Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera is a plant species of the genus Aloe. It grows wild in tropical climates around the world and is cultivated for agricultural and medicinal uses. Aloe is also used for decorative purposes and grows successfully indoors as a potted plant. The Aloe vera plant has been known and used for centuries for its health beauty medicinal and skin care properties. The name Aloe vera derives from the Arabic word Alloeh meaning shining bitter substance while Vera in Latin means true. 2000 years ago the Greek scientists regarded Aloe vera as the universal panacea. The Egyptians called Aloe the plant of immortality. It is found in many consumer products including beverages, skin lotion, cosmetics, or ointments for minor burns and sunburns. There is little scientific evidence of the effectiveness or safety of Aloe Vera extracts for either cosmetic or medicinal purposes. Studies finding positive evidence are frequently contradicted by other studies. For over 3,500 years tales of healing Aloe Vera plants have been handed down through centuries by word of mouth. The earliest documented use of Aloe Vera comes from the ancient Egyptians but it was also grown and used by King Solomon who was said to have valued it highly. Aloe Vera is a species of Aloe native to Northern Africa. It is a stem less or very short stemmed succulent plant growing to 30-36 inches tall. Often called the miracle plant or the natural healer Aloe Vera flourishes in warm and dry climates and is member of the lily family. It stays moist where other plants wither and die by closing its pores to prevent moisture loss. Aloe vera has been used for medicinal purposes in several cultures for millennia Greece, Egypt, India, Mexico Japan and China. The botanical name of Aloe vera is Aloe barbadensis miller. It belongs to Asphodelaceae (Liliaceae) family, and is a shrubby or arbores cent’ perennial’ xerophytes’ succulent’ pea  green color plant. It grows mainly in the dry regions of Africa’ Asia’ Europe and America. In India it is found in Rajasthan’ Andhra Pradesh’ Gujarat’ Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. Aloe vera is widely known for its beauty benefits. It works wonder for skin and hair and is often the key ingredient in many beauty products. Moisturizing the skin and repairing damaged hair is one of the numerous benefits of aloe vera. This is a simple remedy to keep your feet moisturized and crack free all through the year. Apply a good amount of aloe gel on your feet’ massage until it gets absorbed and then put on socks on your tootsies. In winters you can add aloe vera gel to your foot cream or petroleum jelly for super soft feet. Due to its natural cooling properties aloe vera gel is a great product for soothing sunburns. If you have stinging sun burn apply a generous dose of aloe vera gel and it will calm the skin. It is a handy way to cure redness and rashes from sun burnt skin. Aloe vera can be a moisturizing agent not only for the skin but also for the hair. It is gentle on hair and also easy to wash off. If your hair feels dry and rough aloe vera will come to the rescue. Grab your aloe vera gel and smooth it over the hair strands to cover well. Let it sit for 30 mints and wash off to reveal soft hair. This versatile gel can double up as your makeup remover. It’s natural gentle and can be used on sensitive skin too. Use it to remove eye makeup without any fear. Just take a dollop of aloe vera gel on a cotton pad and wipe away makeup from the skin. Aloe vera contains internal benefits for the body. Aloe vera juice contains leaf pulp that is rich in natural nutrients and fiber. This well known herbal remedy for the skin also has many benefits for internal healing cleansing and repair when ingested as a nutritional drink. Gel from the aloe vera plant is a traditional treatment for wounds burns infections and some kinds of joint pain and arthritis. You can use it directly on the joints or drink aloe vera juice to decrease inflammation. One study reported reduced inflammation by 79.7 percent, and another reported reduced swelling by 67.3 percent. Drink high quality aloe very gel 30 minutes before breakfast and lunch, and right before going to bed. Start with a small amount and gradually increase to up to 2 tablespoons three times a day. It is often asked how long it will take before relief is felt. That depends on how long the arthritis has been present in the joints. The bottom line is that it will help but as with any natural herbal product it will take time for the full benefit to be realized.