What would we do without aloe vera? We rely very much on this plant in the medical and beauty industries. However, when most people think of aloe vera, they automatically picture sunburns. That’s because this type of plant is known for naturally treating your skin on those times when you’ve had way too much exposure to UV rays. That is not its only use. It is used as remedies for common skin conditions like sunburns, frostbite, and cold sores. You can also take the gel and use it in a whole slew of ways. Check out some of the plants’ uses below.
1. Tame Frizz in Your Hair
If you take a look at any conditioner bottle, chances are you will see that aloe is the primary ingredient in it. The same goes for most defrizzers that are not silicone-based. That’s because aloe makes the consistency of these products easier to apply and coat your hair with. Besides this, aloe vera also has a slightly acidic PH level, which is known to help seal the cuticle of your hair. In other words thanks to aloe vera, your hair will be more likely to stay the way you want it.
2. Shaving Gel
While of course, you can use a shaving cream on your legs or face, why not try aloe vera instead? Aloe vera will leave your skin feeling silky. That’s not all, though. Aloe is also anti-inflammatory, because of its enzymes, and hydrating, thanks to the very high water content. This means you will end up with a very close shave, without roughing up your skin in the process.
3. Moisturizer
If you are someone who is acne-prone, you should consider using aloe vera as your moisturizer instead of an oil-free product. That’s because studies have shown that aloe works as an effective humectant, meaning it increases water retention in the skin. Besides that, aloe also contains a whole bunch of antioxidants found in vitamins A, C, and E, as well as enzymes. These antioxidants work to calm inflammation and irritation so that your skin won’t break out.
4. Heal Infections
Aloe vera has a lot of antibacterial qualities, which are all known for helping cuts, scrapes and other bruises heal fast. Similar to this, if you put aloe vera on a wound right after it happens, you won’t end up with visible scarring down the line.
This video shows in detail how to use the gel:
How to Extract Aloe Vera
While most people just turn to their local drug store when they’re in need of some aloe vera gel, we recommend extracting it yourself. That’s because the kind you buy usually has some form of preservative in it. If you want a natural product, grab an aloe vera plant and rip it open to get the gel oozing out. For a detailed, step-by-step list on how to do this, read below.
Supplies:
- Aloe Vera Plant
- Knife
- Spoon
Step 1. Pick a long, fat leaf off of the aloe vera plant
As you will see, typically the bigger the leaf, the more aloe vera gel floating inside. After all, you want to gather up as much aloe vera gel extract as possible.
Step 2. With your hand at the base of the leaf, pull it off the plant
The aloe vera leaf is known for being sharp and spiky, so make sure that you’re using extreme caution while pulling. The plant should come off easily and have a white base.
Step 3. Wash off the leaf
To do this, take a knife and begin peeling along one of the spiked edges of the leaf. This is a crucial step because you want to remove any dirt or debris stuck on there that may have formed.
Step 4. Cut open the leaf
With your knife, slice the leaf open, properly releasing the gel extract inside. You should do this along the same side from step 3 since then the leaf will be cut in two lengthwise.
Step 5: Gather up the gel from inside the leaf
Grab a spoon from your kitchen and start scooping out the gel extract from the leaf. The spoon should be completely clean so that you don’t get any dirt into the gel. Then, when you are done, put the gel into a container. We prefer a glass container in this situation.
The next time you want to pick up some aloe vera gel from your local store, turn to nature instead.
Video that shows how to extract Aloe vera gel:
