Aloe vera for healthy skin
- by Ilona Peltz (RSS feed) on Jul 8th 2008 6:00PM
- Filed under in the kitchen, health
I'd taken the kids to their grandparents' some years back, and my eldest managed to brush her hand against a hot element on the stove. It was a mild burn, but painful! While I was racing for an ice cube, Grandma simply reached for the plant in the window over the stove, snipped off a bit of its pointy leaf, gave it a squeeze so that some clear goop oozed out, and then rubbed the damp innards and goop of the leaf onto my daughter's hand. Grandma repeated this a few times that day. It seemed to do the trick.
"It" was an aloe vera plant, of course. Not only did Grandma use it for burns, but for mosquito bites, bee stings, and just about any other surface skin pain. I always wondered if this was just psychosomatic: My kids all believed 100% in the healing properties of Grandma's "magic plant", but a little research shows that it really does do all that stuff! (It's also pretty effective as a laxative. Who knew?)
It turns out they're not hard to grow, either. It's best to get yourself a large one. Not only are the larger ones more potent in their healing properties, but the plant grows slowly. Don't hesitate to nip off a section of leaf as needed, though: even as it heals your skin, the plant heals quickly, too!
If you'd like to grow your own aloe vera plant, Tipnut provides some sound basic information.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
7-09-2008 @ 9:31PM
Block said...
Actually, with just a little sun and forgetful watering habits, I'm learning that aloe plants THRIVE on neglect. I have TONS of huge ones in my apt. I literally have 11 plants that probably weigh 25-30 pounds total. I water them almost once a week (maybe), and they regularly outgrow their pots. I gave away a dozen plants last year. I started with 1 plant about 15 years ago and now I can probably start manufacturing skin care products with one or two pots from my living room alone. Taking a big blade and slicing it in half, then pressing it against sunburnt skin is one of the most amazing feelings. Pick up a small one today and treat it like crap. I'm sure you'll be happy with the results.
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7-10-2008 @ 8:31PM
Iris Pallas said...
http://www.aloe4you.ca
Aloe Vera is an amazing plant and its juice has been usd for thousands of years not only for external use, but also as a drink. Many have found that drinking the aloe vera juice helps the digestive system, gives an energy boost, as well as benefitting the immune system. Visit the site to learn more.
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9-05-2008 @ 3:59AM
jordan.trina said...
Hmm, vodka + aloe vera...interesting. Straight from the can/bottle, I still like Pokka brand Aloe vera + white grape juice the best. Avoid the + peach juice version though!
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