Aloe Vera
Posted on 27 May 2008 by admin 
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Common name: Aloe Vera (sometimes called Barbados Aloe, Medicinal Aloe)Most Aloes grows upright with thick, succulent leaves in a rosette. The leaves are lance-shaped with a sharp apex and a spiny margin. Usually Aloe flowers bloom in the fall with golden-orange tubular forms on spikes.
It ranges in size from very short flower stems to some with stems over 20 feet tall.
Location: Aloe Vera is a semi-tropical plant which looks more like a cactus. It is a member of lily family which usually grows in the African continent.
Parts Used: Gel from the leaves. An orange-yellow sap can be seen when a leaf of Aloe Vera is cut from the top.
Cosmetic Uses: Aloe can be used to treat skin disorders (acne, oil skin), dandruff, cosmetics and beauty (it is included in many beauty creams, lotions and in health drinks).
Medicinal uses: The Aloe Vera plant contains number of health benefits that has been used for medicinal purposes around the world for more than 3500 years.
Aloe has been used as a healing herb. It is taken internally for, and to improve the immune system.
A vast research has been done on Aloe Vera and proved to be very effective and significant in the treatment of various ailments, cathartic, hepatic, cholagogue (a cholagogue is a medicinal agent which promotes the discharge of bile from the system, purging it downward), emmenagogue (those herbs which stimulate blood flow in the pelvic area and uterus, some stimulate menstruation), vermifuge (an agent that causes the expulsion of worms or parasites from the body).
The aloe actually has tissue regenerative properties. It is also anti-bacterial and anaesthetic. The sticky gel used it to treat any kind of sunburn (experiments show that aloe protects from ultra-violet rays and may help in the treatment of cataracts and skin cancer), skin sore, stomach problems, mouth ulcers, insect bites and even poison ivy rash.
Toxicity Precautions: Aloe Vera is a legally restricted (it is illegal in some countries to possess or use this plant without proper certification). The bitter yellow juice from its leaf base is toxic. Do not take internally. Aloe Vera is not safe for use during pregnancy or breastfeeding period. Aloe is a purgative and stimulates uterine contractions.
Tip: Keep an aloe plant in your kitchen to use on burns and cuts. To apply, simply cut a leaf off of the plant, and squeeze the gel onto the burn or cut. For more serious burns or cuts you can open the leaf long ways and apply it to the burn as a poultice.
Click www.aloevera.com to watch Aloe Vera manufacturing process.
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