We all probably remember aloe vera as that really cold stuff our moms used to put on our cuts when we’d gone and fallen down a hole or something. Who could forget that chilly, soothing feeling that made header-ing the cement a weirdly pleasant experience?
Well, you don’t have to leave aloe vera behind just because you’re not tending to knee scraps; aloe vera has a ridiculous amount of benefits and uses for all ages. For starters, it’s filled to the brim with nutrients and minerals – over 100 of them! – and has more active enzymes than you could toss in a wheelbarrow. How much exactly? This goopy gel is packing over 75 nutrients, 20 minerals, 12 vitamins, 18 amino acids, and 200 active enzymes. Whoa.
Plus, it’s an anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-septic- practically anti-everything you could ever want to get rid of. There’s no wonder, then, that it can help you out in so many ways. Prepare your mind for some blowing as we unpack just some of the things you can use aloe vera for.
14 Aloe Vera Uses for Pretty Much Your Whole Body
Before we continue on with all the awesome uses for aloe vera, we just want to make a quick note on using aloe vera for hair and skin: it’s pretty much impossible to find true 100% aloe vera gel anywhere – you’ll have to get or grow fresh aloe vera and make it yourself for true, 100% aloe vera gel. Any and all commercially-sold brands claiming 100% aren’t really 100% – and some are really terrible in terms of the other ingredients they’re packing.
The best you’ll get is 99.75% aloe vera gel, which is pretty close. When buying these, just make very, very sure the remaining ingredients are all-natural as well!
Okay, let’s count some of the amazing uses for aloe vera…
1. Shaving with Aloe Vera Gel
Aloe vera’s anti-inflammatory qualities means it makes for a gentle shave that won’t nip at those tender areas. Its consistency is also right up there – it’s slippery, which means it can smoothly glide over your skin, taking the hair with it. Not to mention that it’s hydrating effects will leave your skin soft, supple and vibrant!
If you’ve got fresh aloe vera lying around, use it as an au naturel aloe vera shaving gel for your legs, pits, and wherever else you got unwanted hair going on. If your green thumb isn’t yet green enough to keep your aloe vera alive – skip the the aloe vera shaving gels being sold (they contain just a little of the actual aloe vera) and get a 100% 99.75% aloe vera gel instead.
Oh, and of course – you can also use aloe vera after shaving or waxing to soothe, red irritated skin!
2. Aloe Vera as a Moisturizer
Hmmm. It soothes and heals, but does aloe vera moisturize skin?
Um, yes! Aloe vera contain these things called polysaccharides, which essentially make an invisible protective coating around the skin to lock moisture in. Because it’s anti-inflammatory and filled with soothing anti-oxidant, aloe vera is a godsend for those with oily or acne-prone skin. Some important people have already caught on to this, and you can find a whole lot of aloe vera moisturizers claiming to fight acne, yet most of them are short on the aloe vera and big on the additives.
Again, make sure to check the ingredients list and opt for an all-natural, pure aloe vera gel moisturizer – it makes a great, cooling, hydrating, light-weight moisturizer to relieve redness, dryness, irritations!
3. Aloe Vera Gel for Skin Conditions
My favorite part of the article; time for some science.
There was a study done on 44 individuals who were showing symptoms of scaly skin and itchiness- something that those with skin conditions like seborrheic dermatitis or psoriasis will know all too well.
One group was given aloe barbadensis, the stuff you’re probably talking about when you say ‘aloe vera’. Another was given a placebo just to make sure it was actually the aloe vera doing the work. They monitored the symptoms of itchy and scaly skin over the course of the study. At the end of the day, the group that was given aloe vera showed a significant improvement in their symptoms than the control group.
Now, this isn’t the be all and end all, obviously; but combine that with the anecdotal proof for aloe vera gel’s usefulness for skin conditions (which existed since ancient times) – and we think you should more than give it a try.
4. Heal Minor Wounds with Aloe Vera
Aloe vera’s ability to fight bacteria also makes it great at healing minor wounds and infections. On average, wounds that are treated with aloe vera heal up eight days faster than those treated with your everyday, bog-standard dressing.
It gets its healing properties from a bunch of different compounds it contains- one of which is C-glucosyl chromone, known to be effective for healing up wounds. It should be noted, though, that aloe vera shouldn’t be used for deep wounds because of its efficient moisturizing qualities. Moist skin can’t heal up; it needs to dry up before it can close. So you’re best to just use this for small cuts and bruises.
5. Dab Aloe Vera on Burns
Following on from the point before, aloe vera is also effective on all kinds of different burns. There’s not much it can’t handle, whether you’ve slipped up in the kitchen or you managed to convince yourself that water was good enough to use as a shaving cream.
It’s up for debate whether it can be used for sunburn; some experts say it doesn’t, but we have quite a few testimonials from people who swear by the burn-lifting powers of aloe vera. Whether you want to use it for this purpose is entirely up to you, but you really should have put on good (organic) sunscreen in the first place, you numpty.
6. Go No ‘Poo with Aloe Vera Shampoo
For the un-initiated, no-poo has nothing to do with your (bowel) regularity – it’s essentially just finding creative ways to treat your hair without using any of that commercial brand gloop.
Aloe vera is perfect for this purpose, since it has a PH almost identical to that of our hair (4.5-5.0 PH). That’s important because our hair’s (and our skin’s) protective layer can be damaged easily by PHs that are too high. Aloe vera hits that spot perfectly, so it’s ideal to use as an all-natural shampoo.
