If you are looking for a simple treatment for itchy scalps and thinning hair, try Neem oil could be the answer for you. Apply a few drops of this oil to your scalp and hair mid week or as a hot oil treatment before washing.

This treatment will stimulate scalp circulation to calm dry, itchy scalp conditions, help discourage hair loss and encourage strong, healthy new growth. Neem oil can also help with thinning hair and premature graying.

You will often find neem oil touted as an effective herbal remedy for eczema.

Now, neem oil sure is effective, but it’s not a cure for eczema.

There is, however, no doubt that neem is the best natural remedy for eczema symptoms available today.

Neem oil, if used in the right way, can relive eczema symptoms, but it can not remove the root causes for eczema.

What Exactly Is Eczema, And What Are The Causes For Eczema?

Eczema is ultimately an allergic reaction.

It is a very common inflammatory skin disorder, characterized by extremely irritable, dry, red, itchy skin.

The itchiness can be unbearable. Scratching (and most people don’t manage not to scratch) makes eczema much worse.

The skin then really flares up, it can become raw, cracked, crusted, weep, and people get secondary infections.

The root cause for eczema lies in our genes, so eczema usually runs in families. Eczema sufferers are abnormally sensitive to common allergens, like pollen, dust or house mites, household chemicals, cosmetics… It’s not only the skin that is affected. People with eczema often go on to develop other allergies, like asthma or hay fever.

Eczema is also called dermatitis, or more specifically, atopic dermatitis. There are several types of dermatitis and eczema, but the atopic dermatitis, or atopic eczema, is the most common. This is what people mean when they say eczema.

“Atopic” refers to a lifelong tendency to allergies, like skin disorders, asthma or hay fever. And just like there is no cure for hay fever, there is also no cure for eczema.

Eczema usually begins very early in life (infantile or baby eczema), most often before age 5. As many as 20% of children are affected, but most eventually grow out of it (though it can flare up again later in life). Only 1-2% of adults suffer from eczema, but it is becoming more and more common overall.

Herbal Remedies For Eczema: Where Does Neem Oil Come Into It?

The first important thing to do for eczema sufferers is to avoid anything that can trigger a skin reaction. The list of possible triggers is long…

Contact with animals, sudden changes in temperature or humidity, tight or scratchy clothing, wool, cleaning products, detergents, perfume, certain foods, sweating, medication, stress, mold, smog, dust…

But the most important trigger to avoid is dryness. Dryness really is the biggest problem. With eczema the barrier function of the skin is less effective, which causes the skin to lose a lot of water. The resulting dryness causes the intense itch. Itching is the first symptom, before the rash or redness and everything else. But then you scratch, and the rest follows from there…

Neem oil can’t protect you from sweating or dust, but it can prevent your skin from drying out. Everybody who has done just a little bit of reading about neem knows that neem oil is a great emollient, and is especially recommended for dry skin.

Emollients are what dermatologists recommend for eczema. Emollients, emollients, emollients. Substances that fill the gaps and cracks in the skin, prevent moisture loss, and restore the protective barrier.

Daily moisturizing is the basis of any eczema treatment, and even while eczema is under control it’s important to continue the moisturizing regime to prevent future flare ups. Nothing is as important as keeping the skin hydrated. It is the most important step in treating eczema with neem or otherwise.

But neem does more than that, and that’s what sets it apart from other emollients and oils.

Neem is anti-inflammatory, and can reduce the redness and irritation. The two main anti-inflammatory substances in neem are called nimbin and nimbidin, and they have been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties comparable to common non-steroids (phenylbutazone) and steroidal drugs (prednisole).

Neem is also a strong analgesic (pain killer). Some people report instant relief from the excruciating discomfort, as soon as they apply neem salve or cream to eczema skin.

And neem is antibacterial, and can clean up any secondary infections, or even better, prevent them from happening in the first place.

In short, on top of moisturizing eczema skin, neem can do many of the things that steroid creams, antibiotics and antihistamines do, but it doesn’t have any of the side effects.

Research suggests that neem may be at least as effective in relieving eczema symptoms as over-the-counter and prescription medication. Indians agree. They have used neem for thousand of years, in Ayurvedic remedies that successfully treat eczema and a range of other inflammatory skin disorders.

Neem oil can be purchased at most health food stores. However, the odor of the oil can be a bit strong (a mix between garlic and onion)