Aloe Vera is one of nature’s best kept secrets. Egyptians used the prickly plant as we do today. In fact it is believed that Cleopatra incorporated Aloe Vera into her beauty regime. Consider our five favourite uses for Aloe Vera when you are looking for natural solutions to everyday problems.
1. Relieve sunburn Aloe is a super moisturiser and helps to soothe sun damaged skin. The flesh or gel leaves a cool-feeling on the skin that can take the heat out of a burn. It also contains some natural antiseptics that help with skin irritation. Apply to sunburn a couple of times a day until the skin heals.
2. Makeup remover If you’re looking for a natural alternative to remove your makeup, you will find Aloe Vera does the job well. It is even gentle enough to use around the delicate eye area. Use a little of the gel on a soft cotton pad. If you put some cotton pads soaked in Aloe Vera gel in the fridge, you can use them as a natural eye mask to relieve puffy eyes.
3. A vitamin supplement Along with water, Aloe Vera also contains 20 minerals, 12 vitamins (including vitamins A, C and E and several types of vitamin B) and 18 amino acids, making it a great dietary supplement to replenish your vitamin and mineral intake. You could consider taking an Aloe Vera supplement or adding a little Aloe Vera juice (1-2 tablespoons) to your morning juice or smoothie.
4. Aid constipation relief Aloe Vera has a known laxative effect. If you’re backed up and don’t want to rely on medicines to get your system flowing every time, you could try Aloe as an alternative. Try drinking 3-4 tablespoons of Aloe Vera juice in the morning to get things moving.
5. Soothe the symptoms of Acid Reflux Although Aloe Vera won’t fix the cause of acid reflux, it can help relieve the symptoms. It is thought to cool the burn of acid from your stomach in the same way it works on sunburn. You can take 1-2 tablespoons of Aloe Vera Juice 20 minutes before a meal (up to 3 times a day). But we strongly suggest you start slowly given its strong laxative effects.
There are various ways to incorporate Aloe Vera into your diet. You can drink it as a juice, take Aloe Vera capsules or apply it topically as a gel or lotion. When you buy Aloe Vera of any kind, make sure you check the label to confirm Aloe Vera concentration so you know whether it has been diluted.
