Aloe Vera and Its Many Uses

Aloe vera is a succulent known for a plethora of medicinal properties. It’s not just now that the plant is being put to use extensively. Since ancient Egypt, the gel and juice present inside aloe vera has been used as a popular home remedy for everything from skin issues to digestive problems. In the initial days, dating back to almost 6000 years ago, the Egyptians used it extensively for its healing properties, which gave it its name- ‘the plant of immortality'. In fact, over the years, it’s garnered a few more names such as ‘lily of the desert’, ‘elephant’s gall’, and ‘burn plant.’

Nowadays, aloe vera has an entire industry of beauty and health products backing it. Its gel and juices are used in beauty and personal-care products such as shaving cream, soap, sunscreen lotion, moisturizers, and under-eye gel, among other things. They are also used in laxatives as an essential ingredient to treat digestive issues. It is also available as a supplement to improve your skin, hair, and digestive health, among other things. In this blog, let’s look at some of its primary uses that will push you to stock up your shelves with this critical plant or its products.

Uses of Aloe Vera

Aloe vera has been extensively used as traditional medicine for centuries to treat various issues such as skin burns, wounds, suntan, dry skin, cuts and bruises, gut problems like constipation, heartburn, inflammation of any kind, hemorrhoids, and the like. Let’s look at some of these uses in great detail below.

Heals Burns and Wounds

The pulpy, mucilaginous aloe gel obtained from the aloe leaf is used as a potent household remedy for minor cuts and burns, including sunburns. No wonder we find aloe vera as one of the primary ingredients in skin lotions and cosmetics. Its fresh and cooling gel is known for its moisturizing properties. Aloe consists of active anti-inflammatory chemical compounds that can lessen pain and swelling and stimulate skin growth and repair. These compounds are referred to as anthraquinones, which aid in the healing process and relieve the pain when applied to the skin.

Clears Acne

Known for its anti-bacterial properties, aloe-vera is used to help control, manage, and bring down acne-causing bacteria. You can combine aloe vera gel with two other ingredients - cinnamon and honey, and it will help you get smooth, glowing skin, free from all kinds of acne, acne marks, or pimples. This is a DIY you must try out if you haven’t already. A 2014 study published in the Journal of Dermatological Treatment showed that when a group of people applied a mix of tretinoin and aloe vera on their faces, they had fewer acne and pimples than those who only applied tretinoin. You can apply its gel twice a day or more for several weeks or months. Using it consistently will prevent acne and help diminish acne scarring and marks on the skin.

Wellbeing Nutrition’s Skin Fuel, a tube containing 15 water soluble tablets, is India’s First US Dermatologist Formulated skin-nourishing drink. This 4-in-1 bioactive Japanese marine collagen, L–glutathione, hyaluronic acid, matcha green tea, aloe vera, grapeseed, blueberry, goji berry, vitamin C, and E. This elixir for youthful and healthy skin thwarts age-related collagen loss that aids in improving skin texture and complexion, better managing pigmentation and discolouration, reducing acne and wrinkles, and giving your skin a natural youthful glow!

Promotes Oral Health

As stated above, aloe vera is known for its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory potential. The gel obtained from the leaves effectively controls the bacteria that causes cavities better than any other commercial toothpaste. Aloe vera’s potential to kill and remove harmful pathogens is all thanks to its compound, anthraquinones, known for its anti-inflammatory potential. Additionally, using aloe vera juice to gargle and rinse your mouth can effectively help kill germs and bacteria, giving it a unique freshness.

Improves Digestive Health

Aloe vera is scientifically proven to help improve digestive health. Consuming aloe vera juice helps to reduce irritation in the gut. It may help people with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and other inflammatory diseases related to the stomach. Additionally, aloe vera concentrate mixed with lukewarm water/ smoothie or other berry juices works well as a detox drink. Drinking 15-20 ml of aloe vera concentrate with lukewarm water will help improve both gut and skin health. Furthermore, aloe vera juice also helps you stay hydrated, enabling you to pass stool without any trouble.

Final Takeaway

Aloe vera is also a rich source of antioxidants that help fight free radicals in the body, which reduces oxidative stress and inflammation and keeps all types of chronic illnesses such as diabetes, heart diseases, and even cancer at bay. However, avoid consuming aloe vera two weeks ahead of any scheduled surgery. Moreover, women who are pregnant or breastfeeding and children below the age of 12 should avoid the intake of this juice.


References:

• Surjushe A, Vasani R, Saple DG. Aloe vera: a short review. Indian J Dermatol. 2008;53(4):163-166. doi:10.4103/0019-5154.44785. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2763764/)
• Medicinal and cosmetological importance of Aloe vera, M Imran Qadir, International Journal of Natural Therapy, (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/233818204_Medicinal_and_cosmetological_importance_of_Aloe_vera)
• Maenthaisong R, Chaiyakunapruk N, Niruntraporn S, et al. The efficacy of aloe vera used for burn wound healing: a systematic review. 2007. In: Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (DARE): Quality-assessed Reviews [Internet]. York (UK): Centre for Reviews and Dissemination (UK); 1995-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK74820/

• Hajheydari Z, Saeedi M, Morteza-semnani K, Soltani A. Effect of Aloe vera topical gel combined with tretinoin in treatment of mild and moderate acne vulgaris: a randomized, double-blind, prospective trial. J Dermatolog Treat. 2014;25(2):123-9. (https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3109/09546634.2013.768328?journalCode=ijdt20)
• Mangaiyarkarasi SP, Manigandan T, Elumalai M, Cholan PK, Kaur RP. Benefits of Aloe vera in dentistry. J Pharm Bioallied Sci. 2015;7(Suppl 1):S255-S259. doi:10.4103/0975-7406.155943. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4439686/)
• Maharjan H. Radha, Nampoothiri P. Laxmipriya, Evaluation of biological properties and clinical effectiveness of Aloe vera: A systematic review, Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine, Volume 5, Issue 1,2015, Pages 21-26, ISSN 2225-4110, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtcme.2014.10.006. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2225411014000078)