don't keep neem water or paste for later. More in how to use neem powder on your face and the oily-scalp neem routine.

Azadirachta Indica (Neem) Leaf Powder – 100 %

Warnings

For external use only. Do not eat or drink. Avoid the eyes, the skin around them and the lips: if any gets in your eyes, rinse them straight away with plenty of clean water and don't rub them. Don't apply to broken, sunburned or irritated skin or scalp. Keep out of reach of children. Stop using it if irritation occurs.

How to Patch Test

Patch test 24–48 hours before first use, with the mix you plan to use. Put a little on a small area of clean, unbroken skin, leave it for 24–48 hours, then rinse it off; rinse it off straight away if it burns or itches. If your mix includes fuller's earth (multani mitti) or Orange Peel Powder, rinse the patch off after the time you'd leave the mask on instead, and watch the skin over the next 24–48 hours. Don't go ahead if the skin burns, swells, blisters or turns red, or if it itches and the itch doesn't settle. Test again whenever you add something new to the mix. A patch test can't rule out a reaction later.

Using It Safely

Rinse it off and stop using it if your skin or scalp burns, stings or keeps itching, or if you see redness, swelling, blisters or a rash. Don't use it on weeping or inflamed skin: wait until the skin has settled. If your skin is dry or sensitive, start with a thinner paste for a shorter time. Keep to 10–15 minutes on your face and 15–30 on your scalp, rinse before it dries hard, and never leave it on overnight. Anything you add, such as other powders or yoghurt, brings its own risk of irritation; skip lemon juice, baking soda and undiluted essential oils. Use warm water, never boiling, and measure the powder gently so you don't breathe in the dust. If an eye still hurts, stays red or your vision is blurred after rinsing, see a doctor or pharmacist straight away; if your face, lips or eyes swell, or you have trouble breathing, call 911.

Storage

Keep the pouch tightly closed in a cool, dry place away from moisture, steam, heat and direct light, and use a clean, dry spoon. Don't put wet powder back in the pouch. It keeps for 2 years from the date of packaging; a mixed paste doesn't keep, even in the fridge, so make it fresh each time. Throw the powder away if it has got damp, shows mould or smells fermented or unusual; small differences in colour and smell between batches are normal.