Aloe has a long history! Ancient Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians all used the plant for both medicine and beauty. Rumor has it that Egyptian queens Nefertiti and Cleopatra used aloe regularly for skin care. Over the year, the aloe vera plant has been called Burn Plant, Medicine Plant, and even the Plant of Life!
Aloe can be separated into two basic parts: the clear gel that comes from the inner portion of the leaves and a latex or juice that comes from the skin of the leaves.
Aloe gel is typically used for the treatment of minor burns and skin irritations. You may even have an aloe vera plant in your kitchen in case of burn!
The aloe juice is taken internally, and has been promoted as a cure for just about everything. Studies show that aloe juice works well as a laxative; other supposed powers of aloe have not been proven.
One thing that is for sure is that aloe vera gel does have a lot of good stuff going for it!
- Vitamins! Aloe is full of Vitamin A, C, and E. It also contains traces of Vitamin B12, which is not often seen in plants.
- Enzymes! Enzymes aid digestion by helping your body break down fats and sugars.
- Minerals! Aloe contains calcium, manganese, magnesium, copper, zinc, and more. These are all minerals your body needs to work properly.
- Sugars! It’s the particular sugars in aloe that make the plant gel such a good moisturizer. These are long-chain sugars that don’t get broken down and help line your skin.
- Fatty Acids! Some fatty acids are good for your body. Aloe contains four kinds of fatty acids.
- Salicylic Acid! A natural anti-inflammatory compound. Your sore, sunburned skin will appreciate this.
- Amino Acids! Your body uses 22 amino acids, and aloe vera gel contains twenty of them. There are certain amino acids that your body can’t make on its own; aloe vera gel has seven of them.