It’s hard to imagine a product that eases sunburns, moisturizes hair, and even aids in digestion, but that’s exactly what aloe vera is. For ages, many have recognized the numerous benefits this plant offers. Best of all, because it’s not a chemical product, using it doesn’t put you at risk of developing side effects.
Aloe vera is particularly beneficial for the face, skin, and hair. It makes for a great natural alternative to more expensive cosmetic products. Read on to learn more about its many uses.
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What Aloe Vera Can Do for Your Face?
Keeping your face looking healthy, young, and vibrant is no easy task. You could spend a lot of money just to maintain a basic beauty regimen. In the process, you also risk exposing your face to harsh chemicals that can subject you to unpleasant side effects.
Instead of wasting your money on expensive products that might do you more harm than good, try these natural remedies with aloe vera. You’ll find it’s extremely effective as part of a beauty treatment.
Remove Your Makeup
Removing makeup isn’t easy. While there are plenty of makeup removal products on the market, many of them contain harsh chemicals that dry out your skin. Instead, experts recommend squeezing a dollop of aloe vera gel into a cotton ball and using it to smear away your makeup. This is a much safer way to get rid of makeup, as you’re not exposing your face to dangerous chemicals.
Washing Your Face
Aloe vera is also a very effective facial cleanser. To enjoy its benefits, mix one tablespoon aloe vera gel with one teaspoon of almond milk and one teaspoon of lemon juice. Wash your face, then wait several minutes before rinsing it away.
You can also mix a tablespoon of aloe vera gel with enough coconut oil to create a thick blend, then massage your face with it. This method is particularly ideal if you’re also trying to combat the effects of aging.
Exfoliation
Exfoliation is the process of removing the first layer of dead skin cells on your face. In order to look your best, you must reveal the healthier skin beneath this upper layer. On top of that, many people find that their skin feels much smoother once they clear away the dead cells. Luckily, aloe vera gel can assist you in this process, too.
Mix half a cup of aloe vera gel with enough brown sugar (baking soda is an acceptable substitute if it’s not available) to create a substance with a gritty texture.
Rub it into your face, as well as any other part of your body you wish to exfoliate. Do this before rinsing it off in the shower. This approach to exfoliation is much more affordable than professional cosmetic treatments.
Facial Hydration
This idea may sound strange, but some beauty specialists swear by it. Start by blending aloe juice (pure juice, not gel) with about three inches of cucumber and half an egg white until all the ingredients are properly blended. Apply it to your face overnight and take advantage of its hydrating effects.
Cold Sore Treatment
Cold sores are painful, and can take a long time to heal. Luckily, aloe vera gel offers both antiviral and anti-inflammatory benefits. Apply a little bit to your cold sore on a daily basis. Doing so will speed up the healing process and reduce your overall discomfort.
How Aloe Vera Helps Your Skin?
Aloe vera isn’t just good for your face. It offers a range of benefits for your skin in general. It will keep your skin hydrated, and provide it with nutrients that promote healing and pain relief. Whether you need a safe moisturizer or a soothing balm, turn to it for any or all of the following uses.
Relieving Sunburns
Treating sunburns is one of the main uses for aloe vera gel. Apply it to a burned area, and you’ll soon experience fast relief. In fact, these benefits were confirmed decades ago when the United States government studied aloe vera’s effectiveness as a treatment for radiation burns.
It was during the Cold War, and there was legitimate reason to worry about a nuclear strike on American soil. After much study, the Food and Drug Administration approved the sale of aloe vera as an over-the-counter treatment for burns.
If government scientists believed it could help people suffering from radiation burns in the wake of a nuclear attack, it’s safe to say it’s a useful product to have available anytime you’ve spent the day out in the sun. Bring it with you even on cloudy days, too.
Many people don’t realize the sun’s rays can actually penetrate cloud cover, and they may still be at risk of developing minor burns if they spend a lot of time outside without any shade.
Although applying aloe vera gel directly to a burn is enough to experience its benefits, if you want a particularly soothing experience, freeze some into aloe vera “ice” cubes first. These are very soothing when applied to everything from sunburn to poison ivy.
Aloe Vera as a Shaving Cream
Pure aloe is a popular shaving cream alternative for many beauty experts. It’s slippery enough for a close shave, and because it’s antibacterial, you don’t have to worry as much about the possibility of getting an infection if you do accidentally cut yourself.
Either use it on its own, or experiment by mixing it with your other favorite skin care products to create your own soothing shaving cream.
Healing Dry, Cracked Skin
Cracked, dry skin is often found on the feet and, to a lesser extent, the hands. That’s why many recommend applying aloe vera to areas of your body where your skin is particularly rough, dry, and cracked.
Its natural hydrating qualities will moisturize the skin, and through exfoliation, it will also make your skin in these areas much softer as well. For the best results, apply it to the affected area thoroughly, then wait 10 minutes before rinsing it off with warm water.
