Summer is already over and maybe your skin is still recovering from too much exposure to the sun. One of the easiest ways to help your skin recover is using Aloe Vera. For those of you who do not know, Aloe Vera is one of the most commonly used herbal remedy for tropical skin conditions. Simply because it has a gel like component of a plant that would help your skin heals from minor ailments. But that is not the only thing that the very wonderful Aloe Vera plant can do. Here is a list of its benefits and if you are ever wondering how to grow this plant for your own benefit, it will also be listed below.
Aloe Vera Benefits:
Aloe Vera as a sunburn treatment: There are a lot of products in the market that sell an Aloe Vera based skin gel. What you do is make ice cubes from the Aloe Vera gel or put your product in the fridge to let it cool. Once it is chilled, apply the Aloe Vera gel to the sunburned area; do this 2 to 3 times a day until you see your skin getting back in to its normal.
Aloe Vera as an acne scar solution: Mix 1 tablespoon of Aloe Vera gel and 2 to 3 drops of lemon juice. If you have sensitive skin, use tea tree oil instead. Put the solution in the fridge and let it chill for a while. After cleansing your skin, apply the solution on your acne scars; do this once or twice a day and your acne scars will fade easily.
Aloe Vera as a skin toner: Mix a part of Aloe Vera gel and 2 parts of water. Put it in a clean bottle. Shake well before using.
Aloe Vera as an exfoliating gel: Aloe Vera contains salicylic acid which helps gently exfoliate your dead skin cells off; revealing a healthier looking skin. Since it is also a gel like plant, it contains a huge amount of water that will leave your skin moisturized without the greasiness. In order to achieve this, you need to mix a tablespoon of Baking Soda and two tablespoons of Aloe Vera gel. Stir them together until you get a paste like solution. Apply this on your skin and leave it for at least 5 to 10 minutes
Aloe Vera as a hair mask: Aloe Vera contains enzymes and fatty acids that reduce inflammation, which could be helpful if you have irritated scalp. It also strips out the extra sebum off your hair without leaving them dried out. Aloe Vera also contains vitamins A, C and E that contribute to cell turnover, making cell growth healthier thus giving you shinier hair. Aside from vitamins A, C and E, Aloe Vera also contains folic acid and Vitamin B-12 that could help strengthen your hair. So all in all, putting Aloe Vera on your hair would benefit not just its appearance but also helps your hair cells become healthier from within. All you have to do is put Aloe Vera gel all over your hair, massage it in your scalp for at least 2 minutes and leave it on for 15 to 20 minutes. Lastly, rinse it off with your regularly used shampoo and conditioner. If you have dry scalp, you could do this at least twice a week and if you donāt once a week will do. You will probably see results after a month of doing this.
How to take care of an Aloe Vera plant:
Buying Aloe Vera gel in your local make up store is a little expensive and sometimes it is not all Aloe Vera most of them have a few chemicals added in them. Not that it would be harmful to your skin but isnāt it better if do it all natural. It is safe and you will be relieved because you grew it in your garden.
Aloe Vera is a very easy to take care of. All you have to do plant it in the ground make sure there is sunlight since it is a cactus, it grows better under the sun. You also donāt have to water it every day but if you want it to grow fast, watering it every day helps. To know if you over watered your Aloe Vera plant, the tips of it will look a little bit rotten. If you are going to use it for your hair mask or toner or soothing gel, make sure to cut the oldest leaf, youāll know that it is an old leaf if its darker the other leaves.