Aloe Vera Harvest And Use

Aloe vera has long been known as a medicinal plant. Because of its moisturizing effect, it is popular for skin and hair. Here’s how to cut and use the leaves of aloe vera.

Aloe vera is not only a pretty ornamental plant, it can also be used as a medicinal plant. In our main article, you will find a short profile and important information on how to plant and multiply the real aloe. Here you will find all the important information on how to harvest and use aloe vera.

Harvest aloe vera

If you want to use the real aloe as a medicinal plant, you can harvest the leaves regularly. Above all, the ingredients of the gel-like plant sap have a well-proven positive effect on our skin. If you want to cut off the aloe vera, it is best to use two to three-year-old plants and cut the leaves at the base of the stem with a clean, sharp knife. Scissors are less suitable as they will squeeze out the juice. You should always leave enough leaves on the plant so that it can recover from the cut.

With a regular harvest, it is important not to harvest more than two leaves and to always let leaves grow back between two harvests. In the dark season, when the plant grows more slowly, you should harvest even more sparingly. If you want to harvest a lot of aloe vera gel, you should rather cultivate several plants instead of intensively harvesting one plant. Interfaces can take on an unsightly brown color, which is why the leaves below should be cut.

Harvesting the aloe vera does not require any special skill. However, further processing should be carried out conscientiously, as the plant contains slightly poisonous plant sap, which escapes from the cut and can cause irritation. To collect and dispose of the juice, the leaves should be placed in a container as upright as possible. After the so-called bleeding, you can cut the leaves in half lengthways and harvest the aloe vera gel by scraping it out with a spoon.

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In addition to the use of the gel, aloe vera is now found as a component of numerous cosmetic and medical products, such as a moisturizer in nasal sprays. The aloe vera juice is often used as food, but we generally advise against consuming ornamental plants – because whether the aloe vera is poisonous or beneficial for you depends above all on the processing. It is better to use professionally prepared aloe vera juice that is produced according to food standards.

Medicinal properties of aloe vera

Aloe vera has been known as a medicinal plant since ancient times. It is also widely used as a home remedy and helps with ailments such as skin problems. To do this, the aloe vera gel can be applied to the affected skin area and rubbed in. It has a cooling effect, soothes itching, and moisturizes the skin. The plant is said to have a cleansing and moisturizing effect, especially for sunburn, acne, and neurodermatitis, but it is also said to help with dandruff and hair loss. A scientifically meaningful study on the actual healing effect in inflammatory skin diseases such as neurodermatitis and psoriasis has not yet been carried out.

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The internal aloe vera application should be enjoyed with caution: the aloe vera juice contains the substance aloin, which, if overdosed, can lead to diarrhea, irritation of the gastrointestinal tract, and disturbances of the electrolyte balance. The aloin-free gel can relieve unspecific irritation symptoms in the gastrointestinal tract, but should never be taken without medical supervision. If you harvest aloe vera yourself and want to use the aloe vera gel internally, you have to proceed very carefully, carefully bleed the aloin-containing juice and wash it off. We do not recommend eating your own aloe vera. Aloe products purchased in stores are safer: The toxic aloe vera ingredients have been removed from these.

Preserve aloe vera gel

If you want to harvest a lot, you should also make the aloe vera gel durable afterward. If left untreated, it should only be kept in the refrigerator for a maximum of two days before it is consumed. The easiest option is freezing: for this, the aloe vera gel is placed in an ice cube tray in the freezer – so you can always use handy portions. Alternatively, you can further process the aloe vera and add natural preservatives, such as vitamin C, to the gel. To do this, 1 gram of commercially available vitamin C powder from the drugstore can be mixed with 100 grams of aloe vera gel.

Not sure how to best take care of aloe vera? We’ll tell you everything about the correct watering and fertilizing of aloe vera.

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