Many of us might be familiar with this ancient plant, Aloe Vera. And I believe some of you would agree that it is really handy to keep a pot or two at home. Especially for the elderly, Aloe Vera is their precious medicinal plant.
The uses of Aloe Vera are endless. We often see this ingredient in our food, drinks, healing creams, facial cleansers, lotions and other cosmetics.
Personally, I use Aloe Vera gel for the following purposes:
- to treat minor cuts and burns. My mom is pretty prone to minor cuts and kitchen injuries. I would help her wash her wound clean with water and apply the gel. It effectively stops the bleeding and heals the wound rather quickly.
- to prevent the skin from swelling. It is very common to get bits of oil splatters on your hand or arm during cooking. If left unattended, the area might turn red and swollen. First, I would wash the area, dab dry and apply the gel.
- to soothe sunburn and the prevention of flaky skin.
- to apply on my face, for a smooth and moisturizing skin. It heals acne as well.
- blend it with fruit juices for drinking, to prevent constipation.
Warning:
Patients who have internal bleeding should not drink Aloe Vera, as it might induce more blood flow and could be very dangerous. Ladies having their period should avoid too.
I have an aged Chinese book passed down by my uncle, just on Aloe Vera. The book reveals so many more uses other than the ones that I have mentioned. That includes treating of sore throat, toothache, bathing, hair loss, promoting blood circulation, soothing bug bites and so on. I hope to share more with you after I have tried them all out. =)
You can buy Aloe Vera gel from pharmacies. But I’m thinking the gels being sold in pharmacies might contain other unfamiliar or artificial ingredients, including preservatives. So, I would much prefer using the real stuff.
You can buy Aloe Vera leaf from supermarkets. A big, succulent one only cost around SGD $2 for about 1.5kg. If you have a pot of Aloe Vera, better still! Just pluck off one or two fresh leaves! Go for the bottom most layer to prevent hurting the plant.
If you don’t require much, cut a small piece (5cm to 10cm), and leave it on a plate for about 10 to 15mins. You’ll notice yellow liquid dripping out at the cut area. Wash the yellow liquid off and be careful not to touch it. It will irritate your skin and makes it itchy. Then, slice lengthwise and apply.
Alternatively, you can extract, blend and store the Aloe Vera gel in the fridge for multiple uses. Make small batches for maintain its freshness. I also find this more convenient for daily usage.
Here’s how i prepare my Aloe Vera gel.
- Cut away the end bit of the leaf and leave it for 10 to 15mins for the yellow liquid to be drained away and wash it clean.
- Use a peeler and peel off one side of the skin.
- Use a knife, make slits horizontally and vertically.
- Use a spoon and scoop out the Aloe Vera gel into a bowl.
- Put all Aloe Vera bits into a blender and blend at low speed for about 30secs.
- Once it turns into a frothy white liquid, pour it into a container and store in the fridge to keep its freshness. Use within 2 weeks at most.
The white frothy liquid would soon turn to a yellow color. It is perfectly alright for use. However, after 2 weeks, the smell would start to turn unpleasant, that’s when you need to make a new batch!
Here’s our shoot on the process. =D
Peel off the outer skin.
Make slits using a knife.
Use a spoon to scrap off the fresh gel.
And now we’re ready to blend it up!
After blending, the Aloe Vera turned into a white frothy liquid. Start filling up the empty bottles.
Your Aloe Vera gel is now ready!
The bottle of Aloe Vera gel is like my all-in-one first aid kit for small cuts and other little uses. But if the situation is serious, please visit a doctor immediately.
hi there,
i’ve been searching on the do’s and don’t in storing fresh aloe vera. I’ve added some vitamin e oil to my fresh aloe vera and it turn milky in colour.
am wondering have you encounter this problem before? is it normal?
Cheers,
melmok
Hi Melmok, based on my experience, a small amount of Vitamin E oil that is exposed to the air over a day turns thicker and has a slightly gluey-like texture. When stirred, it leaves a creamy color. It probably reacted the same in your fresh Aloe Vera turning it cloudy. Personally, I have never tried adding Vitamin E oil and my Aloe Vera gel seems fine. I try to make small batches and store it up to 2 weeks in the fridge.
hey… thanks a lot Liqing!
Cheers.
You’re most welcome Melisa. By the way, I love your site. We seem to share some common interest and topic. Hope to learn more from you. =)
thanks for the compliment Liqing!
oh no… i still have a lot more to learn… 🙂
Hi Melisa!
