Amazing Aloe.

When we bought our house back in 2010 we inherited some Aloe Vera plants. For a long time I ignored them, but kept them because I knew aloe was supposed to be good for your skin, but not much more than that. I moved them to the front garden, because they seemed to be able to survive anything. One got buried for nigh on a year and was still alive when I rediscovered it! Yet even some of the many pups the plants were producing didn't survive their move to the harsh conditions of my front garden. However, those that did thrived and multiplied. I can't even give the extras away any more!

After several years I finally got around to looking up the uses for aloe, other than sunburn. Apparently it's been used for hundreds of years for its antiseptic properties. Alexander the Great was said to never go into battle without a supply of it for his army.

Sources tell us that it works to heal in two ways; the antiseptic properties disinfect and the mucilage softens and stimulates faster healing. If you search the benefits of aloe vera, it seems to be a virtual panacea. I could reel off a list of things it's purported to cure or treat, but I can only say for certain what has worked for me and my family.

Unfortunately we get plenty of mosquito and other bug bites and have found that if rubbed just briefly on them it doesn’t do an awful lot for the itching, but they certainly heal quicker than usual. However, if you continue to rub or hold it on the bite until the itching stops, then it really comes into its own. The itching rarely comes back and the bite is gone within a couple of days, possibly less; it’s hard to say as bites rarely bother me for long now and I forget to monitor them. It's probably worth mentioning that scratching bites only increases the itching and can lengthen the healing process, so while its easier said than done, if you can avoid scratching your bug bites will be gone sooner.

I have found that small cuts stop bleeding quicker with the direct application of aloe and healing time is drastically reduced. My daughter had a scrape on her shin and the following evening, before bed, she showed it me complaining it was swollen and still painful. We rubbed aloe on it and by the morning the inflammation and pain was gone. My other daughter had a minor abrasion on her thigh from the mats at gymnastics. It was bleeding slightly so she strapped a slab of Aloe over it and by morning it had scabbed over with fresh, pink skin underneath when she (as you would!) picked at the scab.

I’m often getting minor burns whilst cooking. A chunk of Aloe held against the burn (especially if it's fresh from the fridge) eases the pain and by the following day it’s like it never happened. I’m discovering that a quick rub isn’t as affective as keeping it against your skin for a longer period. I guess it needs a bit of time for the skin to absorb as much of that goodness as it can.

My daughters use it on acne breakouts, by just cutting a square and sticking it on spots. Just a word of caution, although it is gentle on the skin, some people can react to it, especially if they have a latex allergy.

Aloe vera can be consumed, but it has a bitter taste. Some caution is also advised because it has a laxative effect, particularly if you consume the brown sap in the rind. It's generally recommended that when preparing the leaf you stand it for at least 10 minutes to drain this sap out and just use the inside gel. While the gel is bitter tasting, it's not nearly as bitter tasting as the skin and sap. I've found the easiest way to consume it is by adding some to smoothies or juice, if I'm juicing from scratch.

Some people do use the sap and rind medicinally as a laxative, but as with any medicine, you shouldn't mess around with dosages. Because aloe doesn't come with dosage instructions, if I were to use it this way I'd start small, monitor reactions and work from there. I'm no expert, however, so this is purely my thoughts and not medical advice.

Some people will prepare the gel from an entire leaf by removing the rind, but this will start to deteriorate after a couple of days, even in the fridge, so I prefer store the leaf whole in the fridge and just prepare bits as I need them.

The beauty of aloe vera is how easy it is to grow. It is a succulent which can manage arid, low nutrient conditions and even brief frosts. While it likes a bit of water and is green with plump leaves in good conditions, very wet conditions will likely kill it. When it's without water for long periods the leaves will start to get thinner and the plant will take on a reddish hue.

On the left is a plant which is enduring a hit dry summer. It's taken on a reddish hue and producing pups. On the right is a plant towards the end of winter.

In a cold climate it can be grown in a container and brought indoors for winter. Once you have a plant, you'll likely never need to source one again. They readily produce pups, which are small offshoots, and it won't be long before you've shared them will all your friends, family and the neighborhood. It's good to remove the pups from the mother plant as they will drain her a bit and she won't reach full size or be in peak condition.

There are lots of different types of aloe, but aloe vera is purported to be the most effective for use and the only one that I've come across as being mentioned for use internally. This type of aloe can grow to around 2ft, or 60cm, high, excluding the flower. I've seen it flowering both in orange and yellow and there are arguments that the yellow flowering one is the best strain, but mine has an orange flower, so that's the one I've experienced.

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This is my response to the @naturalmedicine herb challenge.

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