Aloe vera gel is one of the natural ingredients with excellent healing functions. This gel can be used to moisturize the skin, treat sunburn, and relieve irritation. To make your own, all you need is a healthy aloe plant. Aloe vera gel can be mixed with other ingredients to make it last longer for more than a few days.
Ingredients
- Aloe vera leaf
- Optional: 500 mg of vitamin C in powder form or 400 IU of vitamin E (for every 60 ml of gel)
Step
Step 1. Clean your hands
It is very important to start with clean hands and use utensils that have been washed to ensure the gel will not be contaminated.
Step 2. Cut the leaves that grow on the outermost part of the aloe vera plant
The leaves in this section usually have grown or thickened and are more mature, and contain a lot of gel in good and fresh condition. Choose leaves that grow on the outermost part of the aloe vera plant with a base that grows directly from the ground. Use a sharp knife to get a neat cut around the base of the plant.
- Due to the perishable nature of aloe vera gel, don't make large batches of it at once, unless you plan to pass it out. Cut 1 or 2 large aloe vera leaves and they should be enough to make 120-240 ml of gel.
- Especially if your plant is young, be careful not to cut it all the way through at once. Cutting off any leaves growing on the very outside can damage the plant.
Step 3. Remove the resin from the leaves by letting them sit in the bowl for 10 minutes
Place the leaves in the bowl in an upright position and allow the dark yellow resin to drain out. The resin contains a latex that can cause mild irritation to the skin. Therefore, it's a good idea to remove all the resin from the leaves so that it doesn't mix with your gel.
Step 4. Peel the leaves
Use a vegetable peeler to gently peel the green part of the leaf skin. Make sure to slice through the transparent layer of flesh to get the gel behind it. Peel off the skin on only one side for each leaf so that it is almost like a canoe filled with gel.
- Cutting the large leaves into smaller pieces first will make it easier for you to peel the skin.
- When you peel, immediately remove the peeled leaf skin so it doesn't mix into the gel.
Step 5. Scrape the gel using a spoon
It's easy to scoop out the soft and clear gel. Separate all the flesh and gel from the leaf skins until nothing remains in a clean bowl.
Step 6. Consider mixing the gel with a natural preservative
If you have a lot of gel and want to keep it for a month or two, mix it with 500 mg of vitamin C in powder form or 400 IU of vitamin E for every 60 ml of gel you have. Mix all the ingredients together until smooth using a blender and the gel will look frothy afterward.
Step 7. Pour the gel into a clean, sterilized glass bottle
The gel will last for several months in the refrigerator if you use a preservative. Otherwise, the gel will only last one to two weeks.
Step 8. Apply the gel
Apply to sunburned skin or other minor burns. Aloe vera can also be used to moisturize the skin or as an ingredient in homemade body care products.
- Aloe vera gel should only be used on irritated skin surfaces. Never apply the gel to a cut or blistered skin as it can prevent the wound from healing properly.
- Try mixing 60 ml of melted coconut oil into 120 ml of aloe vera gel to make a great moisturizing cream for massage.
- Learn how to grow aloe vera so you can gel it whenever you want.
Tips
Instead of vitamin C, you can crush vitamin C in tablet form and mix it into a gel. You can also mix a few drops of grapefruit extract to outsmart it
Warning
- Aloe vera can indeed be consumed directly. However, you should not consume it in excess because aloe vera has a laxative effect.
- Wear gloves for handling aloe if you have an allergy to sap.
