Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Aloe: Nature's Miracle Plant. From Curing Dandruf to Gas


While eating my breakfast this morning, Good Morning America had a special on natural remedies in our homes. One of the items they featured was aloe. When I was growing up- my mom used aloe for just about every problem I had. It helped me ease a sunburn, sooth my upset stomach, heal skin from acne and regulate my menstrual cycle.

The Aloe plant is one of the richest kitchen garden plants in healing properties and has been even been nicknamed named the “first-aid” plant. It has moisturizing and emollient properties and is used in cosmetic creams, shaving creams, sun screens and facial masks.

Many Cosmetologists utilize aloe as a key natural beauty ingredient with several other herb. The best tip I can suggest is to grow your own aloe plant. They are very reliable plants and you can then use the fresh gel. This is much more effective than bottled gel,as it is fresh, natural and more potent. It is the only plant whose extract is applied directly from plant to face in its natural and purest form.

VARYING USES OF ALOE IN HEALTH AND BEAUTY

Aloe as after-shave
Fresh aloe gel should be rubbed on after shaving. Razor burns diminish and cuts heal quickly without scarring.

Aloe for a glowing skin

Spread aloe gel on your face. Within minutes, it works by clearing blemishes and giving you a fresh, soft baby look, which other chemicals and concoctions fail to do. Drinking 10 ml aloe juice daily also helps cleanse your skin.

Aloe for a wrinkle-free skin
Aloe is known to combat wrinkles and defies ageing. Cosmetologists have hailed it as the “water of youth”. Aloe Vera gel penetrates quickly & deeply and it is retained by the skin 3 to 4 times faster than water. Its enzymes remove dead cells, grow new ones, provide moisture and nutrition, get rid of dryness and restore the skin’s elasticity.

Aloe for acne

Aloe, the wonder herb clears acne by removing the dead cells, thereby opening the skin pores and discarding the blocked oil. The scars left by acne also should be treated similarly using aloe.

Aloe as sunscreen
Aloe provides an effective sunscreen against both types of ultraviolet rays (UV-A which causes premature ageing & UV-B which causes sunburn and skin darkening) of the sun. The pulp of aloe juice along with turmeric removes sunburn & reduces oiliness.

Aloe for burning sensation in the eyes

Sometimes there is a strong burning sensation and redness in the eyes due to factors like long hours in the hot sun, too much eye-strain due to computer usage etc. Here the pulp of the aloe juice placed on each eye can help cool the eyes and rid them of this sensation

Aloe for radiant hair

Mix fresh aloe gel mixed with curds (for very oil hair you can add multani mitti (fuller’s earth) also) and apply it to the hair ½ an hour before bath. It will make your hair bouncy & lustrous.

Aloe for dandruff
You can directly use Aloe Vera gel to remove excess dandruff. Apply the gel on your scalp 10-15 minutes before you plan to wash your hair. Regular use of the gel before shampooing will keep down the growth of dandruff.

Aloe for menstrual irregularities

Menstrual irregularities are frequent among woman. Prepare an extract of aloe juice & boil it with sugar to make syrup. Intake of this aloe syrup one week before the due date of menses is a good remedy for delayed menses. Papaya is also useful in delayed periods.

Aloe for painful menses
Some women have painful menses. The same syrup as mentioned above should be used during menses. It improves pelvic circulation and removes spasm. This will help to ease pain caused during menses.

Aloe for osteoarthritis

The use of aloe is indicated in many geriatric problems such as neuromuscular weakness and osteoarthritis. Intake of 10 gm of aloe with half a gram of turmeric powder acts as an effective blood purifier.

Aloe for wounds, bruises & abrasions

Aloe gel hardens into a natural bandage due to its antiseptic, antibacterial and antifungal properties and is widely used for the external treatment or minor wound and inflammatory skin disorders, cuts, bruises and abrasions.

Aloe for burns

Aloe has been traditionally used as a natural remedy for burns-like first degree and second degree thermal burns, and to this effect, the plant is also called “burn plant”.

Aloe for gas trouble
Mixing a dish of aloe by roasting it in a small quantity of ghee and taking it once or twice a week with a meal is a common practice in rural India. This recipe is helpful in cases of chronic gas trouble and distension of abdomen.

Aloe for losing weight
There is good news for weight watchers. Aloin, the active principle of aloe, has been in anti-obesity preparations too.

Thinking about using aloe vera in your healthy and beauty regime? Have a question about natural health cures and remedies? For a free consultation feel free to email or call Melissa Gallagher at 727-954-8968

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1 comment:

Unknown said...

It is no wonder aloe is called a “pharmaceutical house” all in one medicinal plant. The multi-purpose aloe is a wonderful remedy to keep around the house. Once you start using aloe, you’ll soon find yourself reaching out for it more often as you begin to trust its antiseptic properties, its ability to quickly heal wounds, and its soothing effect on application. Every home should have an aloe plant or two in the backyard or in the kitchen window. Aloe can also be ingested. It works as a gentle laxative and helps support immune health. There are all sorts of aloe products available in the market today. The best would be a concentrated form like Aloe Juice Concentrate 18x as it contains 18 times more antioxidant power than regular aloe juice. http://www.newvitality.com/shop/aloe-juice-concentrate-18x.aspx