Do you know all the benefits of Aloe Vera plant? Did you know there are about 300 aloe vera species growing in Africa, America, Australia, China?
Moisturizing, anti-inflammatory, rejuvenating and soothing are just some of the words that can describe the effectiveness of many cosmetic products based on Aloe. The pure gel is one of the best forms of aloe because it allows you to put these non greasy substance on your skin as often as you like, without worrying about clogging the pores or making it too oily as in case of some creams and lotions. It can be mixed with non comedogenic oils like Jojoba or applied directly to specific parts of the body or face (for burns, acne, scars, inflammations).
But be aware: Even though there are many aloe vera gels on the market, they often are not good for your skin because of the harsh preservatives they contain, chemicals and even acrylates as the product below (by Esi).
There are more natural products like this one (by Bjobj) which contain about 95% of pure aloe vera gel and the rest are mild preservatives which are necessary to make the product long lasting.
You can also easily grow the plant of aloe in your garden or even on your terrace (if you don’t live in a worm climate you need to bring it inside for the winter). Extracting the gel from the plant is a simple process which involves cutting and pealing the leaf. That way you can have fresh pure aloe gel whenever you need it. There are also many researches indicating healing properties of aloe if taken orally (not more than 4 times a week), but further scientific analysis need to be conducted to confirm these potential benefits.
Image courtesy of Marin via FreeDigitalPhotos.net