The Beauty Glossary: N is for Neem

Our Beauty Glossary is your definitive guide to every important beauty term ever. From A – Z, we’ll regularly fill you in on beauty ingredients, personalities, products and treatments, so you know exactly who or what to look out for in the beauty space.

Neem

All hail the neem leaf. Dubbed 'the wonder leaf', the power of neem is extraordinary. It is derived from the neem tree, which is regarded as a one tree pharmacy and originates from the Indian subcontinent. In India it has become a staple part of rural life.

Neem has long since been a part of Ayurveda, a 5,000 year old holistic healing system that originates from the Vedic culture of India (ie. when the oldest scriptures of Hinduism were composed). Ayurveda is viewed as 'a science of life', in which we live long and healthy. For generations, women have encouraged its topical use as a herbal beauty tradition and its consumption for skin problems.

A neem leaf bath for example, will keep the skin supple and healthy; face packs loaded with neem leaf powder offer emollient and anti-ageing action and the antiseptic properties of neem leaf extract help control acne.

In Ayurveda's prime text, the Charaka Samhita, the neem tree is described as 'sarva roga nivarini': that which keeps all diseases at bay. Not only does it soothe and heal irritation, skin disorders, wounds, scalp dryness and dandruff, but it conditions the hair and detoxifies the skin.

Neem leaf extract may also be known by its scientific name, maelia azadirachta.

SUNDÃRI has been pioneering the use of neem in the Western world, with  the neem healing collection: