Neem Oil: Benefits For Skin & Hair + More About The Underrated Ayurvedic Beauty Oil

The neem tree2 also seems naturally designed to spread and thrive. The tree grows very quickly—as much as 20 feet in just three years—and can grow in areas with scant rainfall (as little as 18 inches per year) and extreme heat (up to 120 degrees). What's more, the tree can live and be productive for 150 to 200 years, with a single tree providing benefits for several generations.

The neem tree produces small white flowers and a yellow-green fruit, and literally every part of the tree has been used for medicine and therapeutic treatments. The neem tree has so many medicinal uses (it contains more than 100 pharmacologically active substances), in fact, that in India, it's been called "the village pharmacy." It's no surprise, then, that neem oil has been used for hundreds of years in traditional Indian medicine and ayurveda1.

Even within traditional Indian medicine, the neem tree and its by-products hold a special place. Siddha medicine2 is one of the oldest medical systems in the world, with origins dating back as far as 10,000 B.C., and the first medicinal plant mentioned in ancient Siddha records is—you guessed it—neem. In these times, neem was used as a kind of vaccine against smallpox and other infectious diseases2 (although it was also used to ward off evil spirits2, so it's not shocking that early medical practitioners hadn't fully figured out the best use for neem oil).

Today, neem oil has so, so many uses, from cosmetic purposes to traditional medicine2 and even pesticides. While it has traditionally2 been used for a wide range of medicinal purposes, today, it's used primarily in skin and hair care (although it's also been studied for use as a treatment for digestive disorders3 and certain STDs4).

These uses have been studied to varying results, but researchers say2 that "neem deserves to be called a wonder plant." We'll go into more detail about neem's use for skin and hair below, but it's worth noting that research has found neem to possess antibacterial properties5, as well as, in some cases, antiviral properties6. Neem has also been studied as a possible treatment for several forms of cancer, including breast cancer7, pancreatic cancer8, and prostate cancer9 and as a treatment for snake venom10. (To be clear, as of now, it's not a magical cure for cancer, but it is being looked into.)

One of neem oil's most popular uses is in skin care. It's purported to have a number of benefits11 for the skin, including treating dry skin and wrinkles, healing wounds, stimulating collagen production, reducing scars, treating acne, and even helping minimize the appearance of warts and moles.

Some of these claims are backed up by research, but others aren't.

One of neem's proven benefits for the skin is helping to speed the healing process. In one study12 of nine patients, for example, neem was shown to help with the healing of post-surgical scalp wounds. Another study13 led researchers to the conclusion that neem could be a good long-term acne treatment. Finally, while there are no human studies backing up claims that neem has anti-aging benefits, a study on mice did find that the oil helped with things like skin thinness, dryness, and wrinkles.

Other claims made about neem aren't backed up by any formal research at this time, like claims about its impact on warts and moles or its ability to stimulate collagen production.

Because neem oil works as an anti-inflammatory16 and stimulates circulation, it helps treat the scalp and promote healthy hair growth. Some also claim that it helps prevent hair loss (although there aren't studies that explicitly confirm that claim, women with female pattern baldness do have low antioxidant levels17, which could be counteracted by neem oil, as it is very high in antioxidants).

Neem oil is also reported to be an effective treatment for hair lice18. In India and Bangladesh, for example, villagers use neem oil to treat head lice, and it's reportedly1 very effective.

Neem oil is also touted19 as a treatment for dandruff, which, if left untreated, could eventually contribute to hair loss. Because Malassezia fungus is a common cause20 of dandruff, neem oil can also help treat this root cause since it also has antifungal properties21. Ayurvedic expert Shrankhla Holecek confirms that, in ayurveda, "It is oft used in hair care for scalp clarifying and for healthy hair growth and is believed to prevent imbalances that may result in premature graying of hair," she said.

Because neem oil has anti-inflammatory, antibiotic, and antioxidant properties, it can also help treat scalp psoriasis2, which can sometimes lead to permanent hair loss22 if not treated.

"Neem is also believed to prevent imbalances that may result in premature graying of hair," she said.

Yet another of the wonder plant neem's uses is as a treatment for scabies, a skin condition caused by a mite called Sarcoptes scabiei. The condition causes intense itchiness and is very contagious and easily spread through physical contact.