Sometimes we have some really useful things in our home that never seem to get the use they deserve.
That’s the way it is with me and my aloe vera plants.
I really have to make a concerted effort to use the valuable gel from this plant. Internally, it can do so many good things for our body including detoxification, help with digestion and boost our immune system. Externally, it’s great for things like softening our skin and helping our bodies heal from sunburns. If you google “aloe vera uses,” you will see what I am referring to.
While I do have to remind myself to make use of my aloe vera plants, I also know that there are some precautions to take, such as not imbibing it when you are pregnant and over-use of the gel. However, personally, I am a far cry from over-kill when it comes to using aloe vera. Rather, I am at the other end of the spectrum. Almost every Saturday, when I water my plants, I find myself saying “darn, I have to remember to make use of this plant more often!”
I use my aloe vera plants three main ways. When I remember to, about every couple of weeks, I put the gel in a smoothie. The second way that I use it is for my home-made skin softeners and the third way I use this plant is for relief from dry and/or burnt skin in the Summer time. (Remember that season called Summer?)
How to get to the aloe vera gel
1. Cut towards the bottom of the biggest stalks with a knife.
2. Cut off the other end of the stalk, then slice it in half lengthwise.
3. Scrape out the gel from the cut stalks.
(I usually lay one side of the stalk at a time on a large plate and use a dull butter knife or a spoon to scrape the gel from one long side of the stalk to the other).
If you have never grown aloe vera, it’s very easy to grow. Just give the plant plenty of sun, water it once or twice a week and you are good to go!
If you have never seen, smelt or felt the actual gel from an aloe vera plant, I will tell you that it’s more like slime than gel – and that applies to how it both looks and feels! Also, the smell isn’t pretty. No matter. You can’t really smell it once it is either on you or in a beverage.
A few years ago, my mother-in-law, Pat, had two brain surgeries, one right after the other. Her head had been shaved and when her hair started to come back in, the “stubble” gave her an itchy head feeling. A few times I took some fresh aloe vera juice to either the rehab or her home after the surgery and rubbed it into her head. She said that the aloe vera juice soothed her head and really helped with the itching.
One time, as I was rubbing the aloe vera gel into her scalp, my father-in-law was watching with a rather disgusted look on his face. I suppose that the reason he had this look on his face was due to the fact that as I was (very amply) rubbing the gel into his wife’s scalp, it was dripping down her face like snot. I told my father-in-law that if he ever came close to dying, I would do the same thing for him – referring to rubbing aloe vera gel into his scalp. His quick retort was, “I think I would rather die!”
So while I agree that the process may not have been pretty, the end result was well worth the effort!
If you are ever at my house, I would be happy to give you some stalks of aloe vera to get you started! Meanwhile, before I am distracted by 100 other things, I am going to “reap” some aloe vera gel from my plants and put it in something to drink!
I feel healthier already!
Thanks for reading!
Jayne
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earthshealingblog 
