My Pretty Pillows

Aloe Vera plants are so useful and they offer so many more benefits then just being a cool houseplant. This is absolutely my favorite succulent with all the antioxidant and vitamins such a A, C, and E.  This plant is good for sunburns, cuts, and makes a great part of your skin care routine as well.  I want to go over how to cut Aloe Vera properly and some great uses for this wonderful plant. 

• You will need:  A sharp serrated knife or scissors.  Wiping your knife with some rubbing alcohol will help sterilize the knife and make sure you are caring about the health of the rest of the plant. 

• Choose Wisely!  You will want to take the outer stems which will be the oldest part of your plant and these stems are usually the thickest part of the plant. 

• Cutting Stem Off:  You will be cutting your stem as close to the base of the plant as you can.  The stem will not start to regrow but you will be making room for the new baby stem leaves to emerge and fill out your plant.

• Yellow Stuff?  Umm, what's this?  This part of the plant is the Aloin.  Do not use this part of the plant.  You can wipe away, and stand your stem upwards to let this part drain off.   Throw away that yellow substance as you will not want to mix that with your Aloe that you will be using.

• Harvest the Aloe:  Lay your stem on a clean cutting board, cut off the spiky edges, and lengthwise you will run your knife down the skin of the top of the Aloe all the way down, revealing the Aloe inside.  Make sure your knife is very close to the skin so you do not cut away all the Aloe goodness inside.  Next, do this again along the bottom under the Aloe you have just revealed making sure you are very close to the skin again as well.  

You should now be left with a nice gel that has many uses!  Rinse the aloe to wash away any residual Aloin and to help make it less bitter if using in your drinks.

Uses:  You can use your new aloe for your face, skin, and hair and even find recipes for adding to your drinks.  

Hair Mask:  Mix Aloe with coconut oil.  This is a great hair mask that will leave your hair feeling nice and soft.  Leave on for at least 30 minutes before washing out. Looking for organic Aloe Vera for your skincare, and hair masks?  Etsy has many choices. 

Skin Care:  Aloe has many benefits for skin and I just mix up my aloe into a little container and use to rub on my face.  It helps fade dark spots, promotes collagen, can help clear up acne, gentle enough to use daily.  If making a face mask, add a few drops of lemon juice to your face mask and let sit for 10 minutes and then wash off.   Regular aloe is safe enough to leave on overnite and it absorbs quickly, but if you are mixing it i would consider that a 10 minute mask and wash it off after that time frame. Looking for organic Aloe Vera for your skincare, and hair masks?  Etsy has many choices. 

Storing:  If you mixed up your aloe, and put into small containers for your multiple uses you must store your Aloe in the fridge.

Drinking:  You only need your aloe chunks and water in a blender to make yourself a healthy drink.  Aloe has no taste, so you can add a squeeze of lime or lemon to your water as well, or add some sparkling water.   Do not eat aloe pieces alone. 

If you cut off more leaves then you want to harvest the aloe from you can also put the whole stem into a plastic bag and store that in the fridge, just wrap up the bottom of the stem with some foil to protect the opened bottom portion and harvest the stem within usually 2 weeks. 

Do not use Aloe Vera on any skin infections.

Love the concept of using Aloe Vera but don't have a plant to harvest?  Want to try this highly moisturizing aloe in your skin routine or for hairmasks? Don't worry,   Etsy has many organic choices!