I made Aloe Vera Gel and added Vitamin E and C in order to preserve it and stored it in refrigerator, but after 3-4 days it started giving unpleasant smell…is it normal when stored?
Hi!
Do you know which supermarket sells the fresh aloe vera leaf? Tried lookin for it at a few places but just can’t find it. 🙁
Hi Kaylee, it is quite commonly found in NTUC. If not, try your neighbourhood wet market.
Whole Foods also sells the giant aloe leaves.
Hi Liqing,
If I use this for mask how long do I have to leave it on for? Some people say mix aloe with lemon juice, is that good?
Dear Annie, you can leave it until the Aloe Vera gel drys up on your skin. It probably takes about 20mins to 30mins. Yes, you can mix in lemon juice too but may not be necessary though. It is up to your preference.
Hi Annie! You can use lemon juice with Aloe only in the night, is for eliminating Dark spots. If you use that mix during the day you can obtain more Dark spots in you face, that is a reaction with the lemon and the sun.
my fridge has been unplugged by twenty four hours in error -is my aloe vera ok to drink
oe vera
Hi Liz, I am not sure if it is ok to drink… My guess is that if it starts smelling weird, you should not drink it.
Hi I was wondering how do I add the fresh aloe Vera into my homemade foaming hand wash? As it only last for 2 weeks?
Hi, in which NTUC can i get aloe vera leaf? Cause i’ve been searching in 2 of their places, and can’t find any
Hi Tiffany, I used to get it from the NTUC at toa payoh central. You could try bigger marts like fair price extra at Ang Mo Kio or NEX.
Add honey and lime to the mixture and drink. I have used it as a decongestant for severe sinus infections for over two decades. I even take it for the common cold.
La sabila es excelente. Hay un franciscano q la recomienda con miel y brandy para cualquier enfermedad. Mi hermana luego de unas quimioterapias la consumia con fresas para aliviar y regrescar todo el cuerpo.
I burned my foot could I use aloe Vera on it
Yes you can.
Lavender essential oil is great for burns too. It helps to heal fast. You can apply it directly on your foot.
Pregunto. se puede coger sol con el aloe vera enla cara?
My dog has been itchy for a while now. I’ve tried different medicated shampoos but she still scratches her skin. I wonder if I can put aloe in her skin. Is it safe? She’s desesperate.I grow my own aloe.
Hi Angie, I don’t have a dog and therefore I’m not the best person to give advice. Sorry about that.
My dog had a terrible skin infections, itchy all over. I rubbed fresh aloe vera gel all over his skin, then bathed him after it dried. After just one application he was healed, and his coat grew very soft and shiny.
Hi I read about the aloe I have some in my patio I like what I read is good to know how to use it and for lots of useses thank you for your advise on how to use it have a nice day
Hi I have aloe in my patio if some one needs some write to me I ‘am in en puerto.rico en casos si alguien necesita que v ivan aqui
The info is good, but you didnt mention anything about the face mask. I thought you would put up a recipie.
I used aloe for a small burn in my face when I was little and didn’t live a mark. Right now I have an open wound and I was wondering if I could used or I should wait until has skin my knee again ? I just fell in a rock and the wound is deep and need it to eliminate the broken skin. Thank you for the help.
Hi Liqing
I had not seen these before blending and blended the whole leaf without peeling, is it safe to use still or is it a total waste?
Best
Veroh
Hi Veroh, I don’t think it is safe to use. I would not use it.
I had bronckitist anyway . I my mother gave me for a long time a mixer of aloe hone and lemon ,1cold table spoonful everyday for my sickness while . I lived in Puerto Rico but . I would not get any better until . I moved to New York and then everything . I had stuck to my lungs came out . I know very well it was because of the moxer with aloe honey and lemon !
When using the aloe as a face mask, can I take sun or not?
is aloe vera has a foul smell?
I have been using aloe in my face for 20 years. Some of my friends use to
laugh about it. Not any more, it really works.
Tienen forma de traducción al español??
This plant is really miraculous, it could be used for everything cause even though you might not get it to heal some infections/disease it will not harm you either. The healing on cuts and bruises are miraculous and will not permit to leave scars. The good part about it is that you can either drink it or rub it, I believe it’s quite expensive in the market for this reason so your best bet is to grow your own..
Hi love the details. Have been doing some other readings but I want to know a few things.
Is it okay to blend the aloe Vera and then boil it with olive oil for face and hair?