Neem Oil: Miracle Oil

Quite possibly my favorite Ayurvedic supplement is Neem Oil. It can be used topically mixed with other essential oils, taken orally in a capsule, the powder can be added to your favorite juice or made into a tea, and even made into a paste and applied to the skin. From healing blemishes to using as a form of birth control, it’s uses go on and on.

I first discovered neem oil when I was trying to find a natural solution for scabies three years ago. As beautiful as Southeast Asia was, it was not the cleanest place in the world, and the persistent little buggers came back home to the states with me. I would take food poisoning any day to these bugs, they made Mosquitos and bed bugs seem mild. I was going crazy with the nonstop itching and had to find a way to get rid of them. The doctor gave me pesticide cream to kill them, but that seemed like getting rid of one problem and exposing myself to another. I went online to do some research, and I’m so grateful I did. I discovered that Neem oil is an insect repellant and also an anti inflammatory, meaning it would help to kill the little buggers while also soothing my skin. I gave it a try and starting adding a few drops of oil to a warm bath, along with some lavender and tea tree oil(the downside of neem is that is smells pretty awful, so mixing it with lavender helps a lot). Additionally, I added a few drops of each to my lotion that I would apply after. I was amazed at the improvement in my skin. Within weeks the scabies were practically gone, and in a month I could finally sleep through the night. I knew I had discovered something amazing.

Once I experienced the power of essential oils, I started experimenting with different ones and learning all the benefits of their use. I started mixing the trio of Neem, Lavendar, and Tea Tree oils into a carrier oil and used it as a facial serum. All three are wonderful for skin problems like acne, eczema, and psoriasis. Neem has antibacterial and antifungal properties, and is rich in antioxidants which fight off free radical invaders that can damage cells, all making it wonderful for the skin.

Because it is antibacterial, when taken in capsule form it works from the inside out on improving skin and can also help fight off parasites in the GI tract. Many dermatologists prescribe antibiotics to people suffering from acne, but taking antibiotics daily increases your risk of antibiotic resistance, making you more susceptible to bacterial infections. Why not take a natural antibacterial that provides a wide variety of benefits?!?

A debatable use of neem oil is it’s use as a form of birth control. In several studies, using neem oil instead of spermicide creams provided almost 100% effectiveness in preventing pregnancy, with the added benefit of protecting against STIs. Neem oil kills sperm within five minutes, causing no side effects to a women’s reproductive system. Neem may even become the first truly effective birth control “pill” for men. Neem leaf tablets ingested for one month produced reversible male antifertility without affecting sperm production or libido. In India and the United States, exploratory trials show neem extracts reduced fertility in male monkeys without inhibiting libido or sperm production. Now I’m not saying to stop whatever form of birth control you are using and switch to neem oil, BUT it is something to think about.

It is important to keep your hormones in good health through a balanced diet, mindfulness/mental awareness, and through regular spiritual practices which are known to harmonize and stimulate hormone production, such as meditation, yoga and other energetic techniques. These all have a very real and profound effect on inducing the release and promoting the proper balance of hormones. Hormonal birth control, although having several benefits, effects the entire endocrine system. It artificially change the balance of hormones in our bodies, starting with the pituitary. The pituitary is the master gland of the endocrine system and affects all the body’s glands. Each of our chakras is associated with a gland, which means that when the pituitary is imbalanced we are disrupting the natural balance of all our body’s chakras. This is why changes in skin, libido, body weight, and mood can all occur when taking hormonal birth control pills.

Chakras and glands:
1. Mooladhara- gonads
2. Swadhisthana- adrenal
3. Manipura- pancreatic
4. Anahata- thymus
5. Visshudi- thyroid
6. Anja- pineal
7. Sahastrara- pituitary, master gland, control over all glands

There are many more uses of Neem Oil, but these are some of my favorites. You can easily find it at health food stores or buy online. There are some great bars of soap that contain neem oil as well!

 

Rose-Sandalwood Facial Elixir

One of my favorite things to do in India was to search for the best Ayurvedic products and essential oils. There were entirely different ingredients used in many recipes and different local essential oils available, some of which I bought straight from an organic Goan plantation. I couldn’t wait to come home and dive into my oil lab(aka my bedroom floor). I decided to combine some of my favorite oils from different parts of the world in this new facial serum recipe.

I always start with a base/carrier oil, as many essential oils are extremely potent, and too much of a good thing can be irritating/harmful to the skin. I chose Grapeseed Oil, because my skin absorbs it well and it doesn’t trigger breakouts, but you could also try Jojoba, Apricot Seed, Almond, Avocado, or Sesame Oil, whichever works best for your skin. I filled half the bottle with this carrier oil.

I added Maracuja(passion fruit seed) Oil next, which is native to Central and South America. It works wonderfully on skin for its anti-aging properties, and is often my go-to when I’m in a hurry. I sometimes apply it on its own under my eyes and on my neck(many people neglect the neck when using facial products, but it’s important to see your neck as a continuation of the face). I filled another quarter of the bottle with Maracuja. I next added some Indian Rose Oil, about an eighth of the bottle. Rose oil not only smells heavenly, but is an anti-inflammatory agent and tissue regenerator loaded with therapeutic benefits for the skin.
I topped it all off with another eighth of Sandalwood Oil. The oil that I brought back from India is from Mysore, which is the Sandalwood capital of the world. A friend and I were able to visit a factory where it is distilled and got a personal tour. They explained that they have been using the same method for over 100 years, and that it takes at least 15 years, ideally 40-80, for a Sandalwood tree to grow enough to be harvested for its oil. It is one of the most expensive plants in the world costing upwards of $2,000 per kilo of wood. Indians see it as a sacred tree, and I saw the wood being used in cremation ceremonies in Varanasi.

In terms of benefits for the skin, Sandalwood Oil is great for people with a Pitta, or fire, constitution(you can figure out your constitution by visiting an Ayurvedic doctor, which is what I did while staying at an Ashram, but if you can’t find one you can also do a simple online test, although they’re not always completely accurate). Sandalwood is cooling to the skin, making it beneficial to people who produce a lot of heat in the body(Pitta types), but is also great for most skin types. It is powerfully anti-aging; it can relieve localized rashes, inflammation, and itching; assist in fading scar tissue; offer toning and astringent properties, and can help soothe acne.
I’ve been using this serum for a week now and am loving the effect. It smells amazing, my skin is glowing, and I’m excited to make some more for friends and family(stocking stuffers!!)

Rose-Sandalwood Facial Serum Recipe:
1/2 Grapeseed Oil, or another carrier oil
1/4 Maracuja Oil
1/8 Rose Oil
1/8 Sandalwood

Vipassana Meditation 10 Day Course

The question I’ve been asked the most since coming home is “How was the mediation retreat?! That’s insane!” To be honest, I asked myself the same thing the first four days I was there. Being woken up to a bell at 4am, meditating for 10.5 hours a day and not eating after 11:30am, does sound a little extreme. There was no escape from the chaos of the mind, as talking, reading, listening to music, writing, using electronics, and even looking someone else in the eyes was strictly banned. And as my mind was slowly going insane, the effects of sitting cross legged and perfectly still on the floor was not going unnoticed by my knees, back, and derrière. But as the morning bell rang on day five, something changed inside me. Instead of feeling trapped without my phone, I started to feel liberated. I no longer sensed the physical pain in my body. As my mind drifted to thoughts I typically try to avoid I was able to see them from the outside, more clearly than I ever had, and was able to move outside the negativity and come to peace with them. Equanimity. That is what Vipassana stresses. The importance of recognizing both positive and negative sensations, in the body and in the mind, and not growing attached to these sensations. The positive sensations, from food, sex, success, are great and we should appreciate them, but not allow ourselves to crave them. The same is true for negative sensations. When we are in pain, stressed, or experience sadness, these sensations won’t last forever, so there is no point in allowing them to negatively affect our energy or pull us back from life.