Aloe vera is one of the most versatile herbs on the planet and aloe vera gel is one of the ways to consume and make use of these powerful herbs.
When many people hear of aloe vera, their minds run to sunburns or skin issues only. Aloe vera does much more than just sunburn and skin problems.
In this post, I will be exposing the health benefits of aloe vera gel, how to make yours, and the reputable brands of aloe vera gel you can trust.
What Is Aloe Vera Gel?
Aloe vera gel is the thick green gel gotten from aloe vera leaves.
Health Benefits Of Aloe Vera Gel
Below are some of the wonderful health benefits of aloe vera gel.
1. Clears and prevents breakouts
Salicylic acid, a powerful antiseptic that kills bacteria that cause acne is found abundantly in aloe vera gel. This makes it an excellent natural remedy for acne and skin problems.
It cleanses your skin and improves its appearance.
Make sure you do a patch test somewhere on your body, on a little region on your skin to be sure that you’re not allergic to aloe vera.
Some people are highly sensitive to aloe vera and can develop some adverse reactions. So, apply a little aloe vera gel on your ear lobe or on the back of your palm, just a little, and wait for at least 30 minutes.
Signs to look out for are burnings, rashes, swellings, or any kind of discomfort. If nothing happens, you are good to go.
2. Moisturizes your skin
Dry skins are prone to many problems like dehydration, flaking, itching, etc. Moisturizers help people with dry skin and one powerful natural moisturizer you can always trust is aloe vera gel.
Apart from the moisturizing properties of aloe vera gel, it contains minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, and enzymes that protect and heal your skin barrier.
Aloe vera gel is an incredible moisturizer. It also contains polyphenols and these compounds protect your skin against skin cancer, free radicals, and other factors that cause rapid aging.
3. Soothes irritated skin
If you are battling with skin conditions like psoriasis, eczema, or rosacea, apply aloe vera gel on the affected skin part.
These conditions are characterized by inflammation and dryness and aloe vera gel helps in relieving these symptoms.
The fatty acids in aloe vera gel along with an enzyme called bradykinin will help calm the irritated skin and give you relief.
4. Heals minor wounds and burns
Aloe vera gel has been used to heal wounds for centuries (over six thousand years). Wounded soldiers applied the gel on their wounds in the past and even now, aloe vera gel is used to heal gunshot wounds.
Kings fought wars over aloe vera. Alexander the Great conquered an island off the coast of Africa so that he can have enough aloe vera to treat his wounded soldiers.
Aloe vera gel is super hydrating. It also boosts the elasticity of your skin as it heals. Aloe vera gel will hasten the rate of healing by almost 9 days.
5. Treats a cold sore
Aloe vera has anti-viral properties which help in treating the herpes virus. Aloe vera gel can cover and protect the irritated skin and also offer relief from the symptoms.
The topical application of aloe vera gel can help people suffering from herpes simplex, the most common virus that causes a cold sore.
6. It’s a natural shaving cream
Due to the texture of the gel and its hydrating property, you can use it as a shaving cream.
The antibacterial property of this gel helps it treat razor nicks.
7. It’s a natural makeup remover
The gentle nature of aloe vera gel on the skin makes it a natural makeup remover. Apply this gel on your face and clean it off with a washcloth.
This will cleanse and moisturize your face at the same time. Its moisturizing and anti-aging properties make it a perfect beauty product for people who are looking for natural alternatives.
People who have sensitive skins and react to ingredients in standard makeup removers can use aloe vera gel if they don’t react to the gel too.
8. Relieves digestive disorders
If you are suffering from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), aloe vera gel will give you relief.
It also improves the symptoms of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and helps with ulcerative colitis, another form of IBD.
9. Improves glucose levels
Aloe vera gel helps in improving glycemic index control in people with pre-diabetes and type II diabetes. It also helps in preventing diabetes and hyperglycemia.
Aloe vera gel has methanol extract and this compound has antidiabetic effects.
Can I Buy Aloe Vera Gel?
Yes, there are lots of standardized and certified brands of aloe vera gel out there. All you have to do is buy from a credible source.
If you love aloe vera and want to benefit from its amazing health benefits, you can buy any of these brands and use them according to the instructions on the label.
Click here to see some of the best brands of aloe vera gel in the market.
How To Make Aloe Vera Gel?
It’s very easy to make aloe vera gel if you love doing things yourself. It is even cheaper than buying it.
What you need to make aloe vera gel are your matured aloe vera leaves (mature leaves have plenty of fresh and healthy gel) and 500mg powdered vitamin C or 400 IU vitamin E.
Matured aloe vera leaves are usually around the outside of the plant and their bases are growing close to the ground. Use a sharp knife and cut near the base.
You need the above quantities of either vitamin C or vitamin E for every ¼ cup of aloe vera gel. Then don’t make plenty gel since aloe vera gel gets spoilt easily.
Do plenty only if you plan to give some away. 2 large leaves should be enough to make half to one cup of aloe vera gel.
Procedure
Wash your hands before you start making any herbal preparation or meals. This is very important. Also, use clean utensils so that your gel doesn’t get contaminated.
Then wash your aloe vera leaves under running water and leave it to drain.
Drain the resin from the leaves for at least 10 minutes. Do this by placing the leaves upright into a cup and allow the dark resin to drain out. This resin contains latex.
Some people are reactive to latex and even if you are not, it may irritate your skin slightly. So drain it out so that it doesn’t get into your gel.
Use a vegetable peeler and carefully peel the green portion of the leaves away. Make sure you cut through the inner white layer to underneath the gel.
Peel off all of the skin on each side of the leave until you are left with a canoe-shaped half-filled with gel. If your leaves are large, cut them into smaller pieces before peeling.
Discard the skin so that it doesn’t mix with your gel. Scoop out the gel using a spoon or knife and put it into a clean bowl. Make sure there is no gel left in the leaf.
Then mix the gel with your natural preservatives, which are either vitamin C or vitamin E.
Put the mixture in a blender and blend very well. The gel will look foamy at first. Then put the blended gel in a sterilized and clean glass jar.
If you used the natural preservatives mentioned above, your gel can last for several months in the refrigerator. If you didn’t use the preservatives, it can only last for one or two weeks.
You can apply this gel on your skin or take it internally in small doses and for a short time.
Conclusion
Aloe vera gel is safe when applied on the skin and taken internally in the right dose. And these appropriate doses should only be taken for a short time.
Also, seek the advice of a professional herbalist to know the right product for you and the correct dose. You should also an allergy test to see if it is right for you.
Sources;
- 1. Aloe Vera NIH
- 2. The antidiabetic activity of aloe vera leaves Study, WOL
- 3. Maenthaisong, R., Chaiyakunapruk, N., Niruntraporn, S., & Kongkaew, C. (2007). The efficacy of aloe vera used for burn wound healing: a systematic review. Burns : journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries, 33(6), 713–718. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.burns.2006.10.384 NLM
- 4. Aloe vera’s efficacy in treating sun burns NLM
- 5. Surjushe, A., Vasani, R., & Saple, D. G. (2008). Aloe vera: a short review. Indian journal of dermatology, 53(4), 163–166. https://doi.org/10.4103/0019-5154.44785 NLM
- 6. Aloe vera efficacy for ulcerative colitis WOL
- 7. The efficacy of aloe vera in treating IBS NLM