Most people have heard of aloe vera and many families will likely have a plant growing in their home somewhere. There are some amazing benefits to using aloe vera gel to help your skin. We thought we would list some of the history and benefits of this well known plant so everyone may understand why so many people are wanting it in their homes. PS - we recommend researching the properties of Aloe Vera further as you may be very surprised about the uses!
Aloe vera is known by many names - a healing plant, miracle plant, burn plant, first aid plant, lily of the desert, jelly leek, plant of life and plant of immortality, aloe vera is well loved and widely used around the world. One of the most well known uses for aloe vera is for the skin, particularly for helping with burns. There are many other uses for this amazing plant and the gel contained within its leaves. The gel is made up of 90% water!
Aloe's history goes back for at least 5,000 years. In Ayurvedic medicine aloe vera gel was considered to possess estrogenic properties which may be one of the reasons the plant was highly esteemed by Indian, Arab, Egyptian and Mediterranean women.
Some first recorded documents from around 2200 BC show the use of Aloe Vera as a laxative. A detailed account of Aloe’s medicinal value is found in the Egyptian Papyrus Ebers, dated about 1,550 B.C. This document records twelve formulas combining Aloe with other substances for the treatment of both internal and external issues.
There is reference to using aloes in the Bible: “Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jews. With Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body away. He was accompanied by Nicodemus who brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs.” John 19:38-40
Later is was discovered that the whole aloe vera leaf, when pulverised, would stop the bleeding of wounds. The juice of the plant was also attributed to “the power of binding, of inducing sleep and loosens the belly, cleansing the stomach”. Aloe was used to treat boils, ease hemorrhoids, heal bruises and dry, itchy skin conditions. By 200 A.D. Aloe had become an essential and vital part of Roman medicine.
Among aloe’s ingredients are at least six potent antiseptic agents: lupeol, salicylic acid, urea nitrogen, cinnamonic acid, phenols and sulphur. All of these substances are known to help with many issues we face daily and are another reason to use Aloe regularly. LOOK FURTHER INTO THIS!
These days aloe vera is used in many skin care products, in the place of water as base for hydration and as anti-inflammatory support. There are so many beneficial ingredients including Vitamins A and B, folic acid, enzymes, proteins, amino acids, good fatty acids and triglycerides.
You can use the gel from a plant you grow at home! Simply snap off a piece, slice open the leaf or squeeze out and apply the inner gel to the skin for the healing benefits. If you don't have a plant or need larger quantities you can get organic aloe vera gel that can help with a wide range of issues.
What is your favourite use for Aloe Vera?