If you’re not keen on going totally no-poo, aloe vera or not – opt for an aloe vera shampoo to hydrate and moisturize your tresses. We’re in love with Babo Botanicals’ Cucumber Aloe Vera Shampoo – it’s totally natural and organic and free of all the icky stuff like sulfates, formaldehyde, parabens and phthalate (gluten, too!). It’s lovely for your hair, but it’s heaven-sent for your scalp.
7. Treat Dry Hair with Aloe Vera
This plays into aloe’s vera’s potential as a moisturizer- if you have stubborn dry hair and need to get a bit of moisture in there, aloe vera is your ticket to great hair health. A whole host of different minerals and nutrients will help you on your way to more nourished hair. It’s also great at reigning in those pesky strands of hair that just really dislike co-operating with you.
8. Use Aloe Vera to De-frizz Tresses
There’s a reason why you’re likely to find aloe vera in a lot of de-frizzing treatments nowadays. Asides from being a fantastic moisturizer, aloe vera also improves circulation. It can get the scalp to finally get its butt off the couch and do something already, which means that it’s great for restoring your time-worn locks to its former glory.
9. Replace Lube with…Aloe Vera
Let’s not be coy here; when you’re in the mood, you want to be safe. And there’s nothing less sexy than introducing parabens into your, you know, lady parts. Oh, and don’t even get me started on glycerin and yeast infections…
Well, it’s time to welcome aloe vera into your bedroom (or playroom, if you’ve got that 50 Shades thing going on – we don’t judge). Aloe vera obviously has the moisturizing effect that you’ll be looking for, as well as being remarkably gentle on your tender areas. Having a pH similar to that of your body is extremely essential for those areas – it’s why you have such a bad reaction to using soaps down there. So for safer fun in bed, aloe vera is a great natural lubricant that won’t leave any nasty side effects.
You can, of course, whip up your own DIY aloe vera lube. Or use an all-natural aloe vera gel. Or if you want something natural, organic and lovely smelling (Tahitian vanilla, anyone?) – go for Aloecadabra.
10. Aloe Vera for Face Masks
Let’s face it- everyone loves a good face mask. There’s something about that all-over coverage that makes you feel like your face is coming back to life again. If you want to get crafty with this, you can make a DIY aloe vera-based face mask at home for pennies. Make sure to mix and match- get creative with this. Add in all of your natural skin care mainstays, or try out something new, to maximise the effects of the face mask. Within fifteen minutes, you’ll have hydrated and tight skin- thank you, collagen!- that will definitely make you feel like something magical just happened.
11. Aloe Vera Toothpaste
That’s right – aloe vera also holds benefits for your teeth. A bunch of hoity-toity scientists have been bickering about aloe vera’s effects for years now, but it wasn’t until a study was posted in the journal of General Dentistry proving aloe vera’s ability to eliminate oral bacteria that opinions started to change.
As it turns out, aloe vera contains anti-inflammatory compounds called anthraquinones which have good healing qualities, and even give aloe vera anaesthetic properties in some cases. Moreover, aloe vera is purely just a lot gentler on your teeth and gums than any mass-produced toothpaste. This makes it an ideal choice for people with sensitive gums or teeth. Want to try a fluoride-free, propolis-containing aloe vera toothpaste?
12. Aloe Vera as a Natural Lip Balm
Aloe vera lip balm not only offers relief for dry and cracked lips, but actually helps to protect lips from the dangers of the elements. You can obviously find lots of aloe vera-based lip balms off the shelf at your local drug store, but many of those products have some nasty little surprises mixed in to them.
If you really want the best effects, you can make your own lip balm at home. Aloe vera works great with essential oils like grapefruit or peppermint, but you can really throw in anything that you feel will be beneficial to you. Go nuts.
13. Use Aloe Vera for Dandruff and Scalp Health
Aloe vera’s star player in the court of dandruff treatment is something called pectin, which actively aids in the cell regeneration process. Dandruff is far too often caused by old skin cells flaking off, so helping your body to produce new and healthy cells is obviously going to be your first port of call if you want to get rid of the white stuff.
14. Soothe Irritated, Red Eyes with Aloe Vera
Everyone slips up sometimes, and if you’ve managed to get your eyes to the point where you could pass for a demon on a YA fantasy show, don’t stress.
Aloe vera is a great little remedy for red and irritated eyes due to its ability to reduce swelling and soothe the skin. Again, the culprit is aloe vera’s anti-inflammatory qualities which help to ease irritation and get the pigment back to normal. Keep a bottle next to your shampoo and conditioner, as well as one beside your kitchen sink. It should take the sting out of soapy and garlic-ridden eyes alike. It’s also much less likely to sting your eyes than a lot of commercial eye wash- and, like, the last thing you want when your eyes are stinging is for them to sting more. That’s pretty obvious.
15. Use Aloe Vera Gel as a Natural Eyeshadow Primer
And while we’re on the topic of eyes – anyone else have difficulty getting eyeshadows to stick around (and not just gather in the creases of the eyes)?
Well, aloe vera to the rescue once again. Did you know this goopy stuff makes a lovely all natural eye primer? Yes, it’s lightweight, hydrating and does a great job prepping your eyelids for eyeshadow artwork 🙂
At this point – if you’re not totally overwhelmed by the awesomeness that is aloe vera – you might be wondering…Can’t you also drink this stuff?
Why, yes. Yes, you can. And drinking aloe vera comes with heaps of additional benefits…
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