Keeping Hands Sanitized
Instead of buying hand sanitizer, you can make your own personal style instead. Mix a half cup of aloe vera gel with a quarter cup of rubbing alcohol. You may also want to add as many as 20 drops of your preferred essential oil. Choose an essential oil that’s safe for use on the skin and smells nice.
Keep the mixture in a small bottle and apply it whenever your hands need sanitizing. The alcohol is what kills the germs, but the aloe vera gel will leave your hands feeling soft and refreshed.
Soothing Rashes
Want to get rid of an uncomfortable rash or skin irritation naturally? Aloe vera gel is ideal for these purposes. Apply it your skin, and it will promote faster healing while also reducing your discomfort.
A review of numerous studies confirms aloe vera’s effectiveness as a dermatological treatment for everything from psoriasis to dermatitis.
Moisturizing Your Skin
Again, aloe vera has natural moisturizing properties. Thus, it’s a very good product to have available whenever you need to add some hydration to your skin.
Just apply a few drops (or, depending on the size of the area, a few dollops) to any part of your skin that’s especially dry throughout the day.
Make Your Hair Beautiful with Aloe Vera
Aloe vera’s benefits don’t stop at your face and skin. It’s even useful as a hair care product. That’s why so many shampoos have already started to incorporate it.
That said, to get the best results, you should be using aloe vera directly, instead of trusting a shampoo manufacturer to include enough in their formula for it to make a substantial difference. When used in conjunction with other natural hair care items, it can offer a wide range of benefits, including the following.
Moisturizing Your Scalp
A dry scalp can be very itchy and irritating. It also causes dandruff, which can make it difficult for you to wear dark clothing without feeling self-conscious.
Unfortunately, many shampoos actually contain harsh chemicals that have been known to worsen a dry scalp. They even cause skin irritation in some users.
With aloe vera, you don’t have to worry about that. It’s a natural moisturizer, making it ideal for use on your dry scalp. Because it contains a large dose of many essential vitamins, it provides hair with the nutrients it needs to stay healthy and strong.
As an exfoliator, it removes many of the dead skin cells that contribute to dandruff. Aloe vera also helps to prevent dandruff thanks to its antimicrobial and antifungal properties. Make a point of using it in the shower every day.
A Clean Eyebrow Gel
It’s not easy to keep your eyebrows looking clean. Although there are gels you can buy for this exact purpose, they often leave your eyebrows feeling sticky, and it’s hard to rinse away all the gel later.
Instead, dip a clean mascara wand into your aloe vera gel and carefully apply it to your eyebrows. It will help keep all the hairs in place without leaving your eyebrows feeling uncomfortable.
Amazing Additional Benefits
Aloe vera is an incredible product that can benefit you in more ways than you’d expect. You don’t even need to use it as a beauty treatment. For example, mixing a quarter cup of pure aloe vera gel in half a cup of water results in an effective mouthwash.
As an antibacterial, it kills off many of the bacteria that contribute to bad breath. Because aloe vera also has anti-inflammatory properties, it soothes acid indigestion. This condition is one of the main causes of bad breath.
That said, you should be careful when using aloe vera in this way. Although it will freshen your breath, it’s also a very effective laxative. While that’s ideal if you’re suffering from constipation, it’s clearly not the effect you’re aiming for if you’re simply trying to treat your bad breath.
However, if you are in need of a digestive aid, ask a pharmacist or doctor if they can recommend a product that contains aloe vera. It’s very useful in promoting stronger digestion, while also restoring the body’s natural pH balance. Just make sure you discuss its proper use with an expert beforehand. Consuming too much aloe vera gel may be unsafe. According to Mayo Clinic, 0.04 to 0.17 grams of dried aloe vera juice is the safe dosage.
Aloe vera is a general anti-inflammatory that provides the body with essential nutrients and vitamins. Using it on a regular basis may even lower your risk of developing certain illnesses. Many medical specialists have found that inflammation is often the root cause of a sickness. By limiting inflammation in the body and providing it with key nutrients, aloe vera strengthens the immune system and protects you from getting sick.
You don’t even need to use aloe vera directly on yourself to take advantage of its many benefits. Coating your produce with a little bit of aloe vera gel has been shown to protect it from bacteria that could otherwise cause it to decompose more quickly. Keep aloe vera on hand, and you’ll be able to keep your produce on the shelf for much longer periods of time.
Those are far from the only benefits experts have discovered. There’s evidence to suggest that aloe vera can help treat diabetes, provide heartburn relief, and even fight against breast cancer. Of course, you should always listen to the advice of your physician when you’re suffering from a medical condition. Aloe vera may be a remarkable product, but it’s not a substitute for medical care when you need.
That doesn’t mean it isn’t useful though. Whether you’re applying it to a dry scalp, using it to exfoliate your face, or moisturizing your dry skin with it, aloe vera gel is a natural, safe product that can save you a lot of money in the beauty aisle. Try any or all of these remedies yourself, and you’ll see why so many people swear by it.
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