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Discover the natural wonder of Aloe Vera
This natural wonder is most likely it’s already growing in your garden! But beware, there are hundreds of different species – make sure you know your Aloe Vera before harvesting its healing gel.
Aloe vera is well known for its soothing and hydrating properties, especially during the winter months when skin can become dry and irritated. As aloe vera is a medicinal plant with antioxidant and antibacterial properties, it is used effectively for accelerating wound healing, soothing and accelerating the healing of skin burns, preventing wrinkles, managing blood sugar, boosting energy levels, relieving acid reflux, and generally supporting immune health. Then just another bonus, it is really great to reduce itching and irritation from mosquito bites. It is enerally safe for consumption by all, except those with an aloe vera allergy, however, don’t overdo it as excessive consumption can cause digestive issues due to its laxative effect.
Here’s how to make your own 100% pure and effective aloe vera gel.
- Look for thick, fleshy leaves with a green colour that are free from damage or pests. The thicker leaves contain more gel and you should avoid leaves that have turned yellow or brown, as they may not have the beneficial properties you’re looking for. Now just cut it off as close to the plant as you can get without getting pricked by the spikey bits.
- Allow the yellow latex to bleed off.
- Using a sharp knife cut your leaf into manageable slices and then trim away the outer spikey edges.
- Soak these cut pieces, completely submerged in water for about 10 minutes to remove any excess yellow latex.
- Carefully slice the leaf in half down the centre.
- Now you can just scrape the gel off the green outer layer with a spoon or slice it off with a sharp knife, straight into a bowl.
- Once you have harvested all the gel, pour it into a blender and blend only for about 10 to 15 seconds.
- Now sieve through a strainer, muslin cloth or straining bag to remove any stringy bits or clumps.
- It is now ready for use on hair, face or skin as desired. (An idea would be to use an applicator bottle.)
- You can also freeze this gel in the applicator bottles or in an ice cube tray, these ice cubes are ideal use on burns or just take out one block to use for a face mask pamper session.
How to use your gel:
Use undiluted gel on hair or skin.
If you prefer, you can mix it with shea butter, or other base cream, as a moisturiser. About 4 tablespoons of gel with I teaspoon cream.
For a delicious, healthy drink you can dilute it, one part gel to one part honey or juice (orange or grapefruit is ideal) to drink. If the gel is a little too thick to drink just add more
juice or a little water. Drink a glass full every day and see the amazing benefits.
Tips and hints:
Refrigerated gel will only be good for about a week. Frozen gel can last for a year or longer. A few drops of vitamin E will help preserve it for longer.
Just remember not to consume too much as it can cause diarrhea!
