Aloe: benefits, harm, application

This plant has long been called a home doctor, it has so many beneficial properties. In almost every apartment you can see this irreplaceable plant, whose name is aloe. Today we’ll look at exactly what beneficial properties it boasts and how to use it.

Aloe - benefits

The leaves of this plant contain a lot of valuable elements, which explains the benefits of the plant. The list of useful biologically active components includes more than two hundred. They all differ in their beneficial properties.

Among the vitamins, aloe leaves contain all the components of group B, vitamins A, C and E. The pulp of the leaves is rich in anthraquinone glycosides and amino acids. The pulp contains phytoncides, polysaccharides, gelonins, enzymes and other beneficial substances. We will look at the beneficial qualities of the plant in more detail a little later.

Aloe - harm

Like any other remedy, aloe has not only positive properties. In some cases, this plant can be harmful. It is absolutely safe to use aloe only for external treatment.

Due to its too high content of biologically active components, aloe may be unsafe for allergy sufferers. Their body can give an unpredictable reaction to the plant. An overdose can cause diarrhea, pain in the stomach area, inflammation and even nephritis. Using aloe during pregnancy is especially dangerous as it can cause miscarriage.

You cannot treat with aloe for too long. The duration of any treatment with this plant should not exceed two weeks. In this case, aloe can cause the formation of tumors of various types and accumulate in the body as a carcinogen.

Aloe - contraindications

As we noted above, almost everyone without exception can use aloe externally. But the use of aloe and preparations made from it internally has its contraindications.
For example, the use of aloe is contraindicated in the following conditions:

• Various liver diseases. It could be various types of hepatitis or cirrhosis.
• Gallbladder diseases – cholelithiasis, cholecystitis.
• Kidney nephritis.
• Cystitis of the bladder.
• Some types of heart and vascular diseases.
• Uterine bleeding, heavy menstrual flow. This is explained by the fact that aloe causes blood to flow to the abdominal organs. And with various types of bleeding, additional blood flow can provoke a disastrous result.

Medicinal properties of aloe

There are many types of this plant, each of which has its own beneficial properties. Aloe vera is common in our apartments. It is also called agave. This type of aloe is grown for medicinal purposes. This type of aloe in an apartment can grow up to 1 meter in height and grow densely. True, aloe does not bloom in the apartment. The flowering process of this plant can only be observed in its natural habitat.

The bacteriostatic and bactericidal qualities of aloe have long been noted. This plant is able to suppress the activity of microbes such as streptococcus, staphylococcus, as well as various bacilli - intestinal, dysentery, diphtheria and the causative agent of typhoid fever.

In this regard, aloe is very helpful in healing wounds; it is able to cleanse the body of radiation traces. Aloe can also be used to increase the body's defense against infection. Aloe is used to generally strengthen the human immune system as a natural biostimulant.

The leaves and juice from them can be used to make medicine. On sale you can find condensed aloe juice, which is also called sabur. At home, you can extract fresh plant juice or preparations for use in Filatov’s tissue therapy.

Traditional medicine recommends using the leaves of a plant that has already crossed the three-year mark. In this case, you only need to cut off the lower and most fleshy leaves. Juice is squeezed out of them, which must be used immediately. The fact is that fresh aloe juice cannot be preserved for a long time - it simply loses its beneficial properties. To extend the shelf life of aloe juice, various alcohol tinctures are made from it.

Uses of aloe

This plant can be used to treat a wide range of different diseases. Some people even make special injections with aloe juice. Of course, homemade juice cannot be used for injections. For this purpose, a special solution in ampoules is sold in pharmacies. Such internal injections are especially good for the treatment of diseases of the digestive organs, purulent inflammations, ailments of the eyes and respiratory organs.

Alcohol tincture from aloe has proven itself to be excellent, which can be used to get rid of sore throat and treatment of burns and various wounds. To prepare such a tincture, the aloe leaf needs to be cut into smaller pieces and poured with regular vodka in an amount of 100 ml. The container must be sealed and refrigerated in a dark place. You need to keep this mixture there for about two weeks. After this period ends, strain the mixture through cheesecloth. For a sore throat, take the tincture three times a day. If the tincture turns out to be very bitter, you can wash it down with water.

The same tincture can be used to relieve stomach ulcers or as a digestive aid. For this purpose, you should drink no more than a teaspoon before meals.

This effective aloe recipe will help boost your immunity. Grind the plant leaf in any available way - you can use a blender or twist it in a meat grinder. Add a large spoonful of honey to this porridge and mix thoroughly. The mass should stand for a day after which it can be used. Eat this remedy in the mornings and evenings, a spoonful before meals.

A recipe made from onion juice and aloe juice will help with cough. Take a small onion and grind it into porridge. Do the same with the aloe leaf. Extract the juice from the plants and mix it. Drink this medicine a teaspoon after eating, three times a day.

Aloe for face

Aloe is widely used in cosmetology. It is suitable for literally any skin and has a positive effect: it will moisturize dry skin, dry out oily skin, soothe sensitive skin and tone aging skin.

