Aloe vera for skin: DIY recipes for healthy skin, acne and more (2)

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Aloe Vera Recipes for Acne

The following aloe vera recipes offer ways to take advantage of the plant’s ability to deter harmful organisms, including those that contribute to acne.

Aloe Vera, Honey, and Rosewater Mask
Use organic, locally grown raw honey, which soothes the skin and naturally wards off bacteria, among numerous other health benefits.

Rosewater also lends a lovely fragrance to this soothing face mask. Alternatively, you can use lemon juice in place of rosewater, which brightens and clarifies the skin.

If you have sensitive skin, you might want to avoid using lemon juice.

Ingredients
• 1 tablespoon pure aloe vera gel
• 1 tablespoon organic raw honey
• 1-2 teaspoons rosewater (alternate, 1-2 teaspoons organic lemon juice)

Directions
1. In a small bowl, combine aloe vera gel, raw honey, and rosewater (or lemon juice) to make a smooth paste.
2. Apply as a mask and keep on your face for 20 minutes.
3. Rinse with warm water.
4. Use three times a week to help with acne.

Aloe Vera and Vitamin E Oil
Vitamin E oil has antioxidant and emollient properties, making it ideal for moisturizing and skin blemishes.

Ingredients
• 1/4 cup pure aloe vera gel
• 10 vitamin E soft-gel capsules

Directions
1. Break open vitamin E soft-gel capsules, collecting the oil in a small bowl.
2. Add aloe vera gel and mix well.
3. Massage into affected skin, and let sit at least 1 hour.
4. Rinse off with warm water.
5. Repeat twice daily.

Aloe Vera Recipes for Stretch Marks
Although studies have not yet tested aloe’s effects on stretch marks, its ability to smooth fine lines and moisturize skin make it promising. You can try the following aloe vera recipes.

Aloe Vera and Ground Coffee
Coffee grounds exfoliate the skin and may increase blood flow for effective healing. Be warned that working with ground coffee is messy — so use it in the shower and rinse well afterward.

Ingredients
• 2 tablespoons pure aloe vera gel
• 2 tablespoons organic ground coffee

Directions
1. Mix ground coffee with aloe vera gel until well-combined.
2. Apply to stretch marks, massaging into the skin in a circular motion.
3. Let sit on the skin 20 minutes.
4. Rinse in the shower.
5. Towel dry and moisturize.
6. Repeat every other day.

Aloe Vera and Coconut Oil
Coconut oil offers deep hydration in this daily skin rub.

Ingredients
• 1/3 cup pure aloe vera gel
• 1/2 cup organic virgin coconut oil

Directions
1. Whisk together coconut oil and aloe vera gel to create a fluffy mixture.
2. Massage into stretch marks and leave on overnight.
3. Keep the mixture in an air-tight container and use every night until stretch marks fade.

How to Use Aloe Vera for Burns
As mentioned earlier, aloe vera gel is an excellent home remedy for both first- and second-degree burns. A first-degree burn results in pain and a reddening of the outer layer of the skin. A second-degree burn affects both the lower layer of the skin, resulting in blistering as well as pain and reddening.

Aloe Vera Gel for Minor Burns
On burned skin, apply a thick layer of pure aloe vera gel. Reapply after the gel dries out.
If desired, place a bandage over the aloe vera to hold it in place and retain moisture.

Aloe Vera and Carrot Poultice
To prevent scarring from burns, apply an aloe vera and carrot poultice. Both carrots and aloe contain vitamins A, C, and E, which may assist healing as well as reduce redness and swelling.

Ingredients
• 2 organic carrots
• 1/2 cup pure aloe vera gel

Directions
1. Finely grate carrots into a bowl.
2. Mix with aloe vera gel and apply to the affected area.
3. Use a bandage around the mixture to hold it in place.
4. Reapply after poultice dries out.
5. Rinse in the shower.
6. Towel dry and moisturize.
7. Repeat every other day.

Aloe Vera and Oatmeal Bath Soak
After your burn begins to feel better, try a soothing bath with aloe vera juice, liquid chlorophyll, and organic rolled oats. Chlorophyll can help ease skin redness, according to at least one animal study. Giving the bath a silky feel, the oats contain silica, which studies find improves skin strength and elasticity.

Ingredients
• 1 cup of organic pure aloe vera juice
• 1/4 cup liquid chlorophyll
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• Cheesecloth bag or stocking

Directions
1. Plug your bathtub and fill with hot water.
2. As your bathwater runs, add aloe vera juice, liquid chlorophyll, and a cheesecloth bag or stocking containing rolled oats.
3. Soak 20-30 minutes.
4. Towel dry and moisturize.

Which Aloe Vera Product Is Best?

If you purchase aloe vera gel from a store, make sure it is pure organic aloe vera gel with no additives. If you prefer, you can use aloe vera capsules to take internally or to use in recipes.

Alternatively, you can extract aloe vera gel directly from the plant using the following instructions:
1. Choose one of the outermost leaves of the aloe plant, making sure you pick one that is at least 8 inches long. This ensures that the leaf is mature and has plenty of gel inside.
2. Cut off the leaf using a sharp knife at the base of the plant. Rinse off and discard any yellow ooze, which is aloe latex.
3. Trim the top one-third of the leaf. This thin part of the leaf does not contain much gel and can be discarded.
4. With the leaf lying flat on a cutting board, cut off the hard, spiny edges on either side of the leaf.
5. Slice the green skin of the aloe leaf open down the length of the leaf. You can also use a vegetable peeler to remove it. Underneath, you will see a layer of thick, clear gel at the center. This is the aloe vera gel.
6. Cut the bottom skin off as well and you will have a slab of clear aloe vera gel.
7. Store the gel in a clean, airtight container. Refrigerate and use within one week.

Points to Remember

A highly versatile plant with an array of wellness benefits, aloe vera can support healthy skin in numerous ways. Aloe vera gel – sourced from inside the aloe’s leaves – contains at least 75 beneficial nutrients and plant compounds, including the plant sugar acemannan, which hydrates the skin and aids with wound healing.

Among its many uses, pure aloe vera gel is helpful for the skin. It may help acne, burns, scrapes, and rashes due to its antioxidant properties, rich nutrients, and natural moisturizers. Aloe is a common folk remedy for diminishing the appearance of stretch marks and scars.

To reap the full benefits of aloe vera for your skin, use 100 percent pure organic aloe vera gel, either store-bought or extracted from the plant itself. If preferred, you can take aloe vera orally for its many health benefits.

yogaesoteric
October 15, 2019