At a time when organic and natural products are coming back in force, a fashion phenomenon is appearing on a particular ingredient: it is Aloe vera, Aloes barbadensis. More than just a trendy green plant used as a backdrop for Instagram photos, Aloe vera will amaze you with its many properties. This fat plant of the Liliaceae family comes straight from Africa, even if it has since traveled a bit: Spain, Mexico or the United States, a real globetrotter the vera! Whether in the field of beauty or in the field of health, it invites itself everywhere and has not finished surprising us. However, among all the articles that we can read on the right and on the left, we quickly find ourselves drowned in the information and we end up discouraged. To disentangle the true from the false and to start on good bases here is a small file on our dear friend the Aloe!
Aloe vera is widely used to make creams and balms of all kinds, whether by the cosmetics industry or by people who start home cosmetics.
Thanks to its great capacity of water retention and its composition rich in nutritive elements, it will hydrate, soften and smooth the epidermis to give a true skin of baby.
Its main quality is also based on the fact that it will stimulate cell regeneration. It is thus very interesting to fight against scars or wrinkles for example. If we combine this property with the fact that it is anti-inflammatory, you get a care to relieve your light wounds such as burns, wounds and cuts, but also for all the cutaneous reactions: eczema, psoriasis, urticaria or herpes, all passes there! In case of open wound, it is however necessary to disinfect and to wait for the stop of the bleeding before applying Aloe vera gel.
Apply Aloe vera directly to the skin, several times a day if necessary.
Mix a hazelnut of Aloe vera with 1 or 2 drops of vegetable oil adapted to your skin type, then massage your face during 1 or 2 minutes until penetration of the mixture.
To make yourself a 100% natural deodorant, mix 9mL of Aloe vera, 20 drops of apricot kernel vegetable oil and 6 drops of essential oil (Palmarosa, Noble Laurel, Tea tree...). Recipe suggested by Julien Kaibeck.
Mix a nut of Aloe vera and a few drops of vegetable oil in the palm of your hand. Massage your face with the mixture to loosen makeup particles, then rinse it off with water. And since you have all the ingredients on hand, you can finish with an express moisturizing day care!
To relieve a sunburn, superficial burns or after-shave irritations, apply a dab of Aloe vera on the affected area to relieve it.
The Aloe vera allows to accelerate the phenomenon of healing of a superficial wound. You just have to apply a small quantity on the disinfected wound.
To reinforce the moisturizing power of a body butter and bring a touch of freshness, it is possible to add a small quantity of Aloe vera.
When a product does so much good on the skin, we want to use it everywhere. And it's a good thing, because Aloe Vera also works wonders on the hair! It will cleanse the roots and repair the split ends, to find a flexible and silky hair, but also facilitate the disentangling and bring volume and brightness to the hair. All these properties will come to cleanse the scalp to fight against the small inconveniences of the daily newspaper such as the fall of the hair and the films. Say goodbye to itchy hair and hello to dreamy hair!
If you're a fan of home-made products, you can also incorporate a portion of aloe vera into your shampoo mixture.
After shampooing, coat hair with a small amount of Aloe Vera to help detangle, then brush as usual.
A 2014 study proved that Aloe vera could be a good natural alternative to mouthwash. In fact, compared to a broad-spectrum antiseptic used in dental care, Chlorhexidine, Aloe vera was shown to significantly decrease plaque and minor gum bleeding. We are not going to make you a Mac Lesggy's report, but we really want to propose him for his next commercial!
Similar to a cactus because of its prickly leaves, Aloe vera is a plant that is described as succulent. Not that it has an exquisite taste, its succulence is based on the fact that it contains a large quantity of juice in its leaves, allowing it to withstand the extreme conditions of arid environments. The Mac Gyver of the plants in some sorts!
To take advantage of all its benefits, we use this pulp abundantly present and composed of a clear mucilage. However, one must be careful not to confuse the pulp with the juice, also called latex, potentially toxic and irritating, but especially powerful laxative due to the presence of aloin. The pulp is extracted by cutting ripe Aloe vera leaves in half, while the juice is the leaf sap, the yellow liquid that flows out of the leaf when it is cut.
Mostly composed of water, the pulp also contains a cocktail of active constituents that will do wonders for your body:
Last but not least, the pH of Aloe vera is generally around 4-5, close to that of the skin which is 5.5. It thus preserves the natural balance of the skin and hair! When applied pure, the gel will form a protective film that will keep the skin moisturized. If you apply too much, you may be surprised by the "cardboard" effect it can give when drying, which is not necessarily pleasant for the skin. Warning thus by carrying out your care!
You have followed all our advice on the use of Aloe vera outside, but it is not the best inside? Here too, this plant works wonders. You probably had to pass quickly on its composition, and yet there is a molecule that should not fall into oblivion, it is the mucopolysaccharide. It is this molecule that is responsible for the texture so special aloe vera gel, slightly viscous. In addition to making you win at scrabble (don't thank us), this molecule will be of great help to relieve small intestinal pains. When consumed, mucopolysaccharide stimulates the intestinal flora to strengthen its immune defenses and fight against digestion problems such as constipation, ulcers, hyperacidity or colitis.
In addition, Aloe vera would promote the elimination of toxins to clean the body. Hopefully you have a healthy mind, or at least helps you have a healthy body!
For oral use of Aloe vera, there are aloe vera juice ampoules. Unfortunately, to obtain this type of packaging, the ampoules undergo heat treatment, risking altering the gel and making the Aloe vera less effective. The easiest way to consume Aloe vera remainsAloe vera juice.
It is also possible to get aloe vera gel, the most common and simple form that allows all possible and imaginable uses. However, remain vigilant to the composition and quality of the product. The method of extraction can alter the mucilage of the plant (you know, the central part we use).
Also, make sure to keep the Aloe vera in a cool place.
A good Aloe vera gel must contain juice whose purity must be close to 100%, and possibly vegetable thickeners and natural preservatives.