Aloe Vera Gel

By Guest Author Rick Perillo

Aloe Vera, a popular cactus-like succulent, is one of the most useful medicinal plants and is very easy to grow. When I was a kid, summer sunburns and Aloe Vera went hand-in-hand. I hated sunscreen and suffered pink and burning skin as a result. When my mom saw my new sunburn, she cut a large leaf off of our Aloe Vera plant and rubbed the cold slimy gel over my skin. It smelled like musty feet and left a yellow hue on my skin as it dried, but it cooled the burn instantly.

Now I grow my own Aloe Vera plant which started as a “pup” on that same plant. I still cut leaves every summer to treat my sunburned skin, minor cuts, and the occasional poison oak rash. I now even blend the gel into juice, despite the smell.

Propagating Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera is easily propagated and, under the right conditions, hot and dry, can grow to three feet. A mature plant will produce offsets or “pups” or small plants from its base. Use a sharp knife to cut these pups off of the parent plant. Place them directly into the ground or into a pot filled with cactus mix. Your new plant will be genetically identical to the parent, so choose your pups from a healthy plant.

Aloe, as houseplants, may be challenging to get to flower, but are spectacular when they do.

Growing Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera is very low maintenance perennial that prefers well-drained, dry soil. It only needs water if there will be several months without rain.
Aloe is hardy in Zones 10-12 and tolerates 50-60 degree Fahrenheit ( 10-15 degrees Celcius) nights in summer, but never below 40 degrees (5 degrees C) in winter. If your plant freezes or is exposed to frost it may be done for. But if the ground does not freeze, the roots may survive and the plant may return in the spring. In colder climates, Aloe can be grown indoors on a sunny window and can be grown outside during summer. Bring it indoors when temperatures start to regularly dip below 50 degrees. For a planting medium, use a cactus mix (well-drained, sandy loam) and let the soil dry out thoroughly between waterings

Harvesting Aloe Vera

Harvest large leaves from your Aloe plant as you need them. Simply cut the leaves with a sharp scissors or a knife near their base. To use the sap directly from the plant on your skin, cut the leaf lengthwise and rub directly on the affected area. You can also scoop out the gel-like sap and store it in a container in the fridge for one week.

How to Make Aloe Vera Gel

Aloe is found in many skin care products. But if you grow Aloe Vera, it’s easy to make your own Aloe Vera gel that will surpass the quality of what you find in the store. Only use this gel on your skin, do not ingest it.

1. Cut a large outer leaf off of your Aloe Vera plant.
2. Cut the serrated edges off of the leaf.
3. Place your knife under the rind of the leaf and slide it through, peeling back the rind.
4. Use a spoon to scrape the sap from the leaf and place it in a blender.
5. Add a few drops of Vitamin E, Vitamin C or grapefruit seed extract as a preservative.
6. Blend on high speed for about 30 seconds.
7. Scoop your Aloe Vera gel into an airtight container and refrigerate. Your gel will stay fresh for several months.

Eating Aloe Vera

While most people apply the gel to their skin, it is also edible when prepared properly. Aloe vera gel has a clean, refreshing flavour and can be used in a variety of recipes, such as smoothies and salsas.

Medicinal Uses

Now tha tyou have aloe vera gel, how are you goigin to use it? Sunburns, dental plaque, and blood sugar levels are all treated with this plant. Furthermore, aloe vera contains over 75 potentially active compounds, including vitamins, minerals, enzymes, amino acids, fatty acids, and polysaccharides. Aloe vera is often called the “plant of immortality” because it can live and bloom without soil.

According to Medical News Today, Aloe vera has many medical benefits:

• Protects against UV radiation, when the gel applied to skin.
• Protects against skin damage
• Helps with second degree burns
• Helps fight cavities and helps oral hygiene; use the gel with your toothpate
• Its a treatment for constipation, when taken as a liquid capsule
• It helps cure foot ulcers when applied directly
• Its an antioxidant
• May help with depression

Author Bio

Rick Perillo is the founder of The Carrot Revolution, digging deeply into gardening, food, and sustainability.