Thursday, November 26, 2009

What Can Aloe Vera Be Used For?




Thursday 26th November 2009

I know I have mentioned what a huge fan of Aloe Vera I am before, but when I received an email yesterday asking what it could be used for, I was delighted to be able to dedicated a whole post to my favorite plant and remedy.

Did you know that there are in excess of 150 Aloe Vera species? Originally a native plant of South America, it can be grown indoors or out, and the Aloe Vera is commonly used to treat skin burns and rashes. Over the last few years Aloe has also become a widely used ingredient in cosmetics, shampoos, lotions and a number of household products.

The healing properties of Aloe Vera comes from the 18 amino acids within the plant.

Used for centuries as a home remedy, natural Aloe Vera is an off white colour and can be obtained by simply breaking off a leaf which allows the liquid to run out. The leaves can also be crushed and used as a salve. It's most common use is as a sun burn soother but it can also be made into juices, gels and powders for all manner of purposes.

More recently Aloe Vera has been made into a capsule and has proven to be a great cure for constipation, some say it is helpful in the battle against acne, while most report that it adds a softness to the skin.

The health benefits of Aloe Vera range from treating digestive disorders to healing and treating burns, cuts and bruises. It’s strong anti inflammatory as well as its cool and soothing effect can bring instant relief to painful situations like bruises or scraping of the skin. Its role in the treatment of digestive disorders includes management of conditions like irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, ulcers, Crohn’s disease, and even as a colon cleansing agent.

Aloe Vera essentially boosts our overall immune system and with its enormous anti bacterial, anti fungal and antibiotic properties, Aloe Vera works equally well with topic application as well as internal consumption.

While I use the plants in my own garden to treat scuffed knees, minor cuts and insect bites, I would not recommend digesting them.

Here are a few other ways to use the Aloe Vera plant extract;

  • Banish bruises by applying liberally to the affected area
  • Alleviate mysterious rashes
  • Take the itch out of insect bites
  • Fight athletes foot
  • Dab onto blisters for quick relief
  • Use as a general moisturiser for dry skin
  • Prevents scarring and stretchmarks
  • Shrinks warts
  • Helps against eczema
  • Decrease dark spots and pigmentation of the skin
  • Helps strong hair growth by rubbing onto the scalp and leaving for 30 minutes before rinsing
  • Removes eye make up
As I said this is just a few of the many ways that Aloe Vera can help you, and are all ways that I have successfully used my own plants.

Next week I am going to show you how to extract the liquid from your own Aloe Vera plants, so watch this space!

Photo by Steve Locke


1 comments:

Will Hawkins on 26 November 2009 at 20:36 said...

Good quality aloe vera based products are the only ones which my daughter can use on her skin. It's amazing stuff

 

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