If you have various types of rashes, your skin is oily and shiny, flaky and irritated, and prone to allergies, then you simply need to use aloe.

The popularity of aloe for cosmetic purposes has prompted some cosmetic companies to industrially produce aloe gel. This is essentially aloe juice in condensed form, to which preservatives are added to increase shelf life. This product is very beneficial for any skin. There should be no foreign components in the gel, only aloe juice and thickeners.

For lovers of all things natural, you can make this gel yourself. Of course, it will have a short shelf life and only in the refrigerator. To make a homemade remedy, peel the skin of 4 aloe leaves and place the pulp in a clean container. Then mash it with a blender until smooth. Add a little vitamin E to this paste. The resulting mixture can be used by first diluting it with water or adding other medicinal ingredients.

Based on the resulting homemade gel, you can make face masks or lotions. This product must be stored in the refrigerator for no longer than a month.

• For oily skin, aloe tincture is well suited and can be used as a homemade lotion. It is prepared in the same way as homemade gel. Only instead of vitamin E, you need to add medical alcohol to the aloe pulp. You need to infuse the mixture in a dark place for a week. This tincture is suitable for ladies with very oily problem skin.
• For normal skin, make a mask of aloe and heavy cream, taken in equal quantities. It perfectly nourishes the skin and gives it smoothness.
• For aging skin, the following mask is suitable: 2 parts sour cream, 1 part honey and 2 parts agave juice. Mix everything and apply to your face for a quarter of an hour. It would be very good to wash your face with contrasting water after such a mask.
• To cleanse and rejuvenate the skin, make a mask of aloe and aroma oils. Take a few drops of ylang-ylang, rose and lemon oils and add a couple of tablespoons of aloe pulp. This mask should be applied to cleansed skin for 10 minutes.
• For oily skin, a mask made from oatmeal and aloe. Grind a couple of tablespoons of oatmeal, add the same amount of aloe juice, chopped cucumber and the white of one egg. Mix everything well and apply on your face for 20 minutes. As a result, you will notice how your pores have narrowed, your skin has become matte, and your acne has dried out a little.

Aloe for hair

Few people know, but aloe can be used to solve a variety of hair problems. Most often it is part of a variety of hair masks:

• For example, to eliminate hair loss and to strengthen them, you can prepare the following mask: aloe juice, almond oil and honey are mixed in equal parts and applied to the scalp. Then everything is covered with plastic wrap and a warm scarf. You need to keep this mask for about half an hour.
• To add shine to your hair, a mask of aloe juice and burdock oil is suitable.
• And to eliminate dandruff, use a mask of aloe juice and 20% alcohol.

Pure aloe juice can be a substitute for store-bought conditioner. It will make your hair manageable, giving it smoothness and softness.

Aloe contains components that can prevent hair loss. Therefore, the juice from this plant can be rubbed into the head to strengthen the roots and stimulate the growth of new hair. This simple procedure will help fight dandruff and eliminate excess oil.

Lovers of natural products will certainly appreciate aloe shampoo. To make it, take the gel from this plant and add coconut milk and wheat germ oil to it. This shampoo will not only wash your hair, but will also moisturize it well.

Aloe for runny nose

It is very effective to use aloe juice to relieve nasal congestion and get rid of a runny nose. You can instill a few drops of juice diluted in a 1:1 ratio with water into each nasal passage. This way you will relieve inflammation and speed up blood flow, destroying pathogenic bacteria in the nose. Small wounds that may be inside the nose will heal much faster.

Aloe juice can be used for treatment of runny nose even for children older than one year. You just need to take into account that only bacterial runny nose can be treated in this way. If the disease is viral in nature, a severe allergy may develop.

For children, aloe juice should be diluted with warm water in a ratio of 1:3 and only then instilled a few drops three times a day. The first effect can be seen a few days after the start of treatment. The process must be continued for at least five days in order for the effect of treatment to be maximum.

If you want to treat a runny nose in babies in this way, be sure to consult with your pediatrician first. If he gives permission for this method, then it can be used. In this case, dilute the plant juice with water in a ratio of 1:5 and bury it in the baby’s nose no more than twice a day.

Aloe for acne

Traditional medicine recipes very widely use aloe in the fight against various rashes on the face. It is best to take freshly cut leaves to treat acne, since storing the cut leaf for more than three hours kills all the beneficial components in aloe.

It is useful to make applications from aloe leaves. To do this, take a piece of leaf and cut it into two halves. Apply the pulp to the purulent pimple and secure with a band-aid. You can leave the application in this form overnight. After just a few uses, you can get rid of acne.

Aloe lotion helps to wipe away acne after washing. Mix 8 tablespoons of aloe juice with 2 tablespoons of alcohol and store this product in the refrigerator.

A mask made from plant juice and a few drops of lemon juice has an excellent effect on acne and copes with it. Add to this the white of one egg and apply to your face for half an hour, and then wash your face.

Of course, aloe is very effective in eliminating various rashes on the face. But remember that it cannot be used if there are any kind of neoplasms on the skin or if you are individually intolerant to the plant. The same can be said about preparations that contain aloe.